March 2022
https://www.alltrails.com/explore/trail/us/california/sespe-river-trail-to-willett-hot-springs
Itinerary:
Park at the Piedra Blanca Trailhead
Hike 11 miles to Willett Hot Spring
Hike 6.5 mi back and dispersed camp
Hike 4.5 mi back to my car
Los Padres National Forest and Sespe Wilderness
The beautiful thing about a National Forest is that you can usually camp anywhere you want! This trail in particular has plenty of sites to choose from that line the Sespe River. Many of them have great access to swimming holes or hot springs. When you park overnight, be sure to leave your adventure pass in the dashboard and you are good to go!
Piedra Blanca Trailhead
You can see right away why it is called the Piedra Blanca Trailhead. Piedra Blanca means white rock in Spanish, and there is a giant white rock in view nearby. There are some bathrooms and a map. I am always sure to snap an extra photo of the maps at the trail, just in case!
There are a few water crossings, depending on the route you take out of the parking lot. Depending on the time of year and the rain, you will find these crossings to be anywhere from barely getting your feet wet shallow, to up to your thighs deep.
Soon enough, the trail climbs a little above the river and you are walking on dry trail.
There are a couple of times the trail will have you cross the river again, but at the time of year that I went, the water wasn’t too high, so some of the crossings were dry.
I stopped for a break and a snack just after Bear Camp where I spotted someone sleeping under a tree. Something was off about this person, but I will explain more about them later…
The trail is exposed most of the way and should be avoided in extreme heat. During my trip, in March, it was hot and the sun was strong. I wish I brought my sun shirt or hat because I ended up getting sunburn.
In the spring, there are lots of beautiful yellow wildflowers that blanket the hillsides along the trail. Beware of the bugs though, because I ended up covered in itchy bites after this trip! Next time I will be more prepared!
Willett Hot Spring
At about 11 miles into the trail, you will come to the side trail for Willett Hot Spring. The side trail is not marked, but I was able to use my navigation and the map I downloaded to know it was the right turn. The .5mi side trail climbs steeply and it is hard to imagine a hot spring is at the end. There’s one single campsite nestled at the top. Finally, you climb up a little crevice in the cliffside, and you start to smell sulfur and hear the trickling of water. Then you turn to find a large sparkling blue-green tub filled with hot spring water.
I’m not sure what the temperature was. It’s a good idea to bring a thermometer when visiting hot springs to be sure you will not burn yourself. When I arrived at the spring, there was already someone else taking a soak. I said hello and we chatted for a while.
My new friend told me that they visit this spot at least once a month, sometimes once a week. They love to socialize with visitors and will perform maintenance on the tub to encourage people to keep coming back. He taught me how to drain the tub and clean it, in case I come back to the tub to find it slimy and full of algae.
We chatted for a while and enjoyed the hot tub in silence. He asked me if I saw someone in a dress at any campsites on my way over. I told him about the person I had seen sleeping at Bear Camp. I learned that this person is the notorious “Pan” who has taken to living along this trail and has been a presence here for years. Before setting out, I had learned about this person from the AllTrails review and YouTube videos, and not everyone had nice things to say. The authorities have previously gone searching for him, and he has been reported to be aggressive. So, I was a bit worried in terms of safety. My friend reassured me that Pan had been harmless in all the interactions he’s had with him, but that he is a weird guy and I should be cautious.
After a while, my new friend left leaving me this paradise all to myself. It was so nice to be there alone, listening to the running water, breeze, and birds.
I relaxed for about an hour, had lunch, drank about a liter of water, and hopped in and out of the hot water. I was so satisfied with my time there, I decided that I didn’t need to hike any further along the trail. Although I knew there were more hot springs to come, I decided I would come back for a longer trip and hike all the way out, the 18 miles, to Sespe Hot Springs, what this trail is known for.
Today, I figured there were so many great campsites I passed along the way, I could start heading back and pick the spot that calls me most.
Dispersed Campsite
And so, I started my quest to find a campsite.
I began hiking and eventually caught up with my friend from Willetts Hot Spring. I explained that I was looking for a camp and he pointed out a few in the general area. I thanked him and started wandering around, walking parallel to the trail, checking out my options.
I was not liking my choices so I rejoined the trail and ran into my friend again. During the time I was looking for a campsite, my friend had run into Pan along the trail. When I caught up with my friend, he whispered to me, “Don’t stay here, it’s safer if you stay further away.” I agreed since I did not want the chance of running into Pan at night especially, while at my campsite.
My friend led me down the trail and pointed out some of the hidden campsites and cold streams along the way. I was grateful for all the information my guide shared with me this day. I learned a lot about the trail and my new knowledge made me feel more confident being out there alone.
We made it to Bear Camp and there were a bunch of people set up for the night including a big group of boy scouts. We kept following the trail and eventually made it to an isolated campsite that is tucked away in an alcove of the river. It was one of the first campsites I remember on my way out and I remember thinking it would be a great spot to spend the night. I was surprised to see it was open considering all the campers at the last campground so I was grateful to have this spot all to myself!
After 17.5 miles of hiking and the long hours in the heat and sun, my body was tired. I pitched my tent, filtered some water, and cooked dinner. For dinner, I had a Knorr Spanish Rice side which was pretty good. I am trying to expand my vegan backpacking food options, and I’d say this was a pretty good one.
I went to bed as the sun set, which was around 7pm, and laid in my tent reading until I fell asleep. I slept really well that night with the sounds of the river, chirping crickets, and croaking frogs. It was really peaceful.
In the morning, I filtered more water, made coffee, and just laid in my tent for a while, staring at the sky, soaking in my gratitude for this wonderful journey.
Conclusions
Overall this was an excellent trip. The trail was beautiful the entire way, there are plenty of great campsites and swimming holes, and of course, the hot springs! Next time I will be sure to wear my long sleeve shirt and a hat to protect me from the sun, and long socks and bug spray to protect me from the bugs! I cannot wait to come back and hike further along this trail and find even more hot springs along the way!
Thanks for following my journey!
Happy Trails!
-Bee
Bee's Wild Life 