Charquin Trail–Council Circle Trail, 3 sights is a 6.6-mile out-and-back in Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve near Vista Verde, CA. It climbs 1,174 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 66/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi1,650 – 2,569 ft · steepest grade: 18%7.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 37.31479, -122.19782
Nearest town Vista Verde, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Charquin Trail–Council Circle Trail, 3 sights
6.6 mi · ▲ 1,174 ft · 2 hr 47 min
Elevation 1,650–2,569 ft
Out & Back · Russian Ridge Open Space Preserve
Trailhead: 37.31479, -122.19782
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:56 AM · sunset 7:10 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Ridge Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto New Ancient Oaks Trail, heading SW.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Audrey's Way, heading SE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Charquin Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mindego Hill Trail, heading W.
- 1.4 miReach Mindego Hill Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Charquin Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Mindego Hill Trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto New Ancient Oaks Trail, heading E.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Ridge Trail, heading N.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 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
85% dirt15% gravel
Weather
Sunrise 6:56 AMSunset 7:10 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.0 mi in (~1 min). Leave by 6:49 PM for the 7:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:27 PM — 10 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Ipiwa Viewpoint–Horseshoe Viewpoint, 6 sights 5.1 mi · ▲ 970 ft
- Borel Hill–Ridge Viewpoint, 4 sights 4.2 mi · ▲ 635 ft
- Alpine Pond & Butano View Trail via Ipiwa Trail 3.7 mi · ▲ 822 ft
- New Ancient Oaks Trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 497 ft
- New Ancient Oaks Trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 514 ft
- Ipiwa Viewpoint–Alpine Pond, 3 sights 3.2 mi · ▲ 637 ft
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