Zaca Lake’s Quietude Belies a Thunderous Past

Long ago, the Chumash called this lake Zaca, or “quiet place.” The name still fits.

Zaca Lake, a private enclave within the boundaries of Los Padres National Forest, is a secluded spot offering canoeing, swimming and hiking.

Zaca is one of the very few natural lakes in Southern California. The lake is replenished by underground springs (a somewhat rare occurrence), so it hasn’t suffered to the degree that the usual rain-fed lakes have during the Southland’s long drought.

Geologists speculate that Zaca Lake was formed about 10,000 years ago by a landslide.

Before this slide, underground springs fed Zaca Creek, which meandered through Zaca Canyon. Loosened by fault activity and heavy rains, one of Zaca Canyon’s walls collapsed, forming a dam across the canyon. This natural dam has contained rain runoff and underground sources within the boundaries of a small lake ever since.

The Chumash, the Native Americans who inhabited this area for thousands of years before the white man came, had a different explanation for the formation of Zaca Lake.

One day, an arrogant man was walking around the Zaca Canyon area when he looked up and saw Thunder. The unthinking man spoke insultingly to this mighty being. His fellow villagers were appalled by this disrespect and fled the scene.

Thunder, enraged at the man who offended him, sat down on the village, squashing the insolent fellow and making a great hole in the earth, which became Zaca Lake.

Zaca Lake has a colorful history. During the 1890s, a Frenchman, John Baptiste Libeu, was the caretaker of the lake and surrounding ranchland for his boss, owner James Westley Calkins.

One day, a government surveyor came along and announced to Libeu that the lake and surrounding land did not belong to Calkins, but to the federal government. Libeu promptly rode into the land office in Santa Barbara and filed a homestead claim on the land--much to Calkins’ displeasure.

Libeu and his family operated a small hostelry for overnight guests. The lake was a particularly popular locale for silent moviemakers from Santa Barbara’s Flying A Studios. Although Flying A, in 1913, had the largest, most up-to-date film studio in the world, its filmmakers often went on location. Zaca Lake and environs were featured in many serials, melodramas and Westerns.

In those innocent years, when conflict-of-interest questions were rarely raised, Libeu also worked for the government. He was the forest ranger for the Pine Mountain and Zaca Lake Reserve, set aside in 1898.

Libeu enforced hunting and homestead and fire regulations for the reserve, later named the Santa Barbara Forest Reserve (and still later, Los Padres National Forest).

At one time, Libeu was the district ranger in charge of an immense territory stretching from the Santa Ynez River to the Cuyama River, from near Santa Maria to the Ventura County line.

In 1925, Dr. Sam Robinson of Santa Barbara acquired Zaca Lake and tried, with little success, to turn it into a health resort.

John J. Mitchell, owner from 1938-1948, was an active member of Los Rancheros Visitadores, Santa Barbara’s answer to the Bohemian Club of San Francisco, and Zaca Lake was where the wealthy corporados camped every spring. During the 1950s, Zaca Lake was a popular weekend getaway for Hollywood celebrities.

Today, Zaca Lake is owned by the Human Potential Foundation, “dedicated to the expansion of human awareness.” The foundation’s facilities are rented out to New Age and community service groups, as well as to the traveling public. There’s also a campground by the lake.

Several trails explore the Los Padres National Forest backcountry above Zaca Lake. Not all of them are in good shape, however, so it’s best to ask at the lodge before you hit the trail.

Directions to trailhead: From U.S. 101, some 50 miles upcoast from Santa Barbara, exit on Zaca Station Road. (This exit is the first one past 101’s junction with Highway 154.) You’ll drive 3 1/4 miles, passing vineyards and the Firestone Winery to a junction with Foxen Canyon Road.

Bear left, heading north 3 1/2 miles to the poorly signed turnoff for Zaca Lake. Turn right onto the road leading to the lake. It’s paved for the first mile or so, dirt for the next five. Take your time and watch for potholes. Sign in at the lodge and pay the day-use fee.

Zaca Lake hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Day-use fees are $5 for adults, $3 for children under 12, $2 for dogs. Because the lake and lodge are occasionally rented to private parties, it’s a good idea to call ahead before you set out on a hike.

From the lodge, drive down the dirt road another half a mile to the picnic ground. Park in the shade.

The hike: From the picnic ground, walk up the dirt road half a mile to the signed beginning of Sulphur Spring Trail. Note another unsigned trail on your right; this very steep trail is your return route.

Sulphur Spring Trail ascends sometimes moderately, sometimes steeply a bit under two miles to Cedros Saddle and an intersection with the dirt of Zaca Ridge Road. Just below the saddle is a grove of incense cedar ( cedros in Spanish).

The cedar, along with various kinds of pine, were planted on the ridges around Zaca Lake during various forest service projects beginning about 1910. The incense cedar in these parts are doing well, but some trees--the Monterey pine, for example--have fared poorly in this part of the national forest.

Sulphur Spring Trail resumes on the other side of Zaca Ridge Road and descends steeply northeast to Manzana Creek on the edge of the San Rafael Wilderness. For a grand view of the wilderness, the Sierra Madre Mountains and Hurricane Deck, walk a hundred yards down the trail.

This hike heads right on Zaca Ridge Road, climbing moderately to a junction with Zaca Peak Road. You’ll bear right (west on this dirt road) and continue a mile to an orange flag, which marks the very steeply descending trail that will complete the loop back to the trailhead.

Ambitious hikers can continue west on Zaca Peak Road toward prominent Zaca Peak. Although the road passes below the peak (which is extremely difficult to reach because of the thick brush and bad trail), you can get a pretty good view right from the road.

At the turn of the century, the first fire lookout station in what was to become Los Padres National Forest was established atop the peak. Every day during fire season, a patrolman rode his horse from Zaca Lake up to the lookout. The lookout itself resembled a modern-day lifeguard tower, with a sun umbrella on top.

Ultra-ambitious hikers can continue several more miles past Zaca Peak to the well-named Lookout Mountain.

Hiking / Los Padres National Forest Sulpher Spring Trail Where: Zaca Lake in Los Padres Forest, near Lookout Mountain. Length: 4 1/2 miles round trip t Cedros Saddle. Ridge Road: 6 1/2 miles round trip. Terrain: Oak woodland, pine forest. Highlights: Only natural lake in Santa Barbara County, some great views. Degree of Diffculty: Moderate to strenuous. Precautions: Plenty of bothersome insects, bring repellant. For more information: Call Human Potential Foundation, Zaca Lake Lodge, at (805) 688-4891.