ANASTASIA CANYON TRAIL
(aka Cahoon Spring Trail)
-
USFS trail #
-
Parking: Tassajara Road
-
Watersheds: Carmel River
-
Junctions: Cahoon Spring, trails and jeep roads to private property
-
Connects: Carmel Valley Road with Tassajara Road
-
Camps: None
Conditions reported by:
Paul Danielson
Survey date: 15-JAN-2003
General: CLEAR
Specific:Tassajara Road to Cahoon Springs area
The access from Tassajara Road is the only one now. (The lower access from
Carmel Valley Road is now denied and does indeed cross private property.)
The 800 foot drop into the canyon is clear with just a little bit of poison
oak intrusion. Once in the canyon, one encounters one serious deadfall which
is easily skirted to the left crossing the small stream and resuming right
along the path. The trail continues upstream and crosses it, veering sharply
to the left and winds steeply uphill through open canopy to Cahoon Springs
(now a pig wallow). Then one heads right and up to an open meadow which
makes a good rest spot.
There are old ranch roads which head east, southwest, and northwest. The
last is along a ridge with views but should be followed with caution as it
enters private grazing property and eventually dead ends far below.
An interesting adventure is to take the southwest option and in about a
quarter of a mile one notes the open, sloping meadow and heads straight up
it instead of making the left-hand curving bend in the road. As you climb
out of the meadow you will clearly see the old ranch road heading up the
ridge. In due time you come to a wooden fence where the road appears to end
and a single tread path begins. This is brush-covered and requires attentive
pushing and ducking until you break out into the open, on the(most recent
1999 debris-strewn) firebreak swath that leads up to the Chews Ridge
lookout. One easily exits to the saddle on Tassajara Road and can follow it
back down the 2-3 miles back to your car. If you do this, chances are you
will have made a loop that will put you in the dirty dozen's hikers hall of
fame.
