Aptos Creek Fire Road–Aptos Creek Road, 3 sights is a 5.8-mile out-and-back in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park near Monte Toyon, CA. It climbs 824 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 76/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi184 – 755 ft · steepest grade: 18%6.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Powerline 37.00652, -121.91548
Nearest town Monte Toyon, CA
Directions
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Aptos Creek Fire Road–Aptos Creek Road, 3 sights
5.8 mi · ▲ 824 ft · 2 hr 21 min
Elevation 185–756 ft
Out & Back · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Trailhead: Powerline · 37.00652, -121.91548
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:55 AM · sunset 7:09 PM
No dogs on part of this route
- Start on Powerline, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 250 ftSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Aptos Creek Road, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading N.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading NE.
- 1.5 miReach Powerline, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.6 miBear left onto Aptos Creek Road, heading SW.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading NW.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Powerline, heading SW.
- 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
83% dirt17% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:55 AMSunset 7:09 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:49 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:09 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:35 PM.
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Powerline Trailhead
- Aptos Creek Road–Loma Prieta Grade, 3 sights 5.4 mi · ▲ 758 ft
- Porter Trail & Powerline via Aptos Creek Road 4.2 mi · ▲ 883 ft
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