Los Padres Returns

Fire recovery, Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres NF (10/25/21) Parrish Todd

Los Padres National Forest delighted the senses with beautiful color, last autumn. Though, fans of the forest worried how it would recover from wildfires. Parrish Todd sends proof it is doing just fine.

Frémont cottonwood, Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres NF (10/25/21) Parrish Todd

She visited Rose Valley Falls Campground in the Topatopa Mountains within the forest’s Sespe Wilderness and found a gorgeous texture of vermillion, yellow, moss green and tan shrubs, grasses and ground covers populating the hills.

Los Padres National Forest has a long autumn. Presently, the color varies from Near Peak to Peak, though color will continue well into December.

Curiously, Parrish happened upon a Chinese pistache growing in the Sespe Wilderness. This is an exotic tree whose home area is Asia. So, for one to be growing in a wilderness area means it had to have been planted there at some time. Though they have lovely color, it’s probably not a tree that should remain in a natural area.

• Sespe Wilderness, Los Padres NF (3,450′) – Near Peak (50 – 75%) Go Now.