VENTANA WILDERNESS ALLIANCE
On-Line Trail Conditions Report

THREE PEAKS TRAIL

• USFS Trail #
• Parking: Salmon Creek Guard Station, South Coast Ridge Jeep Trail
• Watershed: Various
• Junctions: San Carpoforo Trail, South Coast Ridge Jeep Road
• Connects: San Carpoforo Trail at Dutra Flats with South Coast Ridge Jeep Road
• Camps: Three Peaks Jeep Camp

Conditions reported by: Leif Behrmann
Survey date: 14-JULY-2007
General: CLEAR
Specific:

I managed to follow the Three Peaks trail up from Dutra Flat. At first the trail is more of a human sized track. To start I bore off in the direction the sign indicated, but when the track started heading east I looked around and found a track going toward the ridge for a short while. There is a point where I came out onto a grassy slope and the trail appeared to end. After a moment I wondered if the trail veered up and to the left and was obscured by the fallen leaves of a nearby oak. Sure enough, as I started up and around the tree and beyond, I realized I had found the old dozer cut. It was strange at first walking an old cut with brush springing up here and there, but after I imagined the dozer I was set alright again.

It is very hot and dry up there, and there isn't much shade, but on the plus side, the poison oak and flies are minimal. I took breaks in the shade when I could find it. I would recommend at least 2 full quarts of water, if not 3 to tide you over until Three Peaks camp.

At the peak of the ridge someone had erected cairns to corner off and show the way toward Three Peaks. Down the first slope as the trail skirts around a little peak of a hill, and the bushes are actually encroaching enough to hide the track for a few yards.

The rest was mostly clear, with some steep parts and thorny bushes. It follows the ridge tops until it meets up with Three Peaks Camp road.

I turned left and went downhill to the virtual oasis of Three Peaks Camp. The small creek had some pools of water to replenish my supply.

At camp I threw down my tarp and slept under an awesome display of stars. Conditions reported by: Jean LeBlanc
Survey date: 26-AUGUST-2006
General: WILDERNESS FREEWAY
Specific:

Having never done this trail I didn't know what to expect, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is essentially in Wilderness Freeway condition for its entire length. The top two miles of this trail are especially incredible as it roller-coasters along the top edge a seemingly never-ending ridgeline with unbeatable views of the lower and upper San Carpoforo watershed and a branch of the upper Salmon Creek watershed, as well as the 3 (or 4, depending on how you count them) Peaks and Lions Peak. I highly recommend this trail. Conditions reported by: Greg Minter
Survey date: 3-JULY-2006
General: CLEAR
Specific:

Section: Ridge Road at Three Peaks to Dutra Flat - Clear

This is a spectacular trail that gets very little use. Thanks to Boon for providing excellent information about this remote gem in the Silver Peak Wilderness. This is a ridge top trail that is an old brush cut rather than an established trail. However, the path was always evident and route-finding was not a problem. This trail is best tackled from north to south, as a south to north route is uphill, and the trail is completely exposed and waterless. After turning south from the Ridge Road at Three Peaks, follow the Three Peaks Camp road until it makes a sharp right turn. At that point, there is a small cairn that marks the trail, where you'll start climbing the ridge instead of continuing on the road to Three Peaks Camp. You're essentially following the ridgeline, with the vast Davis Canyon and Wagner Creek to the east, and the Spruce Creek watershed to the west. As Boon said, "Big views, no people." !

The only available water was at Three Peaks Camp, about three-quarters of a mile past the cairn. All other seasonal water sources are dry, so you must go all the way to camp for water. Three Peaks Camp was rather bleak and overgrown, probably not used for quite some time. The creekside camp was fairly overgrown with grass and weeds. A bit of raking or tramping down the grass would be necessary for a decent tent site. The second site about 60 yards away looked more inviting. The stream at Three Peaks Camp was flowing well. Count on stopping here if you're going to undertake this trail at this time of year; it's the only water between Dutra and either Lion Den, Estrella, or Lottie Potrero. An excellent trail! Conditions reported by: Boon
Survey date: 13-FEB-2005
General: PASSABLE
Specific:

This is a great trail that opens up a number of loop trip possibilities in conjunction with the Cruickshank and Salmon Creek trails. The upper end is a little difficult to locate if you aren't paying attention, as there is no sign. But westward hikers should take the gated road to the right at the fork from the South Coast Ridge Road at Three Peaks and follow it downhill about a quarter mile until it makes a sharp switchback to the right. When the road switchbacks right, YOU GO STRAIGHT on the old firebreak up the ridge. Once you make that transition it's easy to follow all the way to Dutra Flat.

There is a very minor amount of encroaching brush, but for the most part the trail is clear albeit a little steep in places. It follows a ridge for most of its length, with wonderful views in all directions when the weather cooperates. There is no water at all along the three mile length of the trail, although there is water at Dutra at the west end and at Three Peaks Camp near the east end (Three Peaks Camp is at the lower end of the gated spur road mentioned above, about half a mile past the trail junction).

