Aptos Creek Fire Road & Trout Gulch Trail is a 3-mile out-and-back in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park near Day Valley, CA. It climbs 956 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade. It scores 82/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi328 – 997 ft · steepest grade: 22%3.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.02616, -121.88672
Nearest town Day Valley, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Aptos Creek Fire Road & Trout Gulch Trail
3 mi · ▲ 956 ft · 1 hr 29 min
Elevation 329–997 ft
Out & Back · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Trailhead: 37.02616, -121.88672
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Trout Gulch Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading NW.
- 0.5 miReach Trout Gulch Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Trout Gulch Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading E.
- 0.8 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
29% dirt71% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:16 AMSunset 8:13 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 7:49 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:30 PM — 11 min before dark.
Other ways to reach this destination
Get outside more
A wild hike near Day Valley, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Day Valley, California