Aptos Creek Trail - 28797695283.jpg
Sandip Bhattacharya · CC BY 2.0

Sand Point Overlook–Big Slide Trail, 5 sights is a 15.5-mile out-and-back in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park near Monte Toyon, CA. The route reaches Sand Point Overlook. It climbs 2,453 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi187 – 1,621 ft · steepest grade: 17%15.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Aptos Creek Road 37.01439, -121.90538
Nearest town Monte Toyon, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Sand Point Overlook–Big Slide Trail, 5 sights

15.5 mi · ▲ 2,453 ft · 6 hr 24 min

Elevation 188–1,620 ft

Out & Back · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park

Trailhead: Aptos Creek Road · 37.01439, -121.90538

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:13 PM

Dogs allowed on leash · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
  2. 150 ftBear left onto Aptos Creek Road, heading S.
  3. 0.5 miTurn right onto West Ridge Trail, heading W.
  4. 4 miContinue straight onto Big Stump Gap Trail, heading NW.
  5. 50 ftBear right onto West Ridge Trail, heading NW.
  6. 1.3 miBear right onto Hinckley Basin Fire Road, heading NE.
  7. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading N.
  8. 50 ftPass Sand Point Overlook.
  9. 0.9 miTurn left onto White's Lagoon Road, heading S.
  10. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Big Slide Trail, heading SW.
  11. 0.2 miReach Sand Point Overlook, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.2 miContinue straight onto White's Lagoon Road, heading W.
  13. 0.2 miTurn right onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading NW.
  14. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Hinckley Basin Fire Road, heading W.
  15. 0.4 miBear left onto West Ridge Trail, heading W.
  16. 1.3 miBear left onto Big Stump Gap Trail, heading S.
  17. 50 ftContinue straight onto West Ridge Trail, heading S.
  18. 4 miTurn left onto Aptos Creek Road, heading E.
  19. 0.5 miBear right, heading N.
  20. 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

25% dirt75% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:16 AMSunset 8:13 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~94 min). Leave by 6:19 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:45 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Dogs allowed on leash
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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