That place was a hoppin', surreal far out, hippie, free form nudist camp at one time. You could drive all the way in if your vehicle could do it; when you got close to both the springs area there were hippie buses, box trucks, VW vans, tents, cars; it sounded like a Rock Concert going on, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Dead playing 24/7. Half the people were nude everywhere; drunk & High, most everything was cool, but there were some fights and petty crime. The Sheriff drove a 1960's Ford Bronco and was a presence of Law so it wouldn't get too far out of hand. Hundreds of people would be there every weekend. Bear camp was as far as you could drive any regular car on pavement. Sometime in the middle 1970s, after rains washed out the roads the Forest service let it return to nature. (The Sea-Bees had a small base in Rose Valley & used the area as training to build & maintain roads; they closed that base in the later 1970s)
I did a bunch of research on the place, absolutely fascinating history! Just couldn't figure out a good way to include that info into the video! Just curious, one thing I couldn't get a solid answer on was when the road got washed out for the last time? There was some infrastructure near the hot spring canyon that looked relatively new, but seems like the road was washed out in the 70s?
@@ElsbethWeeks You can't get a solid answer when the road last closed because it was closed in steps. There was a landslide just after Bear Creek Camp that closed the road except for the most intrepid dirt bike riders. This was 1975-76 rainy season. The road was bulldozed clear, but chained closed at Bear Creek open only for forest service vehicles. But dirt bikers would go around the chained gate for a year or two. More rain washed out sections; so the entire road was strictly closed to all traffic except hikers. The entire Rose Valley/Sespe area had been a headache for so long; the closure was quite welcome. Fun Fact: Charlie Manson's lawyer Ronald Butler disappeared and was found dead back in there in 1970. Sespe hot Springs '74 ua-cam.com/video/QenmVs8cb3E/v-deo.html
Thank you SO SO much! This is really such interesting information that is so hard to come by online. I am so glad that you decided to watch this video and write your original comment!
@@mr.bnatural3700 I graduated High School in 1977 and can remember making 3-4 trips back there in the 70's....last time around 1979?? After Bear Creek they had dug out 3 deep "tank traps' in the road to prevent anyone from continuing on in a 2wd vehicles and beyond that the several creek crossings were definitely 4wd and careful going but after the Sespe's "Wild & Scenic" designation it was chained off and it did not take many years for the river valley to return to it's more natural state. After that we would always drive over through Lockwood Valley Rd to the Mutau Flat trailhead and from there hike the 8 or so miles downhill along the old Johnson Ridge trail(which used to be a designated motorcycle trail) into the Hot Springs which then meant an 8 mile hike steep uphill all the way out! Last time I drove to the Hot Springs there was a huge pool just past the last creek crossing that had a 4 foot high rock & concrete dam built 2 feet thick and had a plexiglass panel built into it where you could lower a coleman lantern into the dam and it would light up the entire pool at night.....and it was "party time"! We stayed 3 days and left so sunburned that we draped wet towels over our naked bodies all the way back to Oxnard. My Dad was a SeaBee at Port Hueneme and lost colleagues in the terrible floods of 1969. I have hiked all over those mountains as a teenager including a solo trip from Reyes Peak out to Fillmore which I will never forget. I'd highly recommend the hike from Dough Flat north of Fillmore down to Alder Creek and follow it to it's confluence with the Sespe. I wish I was young again.
@@CBeard849 That is really interesting; your memory parallels mine of the area but I didn't know the hot springs were still accessible by 4-wd from Mutau Flat after the road was closed at Bear Creek. The tank traps were new there in 1972 ; but I still remember low slung American cars getting past them by guys lifting on the car. It was incredible what types of machinery people got back to the Hot Springs when I went there. I road back in a Baja Bug my buddy Ken Johnson owned and it was perfect for the terrain. The last time i drove on pavement to Bear Creek campground in a Datsun was 1977-78 I think. The floods of 69; I was was in Boy Scouts camping at Big Cone in Santa Paula canyon; it rained and rained all night; the "Adults" hiked out the Troop @ 2:00 A.M. because their tents were flooded and left 4 of us boys behind because we were dry. In the morning we 4 boys started to hike out but saw the Santa Paula creek was a raging torrent so we went back to camp and cooked breakfast. The "Adults" showed up about noon to retrieve us and hiked us all out of there, we had to cross the creek several times with ropes tied around us. It was fun to a 12 year old; but little did we know there were people dying on the Sespe. We went back two weeks later to retrieve our camping gear; the entire canyon was unrecognizable; I thought it would never recover. Good times! I went to Hueneme High School Graduated 1974; where did you go?
