[b]Date Hiked:[/b] May 28, 2023
[b]General Condition:[/b] Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

My two friends and our lil pup Acorn hiked the Arroyo Seco Trail (AST) West to East (top to bottom) to connect our 2.5 day backpacking trip from Carrizo Trail, to and back from Ojito Camp, then across NCRT to Arroyo Seco and back into Indians. The section of NCRT between Cook Springs Camp and the top of AST was lovely, open for the most part, with great views. We stopped at the top of AST to chat with the first people we'd seen all weekend, two women and their injured dog who was in one of their bags.

After chatting, we didn't have much trouble finding the entrance to AST under some Live Oaks, but we were immediately forced into highly dense chaparral bushwacking (Ceanothus and Chamise... tough, poky shrubs). Luckily, we had just encountered a lot of poison oak on our hike that morning and were equipped with Gortex shells, pants, hats, and glasses to help push through the dense chaparral. Needless to say, the trail quickly turned into squatting, crab walking, then crawling through chaparral tunnels so dense that even when crawling our packs were easily snagged and caught up. Tread was fairly evident the entire time, but we definitely needed to redirect multiple times with the help of my Garmin fully zoomed in. We instantly became worried for the women behind us as their dogpack made them about 7' tall, aka basically impossible to crawl through the chaparral without hurting the pup. They likely turned around and rerouted back down Rodeo Trail, the way they came.

The chaparral battle of crawling, pulling, smacking, poking, and falling took about an hour to get through 0.5 miles. I'd definitely rate this section as red (impassible to extremely difficult) for a majority of people due to chaparral overgrowth. Unless your willing to crawl with full chaparral gear for an hour, you can't get through this section. Luckily, the Dolan Fire scar opened up the chaparral into a burnt knobcone pine recovery zone - a much needed breath of fresh air. This section of trail until the 2nd to last major switchback was awesome; open, beautiful scenery, unique plant communities and fire recovery.

As we descended to upper Arroyo Seco Creek and Madrone Camp, the poison oak started to encroach again. From here to Forks Camp, I'd rate the trail as orange (Difficult but Passable). Near the bottom of the trail down to the stream, there's a narrow section of trail that's slumped downslope and has a 30' drop. Trail is about 1.5' wide, and we could navigate it easily and carefully. After that, multiple brush blowdowns and small landslides blocked the trail, forcing us to crawl under or around blowdowns through mandatory poison oak to the face or hands. We washed up at the stream, then tried to reconnect to the trail, but too much poison oak over waste height kept us in the stream channel until we were able to link up with the trail again.

The section between Madrone Camp and Forks Camp is completely dominated by poison oak, rarely up to chest height. There is no avoiding it and your clothes and pack will be completely covered in it, so be mindful of you hands and face if they aren't covered. Literal seas of the stuff that cannot be bypassed. False madrone camp was open and wide, but with no uncontaminated firewood or easy stream access without charging through poison oak, so we decided to continue on. Madrone camp was looking good, with a few clearings for tents which looked recently active. Again, no easy stream access that's not shrouded by poison oak. Forks camp was looking good, clear, and nice stream access. But some other backpackers from Memorial Park already had a nice setup. So we opted for a beachside camp further downstream. Everything downstream of Forks Camp was yellow (passable - clear) with some light brushing, but nothing like the upper reaches of the stream and headwaters.

To be completely honest, I wouldn't recommend anyone coming from Memorial Park to go past Forks Camp on the AST due to poison oak intensity. If you're coming down from NCRT, the clearer path is likely Rodeo Flat trail, unless your willing to crawl for an hour to push through chaparral. In the future, I'll be returning from the Cone Peak area to Indians the way we came, via Carrizo Trail. Just wanted to try out the AST to see if it was a preferable option...lol. Good luck out there and be sure to bring plenty of coverage, soap, and a washcloth, you'll need it! Classic Big Sur!!!

