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Summary: This is a very enjoyable, but somewhat strenuous hike located near the picturesque town of Ojai. The trail starts out along the banks of beautiful Thatcher Creek, with several crossings, then heads upwards almost 1800 feet to a shady pine studded campsite with spectacular views. Recommended. Trailhead: Take highway 33 north from highway 101 in Ventura. Stay on Highway 33 until it turns off from highway 150. Then bear right and take Highway 150 (Ojai Ave.) east through the city. Once outside town, turn left on Reeves road. Follow Reeves about a mile to McAndrew Road and make another left, following the signs for Thatcher School. Another mile up the road, take the road into the school grounds. Stay to the right and follow the signs to the gymkhana field. Park near the fire gate at the trailhead. (Lat:34.46282 Lon:-119.17779) Trail Guides for Horn Canyon: On The Trail - Malibu to Santa Barbara by Cathy Philipp (Cathy Philipp Publishing) Day Hikes in Ventura County California by Robert Stone (Day Hike Books) Best Seasons: Spring, Winter, Fall User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Bikes, Horses Ranger Contact: Ojai Ranger District, 805-646-4348 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Jim Zuber, who has posted 104 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 3 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Dave on 9/2/2008 I did this hike on Labor Day weekend. The hike was a great workout! I took my time heading up and enjoyed just being out there. I was very nice surprise to see water in the streams at all this time of year. But after I crossed the stream a few times and started headed up the canyon trail I felt like a pack mule in the Grand Canyon. Parts of the trail are very steep and narrow with spectacular views of the canyon and nice drop offs. Made it just to the Pines to enjoy the views and a snack before heading back down. The trough was full of water and mosquitos. I'll due the summit next time around and take more food. If your a beginner due a few warm up hike s before attemping tihs one. See current conditions at: http://www.pbase.com/dsograph/h 
Reviewed by Ethan on 4/23/2008 Just to clarify, if you're having trouble finding it, the school's name is Thacher, not Thatcher. Also, there is water available in the Pines, but it is not always running.
Reviewed by Jenny J on 3/29/2008 We hiked to the Pines Camp on Easter Sunday. There were a few people on the trail, but we had the camp to ourselves for about 30 minutes for lunch. Bring bug spray, the flies are out. We also ran into some horseback riders, so there was fresh horse poop on the trail. This is a challenging hike, but the views from the trail are spectacular and the camp is very nice.
Reviewed by justinm on 3/24/2008 Clarification on the directions: Follow the signs to gymkhana field, stay to the right and go off the pavement onto gravel/dirt road. Cross the wash and pull up into the Avacado groves. The fire gate will be on your left. We shared the trail Saturday with the Coyote Two Moon ultra, so parking was tight. We parked near where you leave the blacktop. The distance to the Pine Grove is about 2.5 miles from the trailhead sign. 5.4 miles or so to the summit. We continued along the trail to the fire road and then the summit. The trail is in good shape up to the fire road, but VERY overgrown thereafter. You CAN take the fire road to the summit, adding a half mile or so to the route, but avoiding the overgrowth 
Reviewed by Justin on 3/9/2008 THis is grerat trail. One of the best trails in ojai area. I did notice that the info on this trail listed above in not correct, according to my GPS, from the trail head to the pines is a distance of 2.51 miles give or take 20 feet. And this in not the end of the trail one can continue on for quite awhile. I went a mile past the pines to get a slightly better view. Make sure you go up on a clear day. The view is what makes this hike. BRING PLENTY OF WATER. You are by a river for a short time but once you get to the prines there is not water. The trough was dry. This is really a great trail have fun!!!!
Reviewed by RT on 9/10/2007 I just did an overnight stay at the pines camp. The hike is challenging but it is worth it when you reach the campground, the shade is refreshing. There were several pieces of what looked like bear droppings on the trail that were probably no more than a few days old. We hung our food from a tree and had no bear sightings. The trough is completely dry because a section of the pipe about a 2 minute walk behind the camp has a few holes in it. If you plan on camping here you can probably seal up the holes and get the water flowing to the trough, although the water is still running very slowly, so I would bring extra water just incase.
Reviewed by Horwitzvta on 5/29/2007 Led Boy Scout Troop 103 (Ventura-CA) through a 3 day/2 nite hike up Sisar Canyon to White Ledge Trail Camp, up to Nordhoff Road and then down to The Pines Trail Camp, and finish at the Horn Canyon Trailhead near Thacher School (convenient shuttle- park. We were couting on Wilsie Springs to refresh our water supply but it was just a drip. Out of water when we hit The Pines, I surprising found that the Forest Service had recently laid a 2 mile pipeline from a spring to a trough at the camp. This was our savior! I have been to this camp before when it was a dry camp. On a hot Memorial Day Weekend, this water supply saved our trek plans. Now with available water, The Pines is a great campsite - worth the steep climp up from Horn Creek.
Reviewed by Heidi on 5/7/2007 This Hike is a great workout, there's a few creeks that are a nice place to cool down. The trail is Rocky in parts, and there is a lot of horse droppings at the beginning, or there was the day I went. I didn't run into the fly problem others did, and it was such a clear day we could see all the way to the islands. This was a fun hike, would definately do it again, if you make it to the pines, and I recomend you do, they are beautiful, and not as far away as you would think, don't give up, its worth it!! Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Ventura County Hiking, Ventura County Trails, Ventura County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||