Hike Ranger Peak from Chicken Springs Los Padres National Forest, CA

Apr 25, 2023 — I noticed the bright green slopes on the south side of Ranger Peak the day before and was determined to find a way to enjoy them today. Fortunately, a trail of sorts exists all the way from Happy Canyon Road to Figueroa Mountain Road a few thousand feet above, with an unofficial social trail leading the last bit to the summit. Many choose to reach Ranger Peak by just driving to the upper road, but that's a ridiculously short outing I wasn't interested in when such a gorgeous landscape covered in wildflowers exists. I parked at the Chicken Springs Trailhead, a pull-off that any car can reach.

The hike begins at a fence surrounded by overgrowth, an old, flat road heading away from Happy Canyon Road. The morning marine layer was just starting to recede, so I had a wonderful combination of textures to look down toward, meaning I totally missed the Ranger Peak Trail turn-off. Really just a minor spur trail on the right with tall grasses on either side, I didn't blame myself. Once I located it, I hesitantly started up, completely confident I'd be seeing a rattlesnake in the tall grass, but the fear dissipated quickly and fortunately I didn't see any today. As I neared the top of the initial slope and continued north along the sloped ridge I couldn't believe the hike to come ahead of me, a sweeping grassy meadow with oak trees popping up sparsely and wildflowers abundant.

The lower quarter of the hike seemed to have sections resembling an old roadbed, but mostly it was just overgrown singletrack. The Ranger Peak Trail continued in this manner for a couple of miles, excellent views and meadow walking. At one point the trail dipped down into a small creek, but otherwise it was just a gradual ascent through the grasses. At about 3100' I reached a fence. Without spending time looking for a way around it, I just crawled underneath. I think this is all public land, so I found its existence odd. I'm pretty sure I only thought this hike was this beautiful because of the time of year and after a big rainy season causing lots of growth, but I took in the views with immense joy. I broke out some oldie trance music, you know, the kind that always makes you feel like you're in a music video... anyone... no? The landscape introduced some low bushes as I ascended, and then more of them started appearing. The grassy floor opened to a wider dirt trail that was once clearly a road now mostly returned to nature. To the left a very cool rock outcropping hovered over the clouds below, a more dramatic feature than it had a right to be when compared to the rest of the sloped hillside.

I passed a couple of other cool rock formations as Ranger Peak became clearly visible ahead of me. Oh right, I was hiking to a peak. I'd almost forgotten. It's been a while since I really just enjoyed a hike without being so goal-oriented, but for some reason this hike was really doing it for me. More meadow walking led to a steep grassy ascent to Ranger Peak's southern shoulder. The trail continues to Figueroa Mountain Road, but I left it and took a thin social trail up the peak's southern slope. Passing through a short pine grove, this section was a bit more steep than the majority of the hike. The views to the south improved drastically, my perspective framed by wildflowers. I could see Figueroa Mountain and beyond from the summit.