Horse Canyon la Brea
Horse Canyon la Brea Trail is a 28.6-mile trail in Los Padres National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters San Rafael Wilderness.
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 end | 34.8806° N, 120.1323° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 34.8359° N, 120.0177° 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 3 segments.
The trail
| Length | 28.6 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 10-12 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 31W09 |
| Forest | Los Padres National Forest (unit 0507) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | management 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
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
| Mountain biking | Allowed 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.
Wilderness
- San Rafael WildernessFS · about 88% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
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.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedDunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn
35 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Guidebooks for California
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
The Forest Service records 28.6 miles under this name in Los Padres National Forest, the sum of 3 segments.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Horse Canyon la Brea 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 Horse Canyon la Brea Trail start?
The line begins at 34.8806° N, 120.1323° W and ends at 34.8359° N, 120.0177° W. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters San Rafael Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: San Rafael Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
Colson Campground (4.3 mi) and Bates Canyon Campground (4.4 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 2 with site counts and booking links.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally 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 Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
Los Padres National Forest, Forest Service unit 0507. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Horse Canyon la Brea Trail?
The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Dunes Lake Cultural Rx Burn at 35 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named Horse Canyon la Brea 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.