Excellent documentation! Where were the buildings/cabins along the trail? I'm curious if they were near the junction of sespe creek trail and sespe hot springs trail. Thanks
I'd watch more outtakes of water if you shot any, almost no hot springs, no river crossing, IMO the water, Sespe River the most interesting feature. Also just recently reading about this Pan person who's a local menace, did you encounter him?
When we were there the water was extremely low (This was last winter and the drought in SoCal was pretty bad). I think I filmed most of our river crossings, but there just wasn't that much water :/ I did some research after and heard about crazy flooding (back in the 70s I think?) And it was really hard to believe it could be the same place! Yes, we did encounter him, but he didn't bother us and kept to himself. On our way out he asked if we had extra food but that was our only interaction with him
We did this at the end of December - December 25-27. I think if you decide to go, wait now until after summer. It was very exposed so I think mid summer would be unpleasant.
I actually really like them. Mountain House is probably my favorite of the pre packaged meals, but I think Omeals are at least more consistent (between flavors) than some of the other brands!
Oh I know! Somehow I am the only one in the group who wanted to go in, but also the only one who knows how (was willing?) to use the camera! I guess another tip: we were probably a little too far up Sespe, so it was a bit too warm to stay in for too long!
No not any more. There used to be a road but it got washed out a couple decades ago. Now it is officially classified as wilderness, so no motorized vehicles :)
@@ks-b7427 Not particularly, but we were a group of 4. If you go on a weekend, there will be a lot of people, so even if you two are solo, there will be someone around to help in case something goes wrong (though I don't think this guy will do anything to you) :)
Who came here after watching WonderHussy's video? This one showed up in my recommendations. You picked a good time to do the hike, looks like things got really cold recently.
Oh that's amazing that my video is getting recommended after hers! Love her videos :) I think we got really lucky with the weather. It was definitely hot on the first day, but pretty comfortable the rest of the trip!
It's hard to believe we used to drive there and have huge parties in a pool that had a huge rock and concrete dam with a sauna and lighted pool for night time "frollicing" I got so sunburned on one trip I had to drive home in my underwear with wet towels all over my body.
I used to hike Sespe in the early 70's when there were still California condors there... and when Charles Manson family attorney, Ron Hughes, disappeared there. His remains were later found near Pigeon Flat. Watch your step.
I did some research on the area after the trip - extremely fascinating place! According to some other commenters, you could pretty much drive the entire way not that long ago!
lmao this is possibly the most bitter youtube comment i’ve ever seen...that’s saying a lot considering the vast amount of losers on this platform. so congrats on that, i guess.
That place was a hoppin', surreal far out, hippie, free form nudist camp at one time. You could drive all the way in if your vehicle could do it; when you got close to both the springs area there were hippie buses, box trucks, VW vans, tents, cars; it sounded like a Rock Concert going on, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Dead playing 24/7. Half the people were nude everywhere; drunk & High, most everything was cool, but there were some fights and petty crime. The Sheriff drove a 1960's Ford Bronco and was a presence of Law so it wouldn't get too far out of hand. Hundreds of people would be there every weekend. Bear camp was as far as you could drive any regular car on pavement. Sometime in the middle 1970s, after rains washed out the roads the Forest service let it return to nature. (The Sea-Bees had a small base in Rose Valley & used the area as training to build & maintain roads; they closed that base in the later 1970s)
I did a bunch of research on the place, absolutely fascinating history! Just couldn't figure out a good way to include that info into the video! Just curious, one thing I couldn't get a solid answer on was when the road got washed out for the last time? There was some infrastructure near the hot spring canyon that looked relatively new, but seems like the road was washed out in the 70s?
@@ElsbethWeeks You can't get a solid answer when the road last closed because it was closed in steps. There was a landslide just after Bear Creek Camp that closed the road except for the most intrepid dirt bike riders. This was 1975-76 rainy season. The road was bulldozed clear, but chained closed at Bear Creek open only for forest service vehicles. But dirt bikers would go around the chained gate for a year or two. More rain washed out sections; so the entire road was strictly closed to all traffic except hikers. The entire Rose Valley/Sespe area had been a headache for so long; the closure was quite welcome. Fun Fact: Charlie Manson's lawyer Ronald Butler disappeared and was found dead back in there in 1970. Sespe hot Springs '74 ua-cam.com/video/QenmVs8cb3E/v-deo.html
Thank you SO SO much! This is really such interesting information that is so hard to come by online. I am so glad that you decided to watch this video and write your original comment!
