Woodlands Special Treatment Area

Big Dipper–Manly Gulch Trail, 4 sights

12.9 mi · ▲ 2,690 ft · 5 hr 39 min

Big Dipper–Manly Gulch Trail, 4 sights is a 12.9-mile out-and-back in Woodlands Special Treatment Area near Mendocino, CA. It climbs 2,690 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 81/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi52 – 922 ft · steepest grade: 25%13.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Parallel Action 39.33075, -123.73477
Nearest town Mendocino, CA

Directions

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Big Dipper–Manly Gulch Trail, 4 sights

12.9 mi · ▲ 2,690 ft · 5 hr 39 min

Elevation 54–921 ft

Out & Back · Woodlands Special Treatment Area

Trailhead: Parallel Action · 39.33075, -123.73477

Weather Sep 4: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:43 PM

  1. Start on Observatory Trail, heading SE.
  2. 2.2 miTurn left onto Manly Gulch Trail, heading NE.
  3. 2 miTurn left onto Staircase, heading NE.
  4. 0.4 miBear right onto Old Jeep Trail, heading SW.
  5. 0.8 miSharp left onto Big Dipper, heading E.
  6. 1.2 miReach Manly Gulch Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  7. 1.2 miSharp right onto Old Jeep Trail, heading SW.
  8. 0.8 miBear left onto Staircase, heading N.
  9. 0.4 miTurn right onto Manly Gulch Trail, heading SW.
  10. 2 miTurn right onto Forest History Trail, heading S.
  11. 2.1 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

43% dirt57% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:43 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~5 min). Leave by 7:18 PM for the 7:43 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:01 PM — 9 min before dark. Trailhead visible from the viewpoint

More sunset hikes nearby

Other ways to reach this destination

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