A ponderosa oasis in the middle of sage country

February 14, 7:59 PMLA Hiking ExaminerJohn Hanssen

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Generally when one hears the term "pine forest", one most likely thinks of such trees blanketing miles and miles of rugged wilderness land.  There is one place, however, that paints a completely different picture.  This place contains a literal "ponderosa pine tree oasis" in the middle of dry sage country.  The name of this incredible area is known as Horn Canyon and is located just a few miles east of the town of Ojai, CA. 

The hike actually starts out along a pleasant stream bed, as shown in the photo below, through a forest of oak and sycamore trees.  Then, after about two miles in the canyon, the trail then begans to head up into a desert filled with chapparel and sage plants.  At this moment, the hiker might think that this is the end of all the excitement of this trek, especially in light of no longer being able to hike along the beautiful, crystal clear stream.

This, however, is far from being the case.  The real excitement of this journey is yet to come!  Just about two miles more after the trail leaves the stream and starts up into the sage, voila!  The hiker has made it to the oasis of ponderosa pines as seen in the large photo here to the right.  "The Pines", as this area is simply called, covers an area that is roughly the size of a baseball diamond and contains a couple of campsights that are set in ideal spots within this "micro forest".  There is also an ice cold spring that delivers fresh, crystal clear water to a trough.  (Even though the water is coming directly out of a spring, to be on the safe side, it doesn't hurt to use water purifiers at this site.  Better to be safe than sorry, especially in the wilderness)! 

This hike, overall, is fairly short, and the first two miles along the stream is rather easy.  The only strenuous part is the last two miles before The Pines campground.  The Horn Canyon trailhead is located in an area known as Thatcher School, just a few miles east of Ojai, CA.  For directions on how to get there, and for any other additional information, contact the National Forest Service station in Ojai at: 805-646-4348.  They are open from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday to assist you.

Have a safe trip and enjoy the "ponderosa pine oasis" at the end of the hike!