We went to Willett’s the day after Christmas. I’ve been there in August when it was 100 degrees in the shade. This time it was closer to 50 degrees in the sun. Either way, the hot spring is still 100 degrees.
Lots of people also did the same. It seemed as populated as it is in the spring.
The side creeks and the main Sespe Creek had water, which is nice. These were all dry when we did this in August. In August there was almost nobody back here. If you are looking for winter backpacking, the Los Padres National Forest is a good option.
The trail is wide and easy to follow. The light this time of year is soft and golden. The color of the dried plants are muted shades of green, red and gold.
The Sespe formation is a reddish layer of conglomerate and sandstone that creates interesting rounded shapes.
Hiking in desert or near-desert is enjoyable to people who like geology.
This trail is pretty easy. It’s about 9 or 10 miles from the trailhead to the hot spring on gentle trail. It is downstream going in. It’s upstream and thus uphill on the way out, but it’s so gentle you can’t tell the difference. The trail rises to the bench above the river on every corner and then drops down into every valley in between. The hills are gentle. There were families with children doing this backpack trip.
This is your prize for all your hard work!
