Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA, CA, USA - panoramio (6).jpg
BoltSnypr · CC BY 3.0

Gazos Creek Road & Sandy Point Lookout Trail is a 13.7-mile out-and-back in Big Basin Redwoods State Park near Butano Park, CA. It climbs 2,589 ft, with sections as steep as 37% grade. It scores 94/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi325 – 1,532 ft · steepest grade: 37%13.8 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Gazos Creek Road 37.19733, -122.29337
Nearest town Butano Park, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Gazos Creek Road & Sandy Point Lookout Trail

13.7 mi · ▲ 2,589 ft · 5 hr 52 min

Elevation 324–1,532 ft

Out & Back · Big Basin Redwoods State Park

Trailhead: Gazos Creek Road · 37.19733, -122.29337

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:11 PM

  1. Start on Gazos Creek Road, heading NE.
  2. 450 ftSharp right, heading S.
  3. 1.4 miSharp left onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading E.
  4. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Gazos Creek Road, heading E.
  5. 4.9 miReach Gazos Creek Road, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  6. 4.9 miContinue straight onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading SW.
  7. 0.5 miSharp right, heading N.
  8. 1.4 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading N.
  9. 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

30% dirt70% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:11 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.9 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 6:05 PM for the 7:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:50 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

More from Gazos Creek Road Trailhead