Ventura County High Point Trip Report

Mount Piños (8,831 ft)

Date: July 3, 2002
Author: Michael Schwartz

Note that Ventura and Kern Counties should be done as a single hike. Returned to Mt Piños 34 years after my first ascent, armed with Dave Covill's report and my trusty GPS. Drove west from I-5 on Frazier Mountain Park Road, signed for Mt Piños. At 8.4 miles, Milpotrero Highway goes right, and combined with Cerro Nordeste Road can be followed another 29 curvy, but paved miles west to CA 33/166. Continue up the Mt Piños road several more miles to a large parking lot at the Nordic Trail Center. There is a $5 parking fee, but permits can only be purchased elsewhere if the Center is closed, and I'm not sure if they're even available there. Some locals told me that if you're vehicle is ticketed, the fine is $5, so I took my chances and got lucky.

I matched Dave's time to the summit of Piños and also found the highest ground to be at the rock outcrop between the radio facility fence line and the BM. Refer to my Kern County report for a discussion of the liner highpoint on the shoulder of Mt Piños.