@@mr.bnatural3700 I graduated High School in 1977 and can remember making 3-4 trips back there in the 70's....last time around 1979?? After Bear Creek they had dug out 3 deep "tank traps' in the road to prevent anyone from continuing on in a 2wd vehicles and beyond that the several creek crossings were definitely 4wd and careful going but after the Sespe's "Wild & Scenic" designation it was chained off and it did not take many years for the river valley to return to it's more natural state. After that we would always drive over through Lockwood Valley Rd to the Mutau Flat trailhead and from there hike the 8 or so miles downhill along the old Johnson Ridge trail(which used to be a designated motorcycle trail) into the Hot Springs which then meant an 8 mile hike steep uphill all the way out! Last time I drove to the Hot Springs there was a huge pool just past the last creek crossing that had a 4 foot high rock & concrete dam built 2 feet thick and had a plexiglass panel built into it where you could lower a coleman lantern into the dam and it would light up the entire pool at night.....and it was "party time"! We stayed 3 days and left so sunburned that we draped wet towels over our naked bodies all the way back to Oxnard. My Dad was a SeaBee at Port Hueneme and lost colleagues in the terrible floods of 1969. I have hiked all over those mountains as a teenager including a solo trip from Reyes Peak out to Fillmore which I will never forget. I'd highly recommend the hike from Dough Flat north of Fillmore down to Alder Creek and follow it to it's confluence with the Sespe. I wish I was young again.
@@CBeard849 That is really interesting; your memory parallels mine of the area but I didn't know the hot springs were still accessible by 4-wd from Mutau Flat after the road was closed at Bear Creek. The tank traps were new there in 1972 ; but I still remember low slung American cars getting past them by guys lifting on the car. It was incredible what types of machinery people got back to the Hot Springs when I went there. I road back in a Baja Bug my buddy Ken Johnson owned and it was perfect for the terrain. The last time i drove on pavement to Bear Creek campground in a Datsun was 1977-78 I think.
The floods of 69; I was was in Boy Scouts camping at Big Cone in Santa Paula canyon; it rained and rained all night; the "Adults" hiked out the Troop @ 2:00 A.M. because their tents were flooded and left 4 of us boys behind because we were dry. In the morning we 4 boys started to hike out but saw the Santa Paula creek was a raging torrent so we went back to camp and cooked breakfast. The "Adults" showed up about noon to retrieve us and hiked us all out of there, we had to cross the creek several times with ropes tied around us. It was fun to a 12 year old; but little did we know there were people dying on the Sespe. We went back two weeks later to retrieve our camping gear; the entire canyon was unrecognizable; I thought it would never recover. Good times! I went to Hueneme High School Graduated 1974; where did you go?
Looks like you can make there through Filmore dough flat trail too
The rock wall you saw is an overturned sedimentary bed. That whole area is full of amazing folds and faults.
What a lovely video,really loved it,please stay safe debs.
Thank you so much for your nice comment :)
@@ElsbethWeeks my pleasure you have a lovely channel debs x.
Awesome vid. Seems like a cool hiking trip to try out!
Yeah, I have never really given SoCal much of a chance, but this was truly an amazing trip!
Loved the video and location! Inspiring us to start backpacking again. Thanks for sharing ⛺🧡🏜
Thanks so much! You definitely should start again soon, winter is a great season for it!
What beautiful and diverse scenery. Appears that you enjoyed the hike and springs.
Yeah - Sespe was something else! Great winter backpacking trip :)
Excellent documentation! Where were the buildings/cabins along the trail? I'm curious if they were near the junction of sespe creek trail and sespe hot springs trail. Thanks
Nicely filmed and documented E…kudos!
Oh thanks so much :)
Awesome video and hike 👍
The Atmisphere is great my friend
Oh yes! Such a great spot! Definitely one of my favorite places in California :)
So beautiful there!
Yeah it was absolutely gorgeous! Cannot recommend enough :)
@@ElsbethWeeks thanks! We really enjoy making outdoor content also
Excellent footage of the hike and very inspiring! I live in oxnard and had no idea Paradise was so close!
Oh you definitely should go check it out! California is so full of hidden gems like this :)
How knarly is the hike?
What backpack is that you have?
By any chance do you know if it's possible to hammock camp at Sespe Hot Springs? I see one shot with those big palms but not sure if those would work.
I am not a big hammock camper, so I am not sure.
What time of year did you go? Was this last Nov?
I'm going to need to check this out
You totally should!
So beautiful ❤️
Yes! So lucky to live somewhere with so much natural beauty :)
I like snow peak as well
I'd watch more outtakes of water if you shot any, almost no hot springs, no river crossing, IMO the water, Sespe River the most interesting feature. Also just recently reading about this Pan person who's a local menace, did you encounter him?
