California · Trail 28W06

Gibraltar

Gibraltar Trail is a 9.1-mile trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Los Padres National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end34.5351° N, 119.7119° W · Directions ↗
Other end34.5079° N, 119.6317° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.

The trail

Length9.1 miles
Trail class3, developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade10-12 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Special management areaIRA - Inventoried Roadless Area
Trail numbers28W06
ForestLos Padres National Forest (unit 0507)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Gibraltar Trail40°50°60°70°80°January: 7.06 inches of precipitationFebruary: 7.56 inches of precipitationMarch: 4.68 inches of precipitationApril: 1.65 inches of precipitationMay: 0.68 inches of precipitationJune: 0.05 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.07 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.00 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.09 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.11 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.48 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.19 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 51.2°F averageFebruary: 51.7°F averageMarch: 54.3°F averageApril: 58.1°F averageMay: 63.0°F averageJune: 68.6°F averageJuly: 74.4°F averageAugust: 75.0°F averageSeptember: 71.2°F averageOctober: 64.1°F averageNovember: 56.7°F averageDecember: 48.9°F average0 in2 in4 in6 in8 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Gibraltar Dam #2, 1 mile from the trail midpoint at 1,558 feet, station USC00043402 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 29 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

Red Rock Trailhead
No season published
No overnight camping in day use areas. Camping is allowed only in campgrounds.
under 0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Gibraltar Trail?

The Forest Service records 9.1 miles under this name in Los Padres National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Gibraltar Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Gibraltar Trail start?

The line begins at 34.5351° N, 119.7119° W and ends at 34.5079° N, 119.6317° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Red Rock Trailhead, under 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Gibraltar Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Gibraltar Trail?

Upper Oso Campground (2.8 mi), Upper Oso Campground (3.7 mi) and Sage Hill (4.5 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 3 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Gibraltar Trail?

Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Gibraltar Trail?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Gibraltar Trail?

Los Padres National Forest, Forest Service unit 0507. The trail is in California.

Source: Los Padres National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named Gibraltar in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0507. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.