Fox Camp

Fox Camp is a beautiful outpost camp in the Ventana Wilderness of the Los Padres National Forest about 2 hours upstream along the North Fork of the Little Sur. This is a great base camp as one can continue up the North Fork to the Circular Pools or follow Jackson Creek to Upper Esselen and La Ventana.

Fox Camp is also a great overnight or day hike destination since it lies in the redwoods and is a relatively flat hike. The hike is lined with swimming holes and the camp itself is divided by the river in to two sites, each of which could accommodate several patrols. In fact, we've had 2 full troops camped at Fox Camp before. Each site is flat and has a fire ring.

Fox Camp is also home to Drum Rock but we'll save that story for later...

Fire Restrictions Lifted

Effective Monday, November 14, fire restrictions have been lifted and open fires are now allowed in the backcountry. A free California Campfire Permit is still required. Please be careful with fire (it's part of the Outdoor Code) as there are still long periods of dryness in the winter.

CLICK HERE to print out a California Campfire Permit

Forest Order

I am always a fan of photos of Our Lord's Candle, the flowering stalk of a yucca plant. This was taken in the summer of 2011 near the top of Mount Pico Blanco. The ocean is about 3500' below. Something unique about the northern Santa Lucia Mountains, the range that Pico Blanco lies in, is that it is home to the northernmost yucca, a Southern Californian plant, and the southernmost Coast Redwoods, a Northern Californian plant, making the region botanically Central California. This phenomenon creates a very unique ecosystem in that there are large, open, warm slopes rising above cool redwood canyons.

Moose the Ranger's Dog