When we were there the water was extremely low (This was last winter and the drought in SoCal was pretty bad). I think I filmed most of our river crossings, but there just wasn't that much water :/ I did some research after and heard about crazy flooding (back in the 70s I think?) And it was really hard to believe it could be the same place!
Yes, we did encounter him, but he didn't bother us and kept to himself. On our way out he asked if we had extra food but that was our only interaction with him
I met the Manson family girls there in the late 70's. That was weird.
Where do you go when you need to use the bathroom?
Sorry for such a late response - in Sespe, there are outhouses, but in most wilderness areas you need to dig a hole about 6 inches deep!
Hi. When did you go? Like month and day?
We did this at the end of December - December 25-27. I think if you decide to go, wait now until after summer. It was very exposed so I think mid summer would be unpleasant.
A true hidden gem!
Yeah it definitely is!
Hey are those Omeals good? Lol i got the beef veggie stew
I actually really like them. Mountain House is probably my favorite of the pre packaged meals, but I think Omeals are at least more consistent (between flavors) than some of the other brands!
I didn't see any tired backpackers soaking, just feet getting wet.
Oh I know! Somehow I am the only one in the group who wanted to go in, but also the only one who knows how (was willing?) to use the camera! I guess another tip: we were probably a little too far up Sespe, so it was a bit too warm to stay in for too long!
Wait, you can drive there, right?
No not any more. There used to be a road but it got washed out a couple decades ago. Now it is officially classified as wilderness, so no motorized vehicles :)
How long did it take to get to the springs from Willet? Wondering if an overnight straight to Sespe would be doable now that sunset is about 730
I think it was like 2 hours - definitely doable to do the whole trek on day 1! We started in the early afternoon (like 1 PM) to arrive at Willet at 4
@@ElsbethWeeks Thanks! I enjoy your videos. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for your kind words! Hope you have a great trip :)
Great scenery - I want to go to Ojai! Quick question/comment, love your glasses are they from the 1980's?
Haha thanks! Yeah, they are a hand me down from the most stylish woman I know!
@@ElsbethWeeks What??? My mother gave you her glasses? Jk, LOL. Love the video.
Loll :) Thanks for your kind words!
I grew up there have not been there in a long time since 70's are you related to ileen
This hot springs better turn 20 years younger for a 35 mile hike.
LOLOL the high five!
That's the best way to end a backpacking trip!
Thank you for not having a fire out there!
I always try to follow rules like that, although someone pointed out that I misread to rules and camp stoves are actually ok!
Did you see the homeless man? I saw him in November and he said he was there for a couple months.
We did. We chatted with him briefly on our way out
awkward q--what's his vibe? did u feel threatened at all? two chicks planning a solo trip want to know ;)
@@ks-b7427 Not particularly, but we were a group of 4. If you go on a weekend, there will be a lot of people, so even if you two are solo, there will be someone around to help in case something goes wrong (though I don't think this guy will do anything to you) :)
@@ElsbethWeeks thank you! :)
Who came here after watching WonderHussy's video? This one showed up in my recommendations.
You picked a good time to do the hike, looks like things got really cold recently.
Oh that's amazing that my video is getting recommended after hers! Love her videos :) I think we got really lucky with the weather. It was definitely hot on the first day, but pretty comfortable the rest of the trip!
Showed up after Wonderhussy for me too.
For the best, check out Catherine Gregory
👍👍👍
Thanks :)
It's hard to believe we used to drive there and have huge parties in a pool that had a huge rock and concrete dam with a sauna and lighted pool for night time "frollicing" I got so sunburned on one trip I had to drive home in my underwear with wet towels all over my body.
I used to hike Sespe in the early 70's when there were still California condors there... and when Charles Manson family attorney, Ron Hughes, disappeared there. His remains were later found near Pigeon Flat. Watch your step.
I did some research on the area after the trip - extremely fascinating place! According to some other commenters, you could pretty much drive the entire way not that long ago!
That hike is 32 miles huh? Lol
www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/sespe-river-trail-to-sespe-hot-springs
@@ElsbethWeeks 17 miles dam thats alot i applaud you!
Please stop advertising these areas, you're doing a disservice by showcasing this spot to the world.
Please mind your own business, Jesse. The place belongs to EVERYBODY, not just you, Slick.
Lame self serving been done too many times
lmao this is possibly the most bitter youtube comment i’ve ever seen...that’s saying a lot considering the vast amount of losers on this platform. so congrats on that, i guess.