Last weekend I had work event in Ojai and spent the weekend exploring the town and surrounds. Although Ojai is technically Ventura County, it is only about 40 minutes from Santa Barbara and a lot of people commute regularly between the two cities.
Ojai is a gateway to the Los Padres National forest and there is a lot of great hiking and camping in the area. We decided to hike the Horn Canyon Trail which starts from the grounds of the Thacher School and is a 5 mile out and back trek. The trail weaves its way up through the Ojai hills for a pretty grueling 1700′ elevation gain. So, it gives you a pretty good bang for the buck in only a short distance. Here’s a l ink if you want to do it yourself: Horn Canyon Trail.
We went at the right time of year and Ojai was strutting its stuff. Wild flowers were blooming, the birds were singing, and twitterpated butterflies danced through the air.
Thankfully the wind was blowing and the air was cool, because this trial could be brutal in the summertime. It is steep and there is no water once you leave the basin. The views are stellar, but it is a push to the top. We stopped at an old campground that once was a pine grove, but unfortunately the trees have been ravaged by bark beetles and many have been cut down. At the top we found this bench and after a long hot climb, it is definitely in the running for The Most Amazing Bench in the World!
This bench definitely made my day. The scenery was pretty awesome too.
3 out of 5 stars