The hook
Round a bend in the Sespe backcountry above Ojai and a cluster of enormous pale sandstone domes rises out of the chaparral, smooth and strange and made for climbing on.
01Why it's worth it
Piedra Blanca, Spanish for white rock, is a run of wind-and-water-sculpted sandstone that surfaces suddenly in an otherwise scrubby valley north of Ojai, a line of rounded white giants stretching about a mile. Getting there is an easy couple of miles from the trailhead, across Sespe Creek and its seasonal crossings, and once among the rocks you can scramble to their tops, duck into their shaded hollows, and spend a whole day just exploring them. It's a longtime local favorite for families and beginner scramblers, and it doubles as the gateway to the deeper Sespe Wilderness and its backcountry hot springs beyond. Winter and spring are the season, when the creek runs and the heat stays away.
02How to experience it
The Piedra Blanca trailhead is at the end of Rose Valley Road off Highway 33 north of Ojai, about six and a half hours from the Bay. An Adventure Pass is required to park. The creek crossings are easy most of the year but can run high after storms. Go January through May; summer is hot and dry. Wear shoes with grip for the sandstone, which gets slick where it's polished.