by Doug Major » Sun Jul 05, 2026 6:07 am
Date Hiked: July 3, 2026
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Trail Report – Upper Salmon Creek Trail (Estrella Camp to Coastal Ridge Road)
This report covers the less‑maintained upper portions of the Salmon Creek Trail, from the upper falls and Estrella Camp up to the Coastal Ridge Road.
Over two days, I focused on brushing the less‑traveled upper section of this remarkable canyon. With the ridge road recently regraded, access to the top of the trail and on toward Lion’s Den and beyond is currently accessible. The wilderness is clearly reclaiming the corridor, but recent work has once again made the upper trail a defined path rather than a full push‑through. Particular care was given to poison oak infestations and regrowth at pinch points along the tread.
The upper and lower sets of switchbacks are in