A really nice and challenging dayhike can be enjoyed by parking at the Salmon Creek trailhead, following the Salmon Creek Trail to the ridge, walking south on the ridge road for three miles or so to where the Three Peaks camp road forks off, then picking up the Three Peaks Trail to Dutra Flat and the San Carpforo and Salmon Creek trails back to your point of beginning. Conditions reported by: EW
Survey date:7-MAR-2004
General: PASSABLE
Specific:

Section: South Coast Ridge Rd. to Dutra Camp

This "trail" leaves the 3 Peaks jeep road as a steeply climbing fire-break and continues plowing up and down peaks and intervening saddles (trekking poles HIGHLY recommended- your knees will thank you) until switch backing down to Dutra Flat, at which point the exact route gets somewhat ambiguous.

After trying in vain to follow the actual trail, I spotted the San Carpoforo trail and bee-lined it. Of the five of us hiking we arrived at Dutra Flat from 3 different directions. I always heard 3 Peaks Trail was difficult to locate from below and now I see why... Conditions reported by: Gary Auth
Survey date: 10-MAR-2004
General: PASSABLE
Specific:

Section: Dutra Camp to South Coast Ridge Rd.

Be sure to fill your water bottles at Dutra Camp because even in springtime the Three Peaks trail yields little shade or water and is a hot and demanding uphill trek.

The signed trail leaves Dutra Camp in a northeasterly direction and follows the remains of an old bulldozer cut that functioned as a firebreak/ jeep access road. A few deadfalls and some overgrowth make the first ten minutes challenging, but after that it is relatively easy to follow the switchbacks of the rocky road. As you approach the ridge top (visible from Dutra Flat) you will be heading northwest. Keep an eye out because it seems natural to continue hiking the ridge and you may miss the trail to Three Peaks which descends to the right (a faded pink ribbon tied to a low bush may still be there to guide you). From this ridge you can look east and see the three peaks in silhouette and, across the valley, a steep section of the trail as a brown scar on the green hillside. The tread along this section is mostly little flakes of decomposed sandstone and/or shale which makes for comfortable walking but the intrusion of large manzanita bushes and other chaparral plants may misdirect the dreaming hiker off the trail.

Eventually the trail intersects with a graded road. Head west and in approximately 3/4 of a mile you will come to Three Peaks camp, a neat little flat spot with both sun and shade, a table and stove, and a flowing creek with a small wading pool. Head east and in 1/4 of a mile you will reach the Coast Ridge road approximately 2.5 miles south of the Salmon Creek trailhead.

If you have not arranged a car shuttle, you have three options to return to Highway 1: head back the way you came, descend via Salmon Creek trail (the forest service sign has been blown off its post by shooters with more ammo than brains), or walk north another .3 mile and descend via the Cruickshank trail (also signed). Conditions reported by: Nathan Eldridge
Survey date: 30?-FEB-2004
General: PASSABLE
Specific:

Section: Dutra Camp to South Coast Ridge Road

I wanted to hike from Dutra Camp up to the South Ridge Road. The beginning of the trail was easy enough to spot, but soon the trail was lost between a mess of fallen trees and stray cow paths. I ended up trailblazing for an hour then turned back around to Dutra Camp. I went north until I found a dried up washout and had a difficult climb up to the top of the ridge. There is a slight trail at the top of the ridge that met up with the Three Peaks trail. I followed that back down to Dutra Camp.

Day Two - I knew where to start so I left Dutra Camp up the newly found Three Peaks Trail (there's almost no way to find it coming from the bottom). Once up the ridge, the trail is fairly clear. Before the junction with the South ridge road, the trail is covered with thorny bushes that go through your pants. Some clearing of this area needs to be done.

There should probably be a sign marking the junction of the Three Peaks Trail and the South Ridge Road. Awesome views once you get up to the top. Well worth the climb. Conditions reported by: Neil Havlik
Survey date: 25-JULY-2002
General: CLEAR
Specific:

I explored this trail, an old jeep road, for about a mile or so from Dutra Camp. The trail climbs the ridge immediately north of Dutra Camp, and has a few short sections where a little brushing would be nice in the next year or so, but nothing to make it really hard to get through. After the first quarter mile or so it becomes quite clear and passable all the way to the top of the ridge above Dutra Camp. The views are spectacular. I went to a point where I could see the Coast Ridge Road and it looks like the trail is in pretty open condition all the way there. The trail does not appear to get much use, but I was wondering if it is possible to make a decent connection to the Three Peaks Camp which shows up on some maps. If that is so a good loop together with the Salmon Creek Trail or the Cruickshank Trail might be a possibility. Conditions reported by: Steve Chambers
Survey date: 20-DECEMBER-00
General: CLEAR W/ BRUSHY SECTIONS
Specific:

This three mile long dozer cut fire line begins just southeast of Dutra Flat Camp. It climbs in switchbacks to the major ridge north of the camp. On the ridge the fireline follows other ridges and divides which separate Spruce Creek (north) from Devils-Davis Creek (south). The fireline makes many short and two long STEEP climbs along ridges as it moves towards its connection with the now closed Three Peaks Camp road. Upon reaching the closed camp road, climb another 1/4 mile to meet the South Coast Ridge 4WD Road.

Due to serpentine and rocky soils, the chaparral along this route grows slowly. Therefore, while brush only intrudes into the path in the northeastern sections, there are few shade trees to create any relief from the sun.

Unsurpassed views to the south and southeast.