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] May 25, 2023
[b]General Condition:[/b] Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

Trail is fair from campground up the river about a half mile. After that it gets brushy with down trees and brush crossing trail and faint tread in places. The further up the worse it gets with more obstructions and a couple of slide outs. We got to the Forks camp Ok, had a good night and tried to get through to the North Coast Ridge Trail the next day. I got through a few years ago. We had a gps to stay on the trail but after False Madrone camp it got harder and harder to get through. Many deadfalls and much dead hard brush across trails. Lots of poison oak but abundant beautiful wildflowers. We got about a half a mile or more from Coast Ridge trail and after crawling on hands and knees and even on our bellies a couple of times, we gave up and saw no trace of the trail even though my buddy who is experienced with the use of his gps, determined that we were right where the trail was supposed to be. Had to turn back. The trail doesn’t look like it has had any maintenance for a long time, and with the abundant rains and the fires the undergrowth has made it very difficult to impossible the closer you get to the Coast Ridge Trail.

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] October 6, 2022
[b]General Condition:[/b] Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

Hiked down from NCRT to Memorial Park back in October 2022. My memory is a little fuzzy, as I was exhausted and not making notes as I went, but I realized today I should make a trail report since there isn't one quite as recent as my visit. Important to note: I have no idea how the trail is after the rainy season, so my information is partially correct, at best.

1) I want to echo Rob and emphasize that the trail junction at NCRT was somewhat hard to see. I seem to remember it being hidden in some shady oaks, at the SE edge of a little hill in the NCRT. If you keep an eye on the landforms, you should be able to identify the main AS drainage.

2) Also, be careful to stay on the trail in the upper section. From the top, it gets brushy real quick, and with all the fire damage, it is easy to get sidetracked. I got tricked by a deer path within the first few hundred yards, near the first hard right-angle turn, and got stuck in a brush labyrinth, wondering if that was the trail. Thank God for GPX.

3) The upper section of the Arroyo Seco Trail, above where the trail is adjacent to the creek is [u][b]BRUSH TUNNEL GALORE[/b][/u]. I was crouching or pushing branches for about 2 straight miles. The tread was great, it just needs serious pruning. This is almost certainly still the case, especially after all the water. Also, there were fresh mountain lion scrapes on the trail in the brush tunnel, so keep an eye out.

3.5) There is a sedimentary rock section where the trail approaches the northern ridge before switching back down toward the AS. The vegetation opens up to sparse chaparral and scattered pines (knobcone?), as well as Dolan Fire damage. The tread was really washed out in some spots, which is to be expected for sedimentary soil with open vegatation. Could use some TLC. Might be unavoidable for the water to follow the trail in that area.

4) The lower section of AST, from Madrone Camp to Forks Camp was ripe with encroaching brush, though not as much as the upper section, treefalls (mostly small), and poison oak vines. It was passable at best, not easy but also not impossible. Tread was pretty good for the most part. I remember one big treefall I had to walk around. Arroyo Seco was flowing decently even in a drought year. It was quite pleasant weather down in the forest of the ravine, with tons of plant diversity. In one small area, I think I counted close to a dozen tree species - cottonwood, incense cedar, santa lucia fir, a few pines, various oaks, alder, probably a few more. Arroyo Seco is truly special. Worth seeing and protecting.

5) Forks to Memorial Park had some weird hidden drops where the water had run through the grass. Be careful if you can't see the dirt. There was a bit of encroaching brush. I think there were a few washed out gulleys, but it was smooth sailing for the most part.

6) Tons of uneaten acorns on the trail (due to the extinction of the California grizzly bear and the loss of the Salinan villages).

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] January 17, 2022
[b]General Condition:[/b] Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Lower part of the trail between Santa Lucia Memorial Campground and the Lower Madrone Camp is currently CLEAR (one or two simple logs to step over, one or two places to duck). I did not need to get my feet wet, using sticks for balance to cross creeks. People have been breaking branches back to keep the trail clear, but spring will see lots of vigorous growth needing control.
Note to those using certain free GPS apps using Open Streets info: the upper part of this trail (past Rodeo Flats Tr) is not depicted. The junction at Rodeo Flats Tr has no sign, which is confusing for a first timer.

