HomeAll TrailsMatilija Divide Hike
Hard
Hiking
🇺🇸 United States
Recorded Trail

This track was recorded on the ground by an actual expedition vehicle.

ID: US-CA-20

Matilija Divide Hike

Added on 30 Sep 2026
Logged by @trailxon22 February 2021

Long backcountry hike on the Matilija Divide and Monte Arido Road in Los Padres National Forest.

Trail Map

Initialising Map Engine...

Trail Profile

General Instructions

Very long day with little water; carry plenty.

Weather check

At Start
469m

Sampling Micro-Climate...

34.5052, -119.3745

Slide to preview conditions across the entire route • Point: 34.5052, -119.3745 @ 469m

Quick Stats

Distance
37.5 km
Type
Hiking Trail
Elevation Range
469m - 1818m
Max Elevation
1818 m
Max Gradient
15.7%
22.8%

Highlights

  • Matilija Canyon
  • Los Padres backcountry
  • Topatopa views

Field Radio Protocol

VHF-UHF Communication

Emergency Simplex
146.520MHz
Team Coordination
446.006MHz
Scout Primary
146.400MHz

Propagation Telemetry

Ridge Line

92%

Gorge Floor

18%

Sector Relay: Sector Alpha Relay• 12-18 KM Range

Regulatory Compliance

VHF/UHF frequencies are for monitoring and emergency coordination only. Transmitting on these bands may require an Amateur Radio License or regional government permits. Check local telecommunications laws before operation.

Technical Analysis

Total Ascent

+1561 m

Total Descent

-1555 m

Ruggedness Index

Terrain Roughness Index

Vertical displacement per km. Typical range: 0 (Smooth) to 100+ (Extreme Mountain).

0 (Smooth)50 (Steep)100+ (Extreme)
83.1

83.1

Tortuosity Index

Route Curviness Index

Ratio of actual path to straight line. Typical range: 1.0 (Direct) to 3.0+ (Switchbacks).

1.0 (Direct)2.0 (Winding)3.0+ (Serpentine)
2.02

2.02

Gradient Distribution

Flat (0-3%)13%
Moderate (3-8%)36%
Steep (>8%)51%

Surface & Hydrology

Paved2%
Unpaved98%

Surface Spectrum Analysis

Asphalt
2%
Gravel
54%
Dirt Track
44%
Water Crossings

Includes only technical water fords where the vehicle actively enters a stream or riverbed. Permanent bridges are excluded from this count.

2

Difficulty Analysis

SCORE: 72

Difficulty is determined by a technical multi-vector analysis of elevation profile, surface quality, and topographic intensity.

Resulting CategoryHard

Bounding Box (WGS84)

MIN LAT: 34.489213
MAX LAT: 34.539372
MIN LON: -119.466914
MAX LON: -119.374444

Point Spacing: 16.8 m • Engine: TrailX Precision GPX ANALYTICS v1.0.0

Reviews & Discussion0

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