Arboretum Pond–Mailboxes, 4 sights
7 mi · ▲ 990 ft · 2 hr 50 min
Arboretum Pond–Mailboxes, 4 sights is a 7-mile out-and-back in Wilder Ranch State Park near Rincon, CA. The route reaches Arboretum Pond at the turnaround, 3.5 miles in. It climbs 990 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade. It scores 7/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Arboretum Pond–Mailboxes, 4 sights
7 mi · ▲ 990 ft · 2 hr 50 min
Elevation 320–1,122 ft
Out & Back · Wilder Ranch State Park
Trailhead: Chinquapin Road · 37.01772, -122.07933
Weather Sep 20: Fog, high 71°F / low 50° · precip 1% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:55 AM · sunset 7:10 PM
Transit-accessible: Empire Grade (Mile 13) stop 589 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Mailboxes, heading SE.
- 1.7 miBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red Mailbox, heading S.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Wally World, heading W.
- 200 ftSharp left onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading W.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miReach Arboretum Pond, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.8 miSharp right onto Wally World, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Red Mailbox, heading N.
- 2.5 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mailboxes, heading N.
- 450 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~11 min). Leave by 6:39 PM for the 7:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:38 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: Empire Grade (Mile 13) stop 589 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Chinquapin Road Trailhead
- Prairie View Trail–UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, 3 sights 8.4 mi · ▲ 1,139 ft
- Long Meadow Trail & Mailboxes 5.8 mi · ▲ 613 ft
- Chinquapin Trail 4.9 mi · ▲ 602 ft
- Chinquapin Trail–Mailboxes, 4 sights 7.2 mi · ▲ 1,243 ft
- Barking Dogs–Chinquapin Road, 5 sights 10.6 mi · ▲ 1,873 ft
- Turbo & Woodcutter's Trail 6.8 mi · ▲ 1,242 ft
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