Nature
Los Padres National Forest spans about 3,050 square miles of coastal and inland mountains in southern and central California, divided between a Big Sur section and a larger southern section. Formed from earlier forest reserves, it was renamed from Santa Barbara National Forest in 1936 to reflect the wider region; Los Padres refers to Catholic missionary priests of the Spanish mission era. Its varied terrain includes major river headwaters, extensive trails, campgrounds, and high peaks. Nearly half the forest has wilderness protection, making it one of California’s largest undeveloped mountain landscapes, with notable condor habitat, old-growth stands, and a landscape continually shaped by wildfire.
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