Craig R. Carey is the owner and lead guide.

It’s in his blood. Craig grew up wandering the Los Padres backcountry with his folks, his older brothers, and his fellow Scouts. On any given weekend, Craig was swimming the narrows along the Sespe, wandering the granite-clad tops of Mt. Pinos, or learning to navigate the trackless pinon forests of the Cuyama badlands. It was — and remains — a huge backyard full of opportunity.

Scout leader, volunteer, advocate. Craig has been leading Girl Scouts, Cub Scouts, and Boy Scouts across the Los Padres for years and, as a Volunteer Wilderness Ranger, leads and/or serves on several US Forest Service volunteer crews across the forest — ranging from microtrash clean-ups in condor country to invasive species removal in the watersheds to trail maintenance in remote wilderness corners. This is the land he loves … and loves to share with others.

He wrote the book on the southern Los Padres. (No really, he literally wrote the book! See here for details about Hiking & Backpacking Santa Barbara & Ventura, published by Wilderness Press).

Safety. Few know the southern Los Padres better than “the Beard.” Craig is certified in Wilderness First Aid by NOLS’s Wilderness Medicine Institute, and all precautions are taken to ensure a safe and thoroughly enjoyable experience for you and your fellow trekkers.

Terms and Conditions

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