Camping – Wheeler Gorge

As an outdoor enthusiast, I not only enjoy hiking, but also camping! I was fortunate enough to visit Havasupai earlier this summer with 11 other badass women, and had purchased all of my gear leading up to the trip (my wallet still hurts). So this summer I decided to take my kiddos car camping (a fancy way to say your car is parked at the campsite). So this “trail highlight” is brought to you by Camping – Wheeler Gorge!

First of all, don’t be like me and get the check-in time mixed up with the check-out time. Oops. We left the San Fernando Valley at 10:30am for a noon arrival at Wheeler Gorge. The drive up is beautiful. In Ventura, you leave the hustle and bustle of the 101 and vear off onto Hwy 33; a beautiful canyon 2 lane road. Driving up the winding vein, you pass through the “home of Johnny Cash” in Casitas Springs as well as the former smallest post office in the U.S. in Wheeler (it has since been replaced by a P.O. in Florida). Since I figured out too late that we were early, we stopped in the city of Ojai for some Starbucks coffee. That’s right, Ojai (located just 15 minutes from Wheeler Gorge) offers all the amenities of home; Starbucks, Taco Bell and Vons. So you don’t need to worry if you forgot something. Or if you just need your morning espresso like this mama.

At 1:30pm, we left Ojai and headed back up Hwy 33 to the Wheeler Gorge campground. The campground itself is beautiful. There are trees everywhere. And, Matilija Creek runs right through it! That was my favorite. We reserved site 39; which is the best site I saw after driving/walking through. There is partial shade, enough flat space for 3 tents, and it’s right on the creek! There is nothing like falling asleep to the sound of running water. Bonus, if you have a hammock, there are 2 great trees available for hanging!

Site 39 has no other site to the North, East or West and only one site to the South. There are also vault toilets located next door (pretty clean while we were there) and a parking area you can parallel park into (most sites require you to back in). It’s also further away from the Hwy; though you will still hear the big rigs drive by at night. You’ve been warned!

We spent most of the afternoon playing in the creek and chilling in the hammock. There are grills and fire pits available, but I’m super allergic to smoke, so we opted to Mountain House dinner. Falling asleep while looking at the stars and listening to the creek was absolute heaven.

So now that I’ve raved, let me tell you about the two reasons we opted to leave 2 hours before checkout; poison oak and bugs.
So.
Many.
Bugs.

Now I know this is a bad bug season, and it was pretty humid the week we were there, but holy hell! I have never experienced bugs like this in my life! The website does warn that during the summer they recommend you bring bug spray. But I recommend you bring spray, bracelets, candles, etc. etc. etc. It’s like an army constantly attacking you. 24/7. And if you have kids, just be prepared for them to be freaked out by everything trying to crawl into their brains. Lol.

Speaking of kids, you’ll need to keep a close eye on them while camping here. Unfortunately, the grounds are infested with poison oak. I’m not talking a patch here or there. I’m talking at the base of every tree in giant bushels! My son almost ran into a bunch on accident. I was convinced he wouldn’t walk away unscathed, but somehow he did. The nature walk trail is also overgrown with poison oak. As in, it’s unavoidable. Which is super unfortunate. They really need to get that under control.

All in all, this is a great spot to spend a few nights. If you’re looking to get away from the city and want to sleep under the stars, why not try camping at Wheeler Gorge just outside of Ojai.