Hike San Guillermo Mountain Los Padres National Forest, CA

From afar, San Guillermo Mountain appears to be just a lump on the fringe of the Sespe Wilderness, but the summit ridge offers great views into the Cuyama Badlands and surrounding peaks, making it a worthwhile add-on after other objectives in the area. There’s no official trailhead or designated trail for this short outing.

Any vehicle can reach the Pine Springs Campground on good dirt roads, which serves as the unofficial trailhead. Note that the area has seasonal closures, so be sure to check access conditions before heading out.

I left the Pine Springs Campground somewhere near its western end and began meandering through the lumpy foothills, trying to make sense of the maze of social trails, none of which felt particularly helpful. The slope I needed to climb became visible through the trees, but finding a clean line to its base took me a minute.

Once there, I began the fairly steep ascent of the eastern slope. A good social trail took shape and held together for most of the climb, with a couple of short exceptions. From a southern false summit, I caught my first sweeping view of the Cuyama Badlands, and San Guillermo Mountain lay just to the north. After a short dip along the ridge, I made the final ascent to the top.

At the true summit of San Guillermo Mountain, I took in the expansive views, which included San Rafael Peak, Thorn Point (which I’d done earlier in the day), Mount Pinos, and others.