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] January 9, 2022
[b]General Condition:[/b] Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

I hiked this from the NCRT down to the trailhead near Memorial Park yesterday. There was a cairn at the top, and a new-looking sign on the left (facing downhill), but it was in the shade, and you have to head down a bit to see it.

The trail was in fairly decent shape overall, with brushy sections (crouch and push-through) in the upper section, though none of the brushy parts were particularly long, just enough to make you want to wear long sleeves and pants. I was surprised to see patches of snow down to almost 3700'. I spent some time with my pruning saw working on some of the overhanging branches and brush skeletons that were problems for me. Also a few downed trees still, so definitely room for improvement.

The middle section had great views of the sandstone formations and the drainage. I noted an old telegraph wire was hanging down over the trail at about waist level. It probably used to be routed over trees which have since burned. I propped the wire up with an old snag for now, but I think at some point someone may want to make a more permanent improvement of some kind.

There was a brushy section just before dropping into the lower canyon section. I spent some more time sawing on overhanging branches heading down to Madrone camp, but again there is more work to do. The river was flowing strongly at Madrone.

Between Madrone and False Madrone there were three large trees down, one of which was a big enough mess to warrant a sizable detour. Par for the course in this section during the winter, I guess. I crossed the river to False Madrone camp without taking off my boots, but barely.

Shortly after False Madrone the trail became a bit indistinct, probably due to the soft sandy soil, winter rains, and lack of traffic, but it wasn't hard to pick up again. The descent to the crossing at Forks was easy enough. I used water shoes for that crossing -- chilly water, about mid-calf to knee, and deeper pools in a lot of places. Nice to see all that water after so much dry weather.

Things were pretty easy after that. I could see a few bootprints, and some fresh clippings, so someone had been working on the trail. There were a few downed trees, and places to duck under branches but nothing serious. I took the boulder scramble bypass (or whatever it's called) to avoid the final river crossing. The short bit back to the trailhead was clear.

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] October 30, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Hiked into Forks Camp for a two night visit over Halloween weekend with a day hike to Mining Ridge via Rodeo Flat, NCRT, then down the upper Arroyo Seco Trail on the second day. This report is for the upper and lower sections of Arroyo Seco Trail.

The trail overall is passable. The tread is easy to follow in most places. The entrance to Forks Camp is a little obscured by brush but the short rock cairn near a side creek is a giveaway. It helps a bunch to have a GPS device. Arroyo Seco Creek is running good with plenty of water and it is also easy to rock hop at both crossings near the TH and west of Forks Camp.

The area was affected by the 2020 Dolan Fire and the smell of burnt trees still lingers; expect to fashion a little soot if you do any significant hiking. The upper Arroyo Seco Trail has sections of interlocking brush as well as open spaces moonscaped by last year's fire. It's worth mentioning here that wearing long sleeves and long pants will save you a good amount of grief. Also recommend a wide brimmed hat to shield your face.

Note that the trail junction with NCRT can be missed due to brush and not noticing the largish cairn at the beginning of the trail- you have to look into the trail to see the cairn. Did not notice a trail sign that was reported to be intact in the previous report. I was glad to have my Garmin map to double check my approach so I didn't miss :-)

Madrone Camp is still pleasant and mostly intact. There's a large tree on its side near the edge of camp but is not obscuring the trail or places to pitch a tent. Water is running plenty good here. East of Madrone Camp the trail is very easy to follow. As you near False Madrone Camp there is a very large branch jammy section that requires a walk around.

Final note, on my hike out, about half mile to the creek crossing, I must have encountered a bee nest or wasp nest and got stung four times. It or "they" got me in each ankle, above my right knee, and a minute later as I hustled down the trail, my left elbow. It may have been a nest in the ground considering where I got stung. I've been on this trail many, many times and have never had this particular encounter.

Maria

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[b]Date Hiked:[/b] March 19, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

[b]*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***[/b]

[b]Description:[/b]
The Monterey Ranger District Forest has not reopened the Dolan Fire area, however VWA/USFS Volunteer Rangers have been allowed access to survey burned areas. Over the past several weeks, volunteer Rangers and Trailcrew members patrolled and worked on the Arroyo Seco Trail from the trailhead to NCRT. They cleared 36 trees, removed two large boulders, worked on 410 yards of tread and brushed many sections of the trail all the way to Madrone Camp.
[b]
Trail conditions are as follows:[/b]

[b][color=#FF0000]The Arroyo Seco Trail remains closed to the general public at this time. Only authorized personnel with the approval of the USFS are allowed to access this trail corridor.[/color][/b]

[b]Arroyo Seco Trailhead to Rodeo Flat Trail jct. -[/b] Passable. The trail has been severely burned. The crossing at Arroyo Seco River can be rock hopped at this time with care.
[b]Rodeo Flat Trail jct. to Madrone Camp -[/b] Passable. Most of the trees have been removed. There are still 3 downed tress on the last 1/2 mile to Madrone Camp. Lots of burned brush. No report on Madrone Camp or Forks Camp at this time.
[b]Madrone Camp to NCRT -[/b] Difficult. Lots of burned brush, downed trees and snags to navigate to the NCRT. The sign at NCRT has been damaged but is intact.
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[size=85] [b]DISCLAIMER:[/b] This report is for informational purposes only. Trail conditions may change at any time. The Ventana Wilderness Alliance assumes no liability for the use of this information.[/size] 

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] March 7, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

[b]*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***[/b]

[b][color=#FF0000]The Arroyo Seco Trail remains closed to the general public at this time. Only authorized personnel with the approval of the USFS are allowed to access this trail corridor.[/color]
[/b]
[b]Description:[/b]

VWA/USFS Volunteer Rangers continue to work on trails burned in the Dolan Fire. Today volunteer Rangers worked on the first 1.4 miles of trail. They removed 10 trees and repaired a sketchy section of trail reported on an earlier report.
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[size=85] [b]DISCLAIMER:[/b] This report is for informational purposes only. Trail conditions may change at any time. The Ventana Wilderness Alliance assumes no liability for the use of this information.
The Los Padres National Forest Website can be found here: [url]https://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf/[/url]
To learn more about the Volunteer VWA/USFS Ranger and Trail Crew Programs visit [url]https://www.ventanawild.org/stewardship[/url].
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[b]Date Hiked:[/b] March 7, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

If hiking Arroyo Seco Trail, would recommend, sturdy pants, heavy long sleeve shirt, full brim hat and [u]a good pair of gloves[/u] to comfortably traverse. Would also recommend carrying a pair of heavy pruning loppers to cut back fire kill. We found a pruning saw left on Saturday (along with its sheath).

[b]Date Hiked:[/b] March 5, 2021
[b]General Condition:[/b] Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

[b]*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***[/b]

[b]Forest/Trail Status:[/b] [color=#FF0000]PARTIALLY OPEN, Los Padres Monterey Ranger District is partially open per Forest Order 05-07-51-21-02[/color]
[b]Current Fire Restrictions:[/b] [color=#FF0000]Campfires and Stoves are permitted in the backcountry with a valid Campfire/Stove Permit.[/color]

[b]Description:[/b]

The Monterey Ranger District Forest has partially reopened, VWA/USFS Volunteer Rangers continue to prepare opening other parts of the closed forest and are continuing their regular patrols. Today volunteer Rangers continued their scouting of the Arroyo Seco Trail. This time they made it to North Coast Ridge Trail. There are many downed trees (40+), recalcitrant burned brush, rocky debris, covered tread and other obstacles. There are no major washouts or undercuts. The sign at Trailhead and Rodeo Flats Jct. was burned in the fire.
[b]
Trail conditions are as follows:[/b]

[b][color=#FF0000]The Arroyo Seco Trail remains closed to the general public at this time. Only authorized personnel with the approval of the USFS are allowed to access this trail corridor.[/color]
[/b]
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[size=85] [b]DISCLAIMER:[/b] This report is for informational purposes only. Trail conditions may change at any time. The Ventana Wilderness Alliance assumes no liability for the use of this information.
The Los Padres National Forest Website can be found here: [url]https://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf/[/url]
To learn more about the Volunteer VWA/USFS Ranger and Trail Crew Programs visit [url]https://www.ventanawild.org/stewardship[/url].
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