Filed under: Campgrounds & RV Parks, Family Day Trips, Family Weekend Trips, RV Campgrounds, Tent Campgrounds

Camping in Rose Valley

Rose Valley has an incredibly easy, short, and beautiful hike to the bottom of the 300-foot high Rose Valley Falls.  Go a few days after rainfall and you will experience the falls more full, complete with rushing water at the lower and hopefully upper falls.  Just a mile-long round trip, the hike takes you to the bottom of the lower falls, with options for some more extreme hiking to the bottom of the upper falls.  During the hike, you have to cross a stream and may have to boulder-hop if the flow is up.

Just 15 miles north of lovely Ojai, off Highway 33, Rose Valley is a spectacular section of the Los Padres National Forest.  Go for an afternoon hike or for a weekend-long camping trip.  At an elevation of 3,450 feet, the Rose Valley Campground consists of a peaceful 9-site single loop of campground sites, serenely shaded by cottonwood trees.  The sites are pretty primitive with just fire pits, BBQ grills, and picnic tables.  Three small, stocked lakes are nearby as well as the Ojai Shooting Range.  The Rose Valley Campground doesn’t offer reservations; it is first come, first served and you have to bring your own water.   The creek that runs alongside the campground is absolutely stunning; especially in the fall when the falling leaves colorfully cloak the ground and water.  Just be careful to not mistake the leave-covered water for the ground as my four year old did (and ended up with a soaked shoe to start the hike).

Piedra Blanca Trail head is at the end of Rose Valley Road for hikers and backpackers to check out.  It serves as the gateway for the Sespe River Trail and Gene Marshall-Piedra Blanca National Recreation Trail.  Just don’t forget your Adventure Pass, which is $5 a day or $30 for the year.  It can be purchased en route, at the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center, and should be displayed in your vehicle’s window at all times.

Last 5 posts by Cynthia Baum

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