Johansen Road–Meteor Trail, 4 sights
12.7 mi · ▲ 3,399 ft · 5 hr 56 min
Johansen Road–Meteor Trail, 4 sights is a 12.7-mile out-and-back in Big Basin Redwoods State Park near Butano Park, CA. It climbs 3,399 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade. It scores 93/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Johansen Road–Meteor Trail, 4 sights
12.7 mi · ▲ 3,399 ft · 5 hr 56 min
Elevation 324–2,065 ft
Out & Back · Big Basin Redwoods State Park
Trailhead: Gazos Creek Road · 37.19733, -122.29337
Weather Aug 3: Fog, high 86°F / low 54° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:16 PM
- Start on Gazos Creek Road, heading NE.
- 450 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 1.4 miSharp left onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NW.
- 350 ftSharp right onto Johansen Road, heading E.
- 2.6 miBear right onto Middle Ridge Road, heading E.
- 0.8 miSharp left onto Meteor Trail, heading S.
- 0.9 miReach Sandy Point Lookout Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miSharp right onto Middle Ridge Road, heading SW.
- 0.8 miBear left onto Johansen Road, heading NW.
- 2.6 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading W.
- 350 ftTurn right onto Sandy Point Lookout Trail, heading W.
- 0.5 miSharp right, heading W.
- 1.4 miSharp left onto Gazos Creek Road, heading NW.
- 300 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.3 mi in (~58 min). Leave by 6:57 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:02 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Gazos Creek Road Trailhead
- Sandy Point Lookout Trail via Gazos Creek Road 3.1 mi · ▲ 1,242 ft
- Barranca Knolls via Gazos Creek Road 8.6 mi · ▲ 2,786 ft
- Silver Falls–Berry Creek Falls, 8 falls 8.6 mi · ▲ 2,387 ft
- Marion Jones Grove–Anderson Landing Road, 3 sights 9.6 mi · ▲ 2,679 ft
- Gazos Creek Road & Sandy Point Lookout Trail 13.7 mi · ▲ 2,589 ft
- Dool Trail–Johansen Road, 4 sights 14.8 mi · ▲ 3,440 ft
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