California whitewater - Sespe Creek, Sierra Madre, Ventura County

Ventura county, Lion Campground to Highway 126 bridge section whitewater kayaking, rafting, and paddling information.

 

CLASS IV-V     31.5 miles
  The natural beauty of Ventura County and the cool fresh water are reasons enough to come here and paddle. The Lion Campground to Highway 126 bridge stretch of Sespe Creek in Ventura County is 31.5 miles long and has been determined by American Whitewater to be a class IV-V section. There's camping available near Sespe Creek. No matter if you're whitewater rafting or kayaking this is an area with not too many other spots for that. The beautiful Sierra Madre scenery is an added bonus. Whitewater rafting and kayaking in California is often more difficult than
    elsewhere, so if you're not from around here don't forget that rivers here are less forgiving. Sespe Creek doesn't have a lot of paddling stretches, the Lion Campground to Highway 126 bridge stretch is the only one. A stretch this long is of course too much for a one day trip,
so make sure you pack enough food along with your camping gear. Getting your paddling muscles activated and a chance to spend some time outdoors are great attractions for lots of people. The put-in is not too far from Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, please print out a copy of the road map further down the page so you won’t get lost. There aren’t any hotels right nearby but if you're willing to drive a short distance then no problem but if you don’t have reservations you might end up sleeping in your car.

Briefly about the general area:
Put some
 
time aside to spend at Jackson Falls while you're here at Sespe Creek; East Fork Santa Paula Canyon is a great spot to stop by. Around Sespe Creek you don’t get a lot of precipitation; most of the rain falls throughout February, and the driest of the months is July.
Through the months of summer, highs generally are in the 90's at Sespe Creek, and the nighttime is a tad colder of course, mostly in the 50's. All through the wintertime this place gets highs in the 60's, and overnight lows at Sespe Creek through the winter mostly sink into the 30's. Man, is there lots of entertaining things to do in the Sierra Madre. Take a hike on the Reed Reef Trail, and The Punch Bowl is always fun to check out. This is a really good river. Why not take a refreshing hike along the Last Chance Trail.

Sespe Creek, Lion Campground to Highway 126 bridge road map
Printable road map with the put-in and take-out locations clearly marked.

QUICK STATS
AW Class: IV-V
Length: 31.5 miles
Average Gradient: 82 fpm
  
Putin Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.5582
Longitude: -119.16031

Takeout Location Coordinates:
Latitude: 34.3931
Longitude: -118.9404

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Current weather conditions at Sespe Creek, Sierra Madre, California
WXPort

Local climate location: OJAI 13 miles away


RAFTING TRIP OUTFITTERS

There are no whitewater outfitters currently listed for this river.

Glen Tavern Inn, Santa Paula
7 miles away
Boutique hotel getaway destination in small town rural setting one hour from Los Angeles and 15 minutes inland from Ventura beaches. Full service. Spacious lobby. Fully restored and updated historic l...

Ocean Gateway Inn, Santa Paula
8 miles away
Just steps from a tree lined business district with restaurants, antique shops and unique museums, Ocean Gateway Inn also features an outdoor pool, spa, spacious lobby, reception area, and guest laund...

Best Western La Posada Motel, Fillmore
10 miles away
Stay at this Fillmore, California motel 20 miles from the beaches of the Pacific Ocean along the scenic California coastline. The Best Western La Posada Motel in Fillmore, CA is conveniently located ...



OTHER_INFO
  Sierra Madre Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater kayaking and rafting spots in the Sierra Madre.

Sierra Madre Outdoors Info
Complete outdoors info for the Sierra Madre.

All California Whitewater
Complete list of all the whitewater paddling spots in California.
Books about whitewater paddling on Sespe Creek, California
List of books from Amazon.com that cover whitewater paddling on Sespe Creek, California.
Find a whitewater outfitter in California

Whitewater Basics
If you're new to whitewater paddling please take a look at this basic whitewater info.
Outdoors Recreation Near Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California
Very comprehensive list of a variety of outdoors recreation in the vicinity of Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, California, the metro area neareast to Sespe Creek. Find info on campgrounds, hiking trails, ski resorts, lakes, beaches, parks, whitewater and more.
 

   

OUTDOORS
These outdoors activities are available near Sespe Creek.
 Whitewater Near Sespe Creek:
Piru Creek, Ventura County , 20 miles away, Class II - 4 miles long (Lake Piru to Santa Clara River)
Piru Creek, Los Angeles / Ventura County , 21 miles away, Class IV - 15 miles long (Pyramid Lake to Lake Piru)
 Ski Areas Near Sespe Creek:
Shirley Meadow, California , 78 miles away, 600 vertical feet
Mt Waterman, California , 89 miles away, 1300 vertical feet
Mountain High, California , 94 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Ski Sunrise, California , 94 miles away, 816 vertical feet
Mt. Baldy, California , 99 miles away, 2100 vertical feet
Snow Valley, California , 140 miles away, 1041 vertical feet
Snow Summit, California , 150 miles away, 1200 vertical feet
Bear Mountain, California , 152 miles away, 1700 vertical feet
Sierra Summit, California , 157 miles away, 1600 vertical feet
Mammoth Mountain, California , 181 miles away, 3100 vertical feet
 Hotels Near Sespe Creek:
Glen Tavern Inn, Santa Paula , 7 miles away
Ocean Gateway Inn, Santa Paula , 8 miles away
Best Western La Posada Motel, Fillmore , 10 miles away
Best Western Casa Ojai, Ojai , 12 miles away
Hummingbird Inn, Ojai , 13 miles away
 Camp Grounds Near Sespe Creek:
Cross Campground, Ventura County, 1 miles away
Steckel Park Campground, Santa Paula, 4 miles away
Far West Resorts Recreational Vehicle Park, Santa Paula, 4 miles away
 Trails Near Sespe Creek:
Last Chance Trail, Ventura County , 0 miles away,  11.8 hiking miles, 4251 feet elevation difference
Reed Reef Trail, Ventura County , 4 miles away,  21 hiking miles, 4276 feet elevation difference
Horn Canyon Trail, Ventura County , 8 miles away, 2.9 hiking miles, 3157 feet elevation difference
Rose Lion Trail, Ventura County , 9 miles away, 5.6 hiking miles, 2160 feet elevation difference
Upper Sespe River Trail, Ventura County , 10 miles away,  14 hiking miles, 1682 feet elevation difference
Alder Creek Trail, Ventura County , 10 miles away,  20.4 hiking miles, 3319 feet elevation difference
Cedar Lake Trail, Ventura County , 11 miles away, 4.7 hiking miles, 2058 feet elevation difference
 National Parks Near Sespe Creek:
Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, Thousand Oaks - CA , 20 miles away
Channel Islands National Park, Ventura - CA , 20 miles away

Outdoors related information copyright © Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. - Detailed hotel information copyright © Interactive Hotel Solutions
Some content, including Reach Name, Class, and Length, comes from American Whitewater