Wheeler Gorge Campground South Los Padres National Forest

Wheeler Gorge is a great car-campground located about 15 minutes up Highway 33 from Ojai.  Due to it's close proximity to civilization, it receives a lot of visitors and can be 100% occupied on busy holiday weekends.  The camp has all the amenities that you would expect of a car camp, including designated camp hosts that collect fees and can provide firewood.  

Wheeler Gorge is also located across the street from the Wheeler Gorge Visitor Center.  The Visitor Center offers weekly Saturday interpretive educational events that are designed to teach kids and adults about the Los Padres National Forest and other nature based topics.  You can learn more by visiting the LPFA website here.

Wheeler is a great place to take young kids or old kids to spend a night under the stars without abandoning some of the comforts and proximity to home.  

The campground was named for Wheeler C. Blumberg who operated a hot spring spa 2 miles down the canyon. It was the site of a Boy Scout camp until the early 1930's but after Highway 33 was completed it became a public camp. The CCC's developed the campground after Highway 33 was constructed through the narrow canyon down stream from the camp. The Santa Ynez earthquake fault cuts across the canyon just north of the second tunnel on I-Iighway 33 and just down the creek from the lower part of the campground.