Canyon Trail & Franciscan Loop Trail is an 8.6-mile out-and-back in Monte Bello Open Space Preserve near Vista Verde, CA. It climbs 1,243 ft. It scores 42/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi1,184 – 2,215 ft8.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Franciscan Loop Trail 37.32640, -122.17944
Nearest town Vista Verde, CA
Directions
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Canyon Trail & Franciscan Loop Trail
8.6 mi · ▲ 1,243 ft · 3 hr 29 min
Elevation 1,183–2,216 ft
Out & Back · Monte Bello Open Space Preserve
Trailhead: Franciscan Loop Trail · 37.32640, -122.17944
Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 89°F / low 66° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:16 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Franciscan Loop Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Canyon Trail, heading SE.
- 3.2 miTurn left onto Grizzly Flat Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Canyon Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miReach Franciscan Loop Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Grizzly Flat Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Canyon Trail, heading NW.
- 3.2 miContinue straight onto Franciscan Loop Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 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
100% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 89°F66°
Precip0%Wind3 mphUV8Humidity29%
Hourly temperature
90°65°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:16 PM
Tue
84°63°
Wed
81°50°
Thu
89°50°
Fri
95°56°
Sat
90°53°
Sun
82°46°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~2 min). Leave by 7:53 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:33 PM — 11 min before dark.
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Franciscan Loop Trail Trailhead
- Canyon Trail–Franciscan Loop Trail, 3 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 230 ft
- Franciscan Loop Trail–Lost Creek Loop Trail, 3 sights 2.8 mi · ▲ 369 ft
- Black Mountain–Monte Bello Road (Trail) Viewpoint, 5 sights 4.9 mi · ▲ 855 ft
- Ewing Hill–Bella Vista Trail, 9 sights 13.4 mi · ▲ 3,101 ft
- Wallace Stegner Bench–Canyon Trail, 8 sights 14.5 mi · ▲ 2,829 ft
- Gerow's Waterfall–Two Moon Lake, 9 sights 16.1 mi · ▲ 2,995 ft
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Hikes near Vista Verde, California