Santa Rosalia Mountain–Olive Springs, 6 sights is a 13.7-mile out-and-back in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park near The Willows, CA. The route passes Olive Springs and Santa Rosalia Viewpoint before reaching Santa Rosalia Mountain at the turnaround, 6.8 miles in. It climbs 2,537 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Santa Rosalia Mountain–Olive Springs, 6 sights
13.7 mi · ▲ 2,537 ft · 5 hr 50 min
Elevation 300–2,596 ft
Out & Back · The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park
Trailhead: Hinckley Basin Fire Road · 37.05490, -121.92401
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
- Start on Hinckley Basin Fire Road, heading NE.
- 0.4 miPass Olive Springs.
- 2.6 miSharp left onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading N.
- 1.2 miTurn left onto Pig Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right onto Lower Bacon Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftBear left onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading NE.
- 1.3 miTurn left onto Upper Bacon Trail, heading NE.
- 0.4 miPass Santa Rosalia Viewpoint.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading NE.
- 0.9 miReach Santa Rosalia Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.9 miTurn left onto Upper Bacon Trail, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading S.
- 1.3 miBear right onto Lower Bacon Trail, heading SW.
- 450 ftBear left onto Pig Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Aptos Creek Fire Road, heading S.
- 1.2 miSharp right onto Hinckley Basin Fire Road, heading SE.
- 2.9 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 2.1 mi in (~78 min). Leave by 6:35 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:21 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Hinckley Basin Fire Road Trailhead
- Olive Springs–Sand Point Overlook, 5 sights 9.6 mi · ▲ 1,875 ft
- Lone Tree Prairie–Olive Springs, 6 sights 12 mi · ▲ 2,411 ft
- Five Finger Falls–Olive Springs, 6 sights 12.6 mi · ▲ 2,719 ft
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