Los Padres National Forest
The Los Padres National Forest is California’s second largest national forest, extending nearly 220 miles across the scenic Coast and Transverse Ranges. Rising from the Pacific Ocean to over 8,800 feet in elevation, these wildlands form the backdrop of many local communities in Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, and Kern Counties.
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Carrizo Plain National Monument
Home to the pronghorn antelope, North America’s fastest animal on land. California condors soar overhead. San Joaquin kit foxes, giant kangaroo rats, and blunt-nosed leopard lizards burrow underground, seeking refuge from the harsh elements. Not to mention dazzling fields of wildflowers, Native American rock art, a giant alkali lake, and the oldest section of the San Andreas fault.
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National Wildlife Refuges
The Los Padres National Forest is home to two National Wildlife Refuges: Bitter Creek NWR and Hopper Mountain NWR. Each refuge provides tens of thousands of acres of undisturbed and undeveloped habitat for species like California condors, San Joaquin kit foxes, mountain lions, coyotes, and hundreds more
Plants and Wildlife
The federal Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,200 different plant and animal species that are on the brink of extinction. The Los Padres provides habitat for 26 of these protected species, more than any other national forest in California.
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