Chews Ridge is reached via Tassajara Road, which branches south off Carmel Valley Road some 24.1 miles from Highway 1. The first 3 miles are paved, but thereafter the road is dirt, and can be rough and rutted, especially as it reaches higher elevations. Set your odometer at 0.0 at the end of the pavement. One reaches the sign-posted edge of Los Padres National Forest after 3.4 miles of dirt road, pass White Oaks Camp at 4.7 miles, and reach road's saddle and highest pass at 5.9 miles. This is Chews Ridge; the pass is 4,888' feet (1492m) and you are in Ponderosa Pine forest. Park in the small but rough parking lot at the right (west) side of road, or (as the road is wide at this saddle), park well off to the right. At this point Tassajara Road divides two Hotspots. This Hotspot — west ridge — is right (west) of the road; the other Hotspot — east ridge — is on the left (east) side of the road at the saddle. The east ridge Hotspot is by far the most visited of any Hotspot at high elevations in the Santa Lucia Mountains. This west ridge Hotspot is not visited very often.

This west ridge Hotspot does have a fine Ponderosa Pine forest forest, but it has just a single trail that leads west from the rough parking area on the right (west) side of the Chews Ridge saddle. Use the stile next to the green-painted gate (shown in one of the photos, above) in the rough parking lot to start up the trail. While for a short while one can bird the pines and large oaks, and stands of burned trees, within a half-mile the trail starts descending rapidly into more oak and madrone woods, and then is quite a slog to hike back up. This area will get very hot on summer afternoons, so start early and choose dates wisely. Be aware that biting flies can be common in summer, and can dampen the camping experience. Ticks are also fairly numerous is summer, and beware of rattlesnakes on hot days. Watch your step.

Most birds at west ridge are similar to the birds at more-heavily-birded "Chews Ridge--east ridge" Hotspot, across Tassajara Road from this Hotspot. The resident birds of these high elevations are widespread at lower elevations also, including Band-tailed Pigeon, Steller's Jay, Acorn and Hairy Woodpeckers, Oak Titmouse, White-breasted and Pygmy Nuthatch, Western Bluebird, and Purple Finch. Most of the more sought-after montane breeding species are migrants, arriving in April/May and leaving about August. These include Western Wood-Pewee, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Cassin's Vireo, Violet-green Swallow, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Black-throated Gray and Yellow-rumped (Audubon's) Warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Western Tanager. There may be a summer colony of Purple Martin around standing dead trees here. 

Mountain Quail is a common resident here, easily heard but difficult to see. The most successful way to see a Mountain Quail is to drive Tassajara Road from White Oaks Camp to Chews Ridge and on towards China Camp slowly, either very early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and be attuned to quail parties crossing the road. This is particularly true in late summer or early fall when families still have chicks that cannot yet fly. Be aware that California Quail occurs all the way up to Chews Ridge, but they are more easily seen on the open forest floor and are not confined to the dense chaparral.

Fire has a significant impact on the environment and avifauna in these mountains. Major fires in 1977, 2009, and 2020 have created huge swathes of burnt timber. From the 1960s into the 1990s, Flammulated Owls summered and presumably bred from White Oaks Camp to China Camp, and attracted birders from throughout California who hoped to hear, and perhaps see, a Flammulated or Spotted Owls By the turn of the 21st century Spotted Owl had disappeared and Flammulated had become restricted to Chews Ridge.

Flammulated Owl was last heard in 2007 in this Hotspot. It s possible that the small population was extirpated by the 2009 Basin Fire. Today, local owls are primarily Great Horned and Western Screech Owls, and Poorwills call on warm summer nights. We are always hoping for recolonization of the rare owls in the future.

Tassajara Road is closed in wet winters, but birding for migrants in late summer (August-September) can be productive with a variety of passerines. Regular spring migrants at this elevation include Nashville and Hermit Warblers. In dry winters, the montane chaparral at this location has Hermit Thrush and may host up to 3 "groups" of Fox Sparrow. Influxes of Red Crossbill, Red-breasted Nuthatch, and even Cassin's Finch have occurred in late fall or winter.

"Chews Ridge--west ridge" is one of Hotspots along upper Tassajara Road which are easiest to access with 4-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive, and in vehicles with mid-to-high clearance. Tassajara Road, which goes all the way to the Tassajara Mountain Zen Retreat (14 miles of dirt road one-way; don't be mislead by any mileposts you see, as 0 started at the Zen Retreat, so their mileages is counting from the opposite way you are driving). The road tends to deteriorate rapidly with traffic from residents, visitors, and campers. The road may be best in spring after grading (often graded in spring) but it can be in very poor condition regularly. In its upper sections it becomes narrow and rocky, and subject to wash-out in places. Still, it usually can be driven, with caution, by even small sedans. You will enjoy the trip better with a high-clearance vehicle, and by driving with caution at all times. Some local residents on in-holdings within the National Forest drive trucks much too fast.

Because Tassajara Road separates "east ridge" from this "west ridge" Hotspot, this Hotspot is meant only for use in the forest west of the road. Birds over the road and in the parking area may be included in either Hotspot.

The nearest public restrooms would be at China Camp, 1.5 miles south, beyond the Chews Ridge road summit, if it is open, or White Oaks Camp, back down Tassajara Road and lower in elevation, 1.3 miles north, if it is open.