Los Padres National Forest · California

La Jolla

4.5 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 30W10 · trail class 3 · typical grade 10-12% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, horse, bike

Trailhead La Jolla / Ballard Trailhead Drive there

La Jolla / Ballard Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

La Jolla / Ballard Trailhead is located approximately 12.5 miles from the time that one turns onto Figueroa Mountain Road off of Highway 154. You will find the trailhead .5 miles past the Figueroa Station. Parking is available on the right side of the road on the dirt turnout, right before Tunnell Ranch Road. This parking area can accommodate between 5 to 6 vehicles. This trail is approximately 3 miles and leads to a primitive campsite known as Ballard. This trail is very popular during spring, as the wildflowers are spectacular during this time of year.

Located in the Figueroa Mountain area. This 5 mile trail is steep and goes into a canyon bottom where a spring feeds a cold stream. When you get to the bottom, you'll find the remains of an old CCC cabin. Ballard trail camp is in the canyon bottom. An easy hike down, hard work coming back. This trail is most popular in fall and spring. Summer finds the exposed hillsides not very inviting.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Los Padres National Forest

All 343 trails in Los Padres National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.