Cone Peak via Carrizo Creek Trail

One of the lesser used approaches to Cone Peak, the Carrizo Creek Trail is a beautiful, unique trail with colorful, exposed rock and wonderful views of the Salinas Valley and your destination, the Cone Peak summit. You'll wander through a myriad of environments, from desert to riparian to evergreen stands as you ascend to the North Coast Knife Ridge for a final exciting scramble up the Hilary Step to your destination. No gear is needed, but with steep drop offs to each side, one should be experienced and careful. The trail is steep, but certainly not as steep as the famed use trail Sea to Sky from Limekiln State Park on the Hwy 1 side of the wilderness, which is the most direct route to Cone Peak. Carrizo Creek Camp and Trail Springs Camp are reliable water sources in all but the driest months. Keep your eyes peeled from above for the endemic Santa Lucia fir, especially on the descent down the Gamboa Trail to Trail Springs where the trail will pass right by a wonderful specimen of this extremely rare tree.