Use Marker Groups Wolf 2002
Piru 2003
Day 2006
Zaca 2007
Gap 2008
La Brea 2009
Sunset Campground South Los Padres National Forest
- Camp Type: Car Campground - No Reservations, first-come, first-serve walk-in campground
- Topo Map Link: Alamo Mountain
Lockwood Valley - Elevation: 4350 feet
- Wilderness Area: Non Wilderness Area
- County: Ventura County
- Ranger District: Mt. Pinos Ranger District
- Longitude: -119.0005587
- Latitude: 34.69982117
- Water Sources: Camp is set along the seasonal Piru Creek
- Length of Stay: 14 Days
- Reservations: Car Campground - No Reservations, Walk In
Recent Water Reports:
| Date | Surveyor | Water Report |
| 09-17-2019 | Los Padres Forest Association | Stagnant |
| 03-17-2019 | Oh Three | Flowing |
| 11-11-2016 | Oh Three | Flowing |
| 05-23-2015 | Erin C. | Flowing |
Description:
Located at the confluence of Lockwood and Piru Creeks, Sunset Camp is an OHV car campground in the Mt Pinos region of the Los Padres National Forest. Sunset is also at the junction of the Miller Jeepway and Piru OHV Trail just across from Lockwood Flat.
The camp is located next to a small Pinyon tree out in Lockwood This Iocation, at the junction of Lockwood Creek and Piru Creek, was the short lived town of Lexington which was started by Colonel Alonzo Winfield Scott Smith. He boasted of rich gold finds in the vicinity and an arrastra was constructed to mill the gold ore but, it contained too little gold to be profitable. Tn a short time the miners drifted away to other locations. The town was founded in January 1887 and by December of that same year it was a ghost town. There is I battered Klamath stove. Seasonal water available from Piru Creek.
Submitted Camp Reports
Sunset Campground Survey - 09-17-2019 - by Los Padres Forest AssociationLink: Sunset Campground Date: 09-17-2019 Surveyor Name: Los Padres Forest Association Camp Description: Recent article discussing some stranded motorcyclists who arrived at Sunset via the Miller Jeepway: Water Source: Stagnant Water Source Details: Weather Conditions: - Sunset Campground Survey - 03-17-2019 - by Oh Three
Link: Sunset Campground Date: 03-17-2019 Surveyor Name: Oh Three Camp Description: My previous review remains true. This is a great backpacking destination in the winter when the motorbikes are (theoretically) banned from the trails. I backpacked Gold Hill trailhead to Sespe Hot Springs and back, 3/17-20/19 (see separate reviews for the 3x trails), and passed through this Sunset camp coming and going. It's relatively clean, although there's a lot of broken glass, from drunken glass breaking. Cuidado! Water Source: Flowing Water Source Details: Piru and Lockwood flowing strong Weather Conditions: - Sunset Campground Survey - 11-11-2016 - by Oh Three
Link: Sunset Campground Date: 11-11-2016 Surveyor Name: Oh Three Camp Description: Sunset Campground is actually 3 separate campsites. 1st is at the dead tree, fire ring, no picnic table out in the open flats. 2nd is west of Lockwood, north of Piru, fire ring, picnic table, directly on the Miller Jeep trail. 3rd is by far the best, south of Piru Creek and west of Miller jeep trail. Fire ring, picnic table, under an oak tree, up against Alamo Mountain. Not that campfires are an option in this drought. Each of the 3 separate campsites is out of visual of the other 2. We had 15 Boy Scouts at #3, and 4 adult leaders at #2 for Veteran's Day weekend. Fresh mountain lion prints along Lockwood Creek. Two groups of 4-wheel drives came through, so if you camp at what I call site #2, make sure your sleeping bag is in a sheltered area where you won't get run over by yahoos. They show up late at night, loudly. I speak from experience. We day hiked to Cottonwood Camp up the abandoned trail up Lockwood Creek. Wonderful wilderness. Water Source: Flowing Water Source Details: Strong flow given the 4-year drought! Very nice. Weather Conditions: 75 day, 30's night - Sunset Campground Survey - 05-23-2015 - by Erin C.
Link: Sunset Campground Date: 05-23-2015 Surveyor Name: Erin C. Camp Description: Water Source: Flowing Water Source Details: Piru creek is flowing well! Weather Conditions:
Leave A Camp Report
Survey / Report Form Last Updated: Monday, January 4, 2016
