Neary Lagoon Footbridge 2016-05-29.jpg
Ponderosapine210 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Chinquapin Trail–Long Meadow Trail, 6 sights is an 8.8-mile out-and-back in Wilder Ranch State Park near Rincon, CA. It climbs 1,160 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 22/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi322 – 1,004 ft · steepest grade: 16%9.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 36.98993, -122.06956
Nearest town Rincon, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Chinquapin Trail–Long Meadow Trail, 6 sights

8.8 mi · ▲ 1,160 ft · 3 hr 31 min

Elevation 320–1,003 ft

Out & Back · Wilder Ranch State Park

Trailhead: 36.98993, -122.06956

Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 75°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 2 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:15 PM

Transit-accessible: Empire Grade & Heller Drive stop 193 m from the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
  3. 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
  4. 0.4 miSharp right onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading N.
  5. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Wally World, heading NW.
  6. 50 ftContinue straight onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading NW.
  7. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Long Meadow Trail, heading S.
  8. 450 ftTurn right onto Wild Boar Trail, heading S.
  9. 0.7 miReach UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 0.4 miTurn left onto Old Cabin Trail, heading N.
  11. 0.9 miSharp right onto Eucalyptus Loop, heading NW.
  12. 1 miBear right, heading W.
  13. 50 ftTurn right onto Chinquapin Trail, heading W.
  14. 0.6 miTurn right, heading N.
  15. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Long Meadow Trail, heading SE.
  16. 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
  17. 250 ftContinue straight onto Wally World, heading S.
  18. 0.8 miBear left, heading SE.
  19. 0.6 miSharp left onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading S.
  20. 0.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
  21. 0.1 miSharp left, heading S.
  22. 450 ftTurn right, heading S.
  23. 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
  24. 50 ftBear right, heading N.
  25. 0.3 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

37% dirt1% gravel62% unspecified

Weather

FogTemperature 75°F51°
Precip0%Wind2 mphUV7Humidity95%
Hourly temperature
75°50°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:15 PM
Tue 70°51°
Wed 71°53°
Thu 74°57°
Fri 82°60°
Sat 81°62°
Sun 72°59°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.3 mi in (~126 min). Leave by 5:49 PM for the 8:15 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:25 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: Empire Grade & Heller Drive stop 193 m from the trailhead
  • Drinking water at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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