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
Getting there
Directions
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
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miSharp right onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading N.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Wally World, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Long Meadow Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right onto Wild Boar Trail, heading S.
- 0.7 miReach UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Old Cabin Trail, heading N.
- 0.9 miSharp right onto Eucalyptus Loop, heading NW.
- 1 miBear right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Chinquapin Trail, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Long Meadow Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading S.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Wally World, heading S.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.6 miSharp left onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading N.
- 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
Weather
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.
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
More from this trailhead
- The Triangle & Arboretum Pond 1.6 mi · ▲ 165 ft
- Prairie View Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 329 ft
- Prairie View Trail 3.6 mi · ▲ 325 ft
- Long Meadow Trail–UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, 3 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 426 ft
- Prairie View Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 355 ft
- Prairie View Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 439 ft
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