Running on the Ragged Edge of the Western World
Iconic coastline, foot race from Big Sur to Carmel. Run along scenic Highway One, the nation’s first nationally designated Scenic Highway
Annual event; April
SIERRA HWYS / Sierra Passes:
Annual Highway Closures in the snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains
Cal-Trans Road Conditions
800-427-7623
All CHP Offices
Web cams on California freeways
Nevada Road Conditions
702-793-1313
Oregon Road Conditions
503-588-2941
L.A. Road Closures
Department of Public Works Los Angeles
North State Road Conditions & Web Cams
Siskiyou County California
Weather Bureau
530-221-5613
R1 – Chains are required on all vehicles except passenger vehicles and light-duty trucks under 6,000 pounds gross weight and equipped with snow tires on at least two drive wheels. Chains must be carried by vehicles using snow tires. All vehicles towing trailers must have chains on one drive axle. Trailers with brakes must have chains on at least one axle.
R2 – Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles except four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles with snow-tread tires on all four wheels. NOTE: four-wheel/all-wheel drive vehicles must carry traction devices in chain control areas.
R3 – Chains required. Chains or traction devices are required on all vehicles, no exceptions.
The most common chain controls are R-1 and R-2. Highways will often be closed before an R-3 control is imposed, but winter weather conditions can change any road condition, hour by hour.
California Office Of Tourism
1121 L St., Suite 103, Sacramento, CA 95814
California Welcome Centers
various locations, usually near freeway & factory outlet malls
California Bureau of Land Management
BLM
California Department of Fish and Game
916-445-0411
California National Forests 
USFS
California State Parks 
SP, SHP, SRA
Eastern Sierra Interagency Center
US Highway 395 @ Death Valley turn off
760-876-6200
2 miles south of Lone Pine CA
@ junction of Hwy 395 & SR 136
Kelso Depot Visitors Center
Mojave National Preserve
760 252-6108
Kelbaker Road, Kelso, CA
Old Station Visitor Information Center
13435 Brian’s Way
Highway 44/89, Old Station, CA 96071
530-335-7517
Hat Creek, East Lassen NF
CA Trains – Amtrak, MetroLink, Coaster, BART, Skunk
California Statewide Bus Lines – Amtrak bus, Greyhound & FlixBus
California 4×4 Groups
Cal 4-Wheel
California by Bicycle
California 4×4 Tours
California by Helicopter
California by Horseback
California by Llama
Lake Tahoe Tours
Palm Springs Tram
Vegas Outdoor Tours
North of Ojai, Highway 33 meets Highway 166: Ozena, Ventucopa, & New Cuyama make up the 3 small communities inside the Cuyama River Valley, located in south of the San Joaquin (California’s Central) Valley.
On the outter edge of Santa Barbara County, where Kern, San Luis Obispo & Ventura counties all meet, you can find great solitude, a large red dirt, high desert wash & plenty rural trails. Off-roading, backcountry camping, hiking, mountain biking all over this region.
Ozena Ranger Station sits at the south end of Cuyama, at the intersection of Lockwood Valley Rd & Hwy 33. Ozena Campground with 10 spots @ 3660′ elevation, is to the east off Lockwood.
Nettle Springs Campground (8 spots @ 4400′ elevation) can be accessed via Apache Canyon, a 10 mile long dirt road# 8N06, off Hwy 33
2 smaller campgrounds – Tinta and Ranch Nuevo are on the west side of Hwy 33 & may require a high clearance vehicle to reach. Trails out of these campgrounds lead to the Dick Smith Wilderness.
Chumash Wilderness is just east of Ventucopa, as Los Padres National Forest surround this agricultural valley. Quatal Canyon and Quatal Wash reach from the upper elevations of pinyon pines near Mount Able to Cuyama river bed below, as Cerro Noroeste Road skirts the northern rim of the impressive red rock canyon. Toad Spring Campground is at the top. Apache Saddle and Pine Mountain Club are just east of Quatal Cyn.
Cuyama riverbed follows Highway 33 and then turns west, following Highway 166, past the ranch lands, the volcano hills and notorious Rock Front Ranch.
All the pavement around Cuyama is very popular amongst motorcyclists. Scenic touring kinda roads. A very nice 100 mile loop trip is from Pine Mountain Club – W on Mil Potrero Hwy, W on Cerro Noroeste Rd, W on Hwy 166, S on Hwy 33, East on Lockwood Valley Road – back to Frazier Park & I-5 Lebec.
Mahutasan, the indian sweat lodge and the extremely rustic Sage Brush Annies Restaurant w/ winery are the highlights of this rural agriculture valley called Ventucopa CA. Cuyama Peak and fire lookout tower overlooks the whole Cuayama Valley & can be accessed via Santa Barbara Canyon Rd. 4×4 may be required in certain spots. This lovely oak and manzanita lined canyon was scorched by the Zaca Wildfire in mid 2007.
helpful maps of the region –
towns in the valley –
towns close by –
High mountain desert camp is mislabeled on some maps as “Chimney Peak Campground” or “Chimney Rock Campground”. Pinyon pine forest on Chimney Creek, near hiking trailheads, wildflowers and Chimney Peak Wilderness. Southern Sierra ridge near Mojave Desert and California SR 178.
Canebrake Road is a graded dirt road that makes up part of Chimney Peak Back Country Byway. This rural route is a major graded dirt road located north of Highway 178 – which connects Canebrake to Long Valley up near Kennedy Meadows. Pacific Crest Trail passes next to this campground in the Southern Sierra mountains. The campground turn off is way east of Lake Isabella Hwy 178 is (near Walker Pass & PCT) and follow dirt road north to Kennedy Meadows in the far eastern reaches of Sequoia National Forest
• Elevation: 5,700′
• Number of Sites: 32
• Camping Reservations: No
• Sites Available: First come, First serve
• Vehicle Accessibility: RV limit 28′ max
• Length of Stay: 14 Days
• Water: Piped (April – Sept)
• Toilet: Vault
• Season: Open all year
• Fee: No
• Operated By: BLM
• Closest Town: Lake Isabella, CA
Bureau of Land Management
BLM Bakersfield Ranger Station
661-391-6000
nearby destinations –
Chimney Peak Wilderness
Lamont Peak
Long Valley Campground
Dome Land Wilderness
Owens Peak Wilderness
Jawbone Canyon
Sequoia National Forest
Sacatar Trail Wilderness
Kiavah Wilderness
Kennedy Meadows
Lake Isabella
Kern River
Monache Meadows
View Chimney Creek Campground in a larger map
