Prewitt Ridge Campground

I was worried at first about everyone's comments saying you need 4 wheel drive and almost didn't make the drive because I have a 2 wheel drive truck. I decided to chance it and I was just fine with my 2015 GMC Canyon 2WD truck. The path is not for inexperienced drivers though. It has some very steep inclines and parts of the path have some big dips so you'll need to know how to manage and drive with those conditions. The path is also mostly a one lane path and has some tight corners. Having a vehicle with some good terrain tires and lifted will help with mitigating the terrain up the mountain. I would not recommend the drive for a standard 2wd vehicle that sits low to the ground due to the large dips that appear in the path. My buddy took his 4wd Acura and made it successfully to our camp site. Once there, there's no water, garbage, or bathroom so prepare appropriately. My friends and I brought 8 gallons of water and left with 2.5 remaining after 2 days and 2 nights. There weren't very many people where we camped so we had the whole view to ourselves. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND for those who can drive the path.

It's really far out there. This location is very isolated but you will need a 4x4 vehicle to get to this location. I didn't give it 5 stars only because the spot is kind a crowded.

Prewitt ridge is open for dispersed camping only but the main trail heading up there is temporary closed which is the nacimiento ferguson road. The ridge is only accessible through a long stretch of dirt road further south from hwy 1 that will take hours to trail with 4x4 vehicles only.

Now this is a truly stunning place in this world. Even if there is ocean mist and clouds below, here you are above it all and can enjoy the sunshine whilst looking over the sea of clouds beneath. There are some tough hikes as you go down towards the coast and then have to hike back up. But this time of year full of wild flowers, so nothing to complain about. Follow our adventures @SLYSTRX

This is for the Plasket Ridge road Off-road Route. If you are lucky enough to make it to the top without breaking your suspension you will be treated to amazing views along Plasket ridge road. Lucky enough I have a fully outfitted 4x4 because there are lots of ruts and steep inclines, road is narrow so watch out for oncoming vehicles. Make sure you get to the top well before sunset because it can get crowded even in the winter. Make sure to find a site that is blocked by the wind, it can get pretty windy in the evening when you are above the clouds. It is not worth it to come here in the summer since it is too hot and gets infested by bugs and frat boys.

Nacimenito Rd is closed from Hwy 1 to Nacimenito Campground. There are gates on either end that are locked. There is also a locked gate on South Coast Ridge Rd. You don't want to run out of gas! This is due to last year's fire & major winter storm. The road is unsafe & asphalt has been washed away. There's also a Forest Order in place. Go to the USFS website to review the closure. The USFS is also patrolling & ticketing if you are within the closed area.

Good spot, once you get off highway one expect 25 mins uphill followed by another 20-25 mins rough dirt road, the end you will see a huge steep downhill with huge holes which is bad. I barely made it with my stander height 2 wheel drive FJ cruiser (I know), but I also never off-road so.
Decent high clearance I think is very necessary. (only if you wanna make it to the very end)
Flies are annoying but no big deal once it gets dark. So yeah, rough drive but the view is amazing

Non technical drive there, but 4x4 is helpful. Made it in my rear wheel drive Tacoma with a locking rear differential. The views are unmatched!

Anyone know the best route to get here from highway 1? Looks like Nacimiento road is closed. How are the road conditions on these back roads?

Los Padres National Forest is a great place to camp, however visited in August 14th 2020 and found the road to Prewitt Ridge to be closed. Ended up camping along the road outside the the 12 mile no camping zone and had a great time nonetheless.

Be prepared for the journey when planning to reach this destination. The roads in this region are rarely serviced and the ruts and pot holes can be significant. Getting stuck or stranded here is not the goal. So, after the journey, find a quiet spot to camp/park and take in the views. There can be trash in some locations so be prepared to bag and trash-out as needed and leave the world a better place.

It has gotten pretty crowded and noisy over the years, but the sunset, stars, and sunrise are still stunning.late July the road conditions were mostly good, with one downhill into camp in bad shape.there were still a handful of light awd vehicles (eg subarus) that made it in and out, but it's probably near the limit of what awd can do and don't expect to be able to get out without awd at a minimum.please, if you have 4wd, take the moment to educate yourself on how to switch it on, we saw drivers failing to get out and making this hill even worse by attempting it with open diffs.

Absolutely beautiful spot BUT take the rough terrain seriously - we have an AWD Subaru and couldn’t get up the final 10% of the loop - bumpy, narrow, steep grade and loose dirt/gravel. Didn’t stop it from being decently crowded, we had to hunt for a spot, though we could’ve back tracked and camped somewhere along the dirt road prior to the campground area. Also, heads up, lots of gnats, but they don’t bite.

Ton of flies and mosquitos. Not worth the dangerous drive up. Smells like urine and lots of toilet paper everywhere.

Flies everywhere, toilet paper everywhere, trash blowin in the wind, a lot of noisy folk. I’m sure this place used to be nice, but after going a few times with repeated unsavory experience, I would just skip this one altogether.

Tons of flies, very dirty and overrun by trash. Watch out for human waste, toilet paper, n poop. Skip it
No worth the time.

Infested with sand flies (even in the open and windy spots). View is covered in either brush or fog, I even went on a clear day and the view still wasn't great. Trash is riddled all over, feces next to camp spots and many campers are NOT friendly. Would not recommend to anyone.

Fly city! Don’t come here- you will get SWARMED By flies! Camp down at a site off Highway 1 for great views and no flies. I’m normally not one to complain about a few bugs.but the flies here are just out of control. Watch out for human waste- toilet paper, dried poop, trash, loud people. Bad place.

The only negative was the flies, which keep you busy. Plenty of privacy for personal business.