Prairie View Trail–Red Mailbox, 3 sights
8.4 mi · ▲ 1,144 ft · 3 hr 22 min
Prairie View Trail–Red Mailbox, 3 sights is an 8.4-mile out-and-back in Wilder Ranch State Park near Rincon, CA. It climbs 1,144 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade. It scores 6/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Prairie View Trail–Red Mailbox, 3 sights
8.4 mi · ▲ 1,144 ft · 3 hr 22 min
Elevation 122–1,107 ft
Out & Back · Wilder Ranch State Park
Trailhead: 37.01626, -122.07717
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:55 AM · sunset 7:10 PM
Transit-accessible: 2519 Empire Grade stop 559 m from the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 150 ftSharp left onto Mailboxes, heading S.
- 1.6 miBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Red Mailbox, heading S.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Wally World, heading W.
- 200 ftSharp left onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading W.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Prairie View Trail, heading S.
- 200 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Coast Vista Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Prairie View Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miReach Red Mailbox, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Coast Vista Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Prairie View Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading NW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto UCSC Connector/Cave Gulch, heading NW.
- 0.5 miSharp right onto Wally World, heading N.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Red Mailbox, heading N.
- 2.5 miSharp right, heading N.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.0 mi in (~103 min). Leave by 5:06 PM for the 7:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:30 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Transit-accessible: 2519 Empire Grade stop 559 m from the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Long Meadow Trail & Mailboxes 5.8 mi · ▲ 613 ft
- Chinquapin Trail 4.9 mi · ▲ 602 ft
- Chinquapin Trail–Mailboxes, 4 sights 7.2 mi · ▲ 1,243 ft
- Barking Dogs–Chinquapin Road, 5 sights 10.6 mi · ▲ 1,873 ft
- Horse Trough Spring–Chuck Beebe Scenic Bench, 10 sights 10 mi · ▲ 1,024 ft
- Overlook–Chinquapin Trail, 4 sights 7.5 mi · ▲ 831 ft
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