Availability
North Fork Piedra Blanca Creek is mapped at or near the camp-area marker. This is map evidence, not a real-time flow report.
Backpacking camp
Bear Trap Camp
Sespe & Chumash Wilderness, California
About this place
Bear Trap Camp is an official designated overnight location reached by the pinned agency trail route shown in Kampilo.
A reservation or permit is still required, and the map does not guarantee site availability or current access.
Water planning
Water at this camp
Seasonal natural water nearbyDrinking safety
Natural water is not verified potable. Filter and disinfect it or boil it according to the linked land-manager guidance before drinking.
Seasonality
North Fork Piedra Blanca Creek is classified as intermittent and may be dry.
- North Fork Piedra Blanca CreekRiver or stream · at the camp areaSeasonal/intermittent — may be dry · Treat before drinkingOfficial source
Fire planning
Campfire & stove rules
Required for any flameCampfires
Bear Trap Camp is an undeveloped backcountry camp area in Sespe & Chumash Wilderness. A California Campfire Permit is required for a portable stove, lantern, wood fire, or charcoal fire outside designated recreation sites. Current orders can prohibit wood fires or all flame. Never treat an old ring as proof that a fire is legal, and do not build a new ring where fires are prohibited.
Backpacking stoves
Shutoff-valve gas or pressurized-fuel stove with permit. Use a gas, LPG, jellied-petroleum, or pressurized-liquid-fuel stove with a working shutoff valve. Twig and wood-burning stoves follow the campfire rule and are prohibited anywhere wood fires are prohibited.
Permit
Carry a valid California Campfire Permit for a portable stove or any otherwise-legal fire; the permit never overrides a forest closure, fire-danger order, elevation limit, or named-area prohibition.
Current restrictions
Check USDA Forest Service's current alerts and the selected trailhead posting before departure. The standing rule shown here remains subordinate to a newer emergency order.
Seasonal access
Closures & seasonal access
The supported Sespe and Chumash hike-in camps have no single recurring closure seasonPlace closure
No recurring date-based closure of Bear Trap Camp is published. The source-connected approach conditions below and temporary emergency orders still control access.
Seasonal access
Source-connected approaches: Reyes Creek Trailhead, Cedar Creek Trailhead, Fishbowls Trailhead, and 1 more. The supported Sespe and Chumash hike-in camps have no single recurring closure season. Summer heat and dry water sources, winter storm damage, wildfire, and resource-protection orders can independently close roads, trails, or camps.
Before driving
Check Los Padres alerts, the exact trailhead road or gate, and current water conditions before departure; a named primitive camp is not proof that its approach is open.
Mapped approaches
Choose a trailhead for Bear Trap Camp
Each option has a sourced trail route to this camp area. Choose one to open its itinerary builder with this destination in context.
- Reyes Creek Trailhead4.3 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- Cedar Creek Trailhead6.8 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- Fishbowls Trailhead10.4 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
- Little Mutau Trailhead28.8 mi awayView trailheadBuild from here
Map
Loading map
- Latitude
- 34.602617° N
- Longitude
- 119.158255° W