The hook
The largest flying land bird in North America came back from twenty-two individuals, and this wild river canyon northeast of Fillmore is where it was set free again.
01Why it's worth it
The California condor, with a wingspan near ten feet, had fallen to twenty-two birds worldwide by 1982, every one of them eventually taken into captivity in a last effort to save the species. When the first captive-bred condors were released back to the wild a decade later, this was the ground chosen: the Sespe Condor Sanctuary, 53,000 acres of the Topatopa Mountains that the Forest Service had set aside for the bird back in 1947. The sanctuary core is closed to people, as it should be, but it sits inside the Sespe Wilderness, one of the largest roadless areas in Southern California, a country of a wild trout creek, backcountry hot springs, and cliffs where condors nest. Hike in from the edges and you stand a real chance of seeing one ride the thermals overhead, which, given how close they came to being gone, is a genuinely moving thing.
02How to experience it
The usual ways in are from the Piedra Blanca and Rose Valley trailheads north of Ojai, or from Dough Flat near Fillmore, all reached on long roads into the Los Padres, about six hours from the Bay. An Adventure Pass is required, and much of the backcountry is a permit-and-preparation trip rather than a casual walk. The wilderness closes for fire danger in late summer and fall. Go in spring, carry everything you'll need, and keep looking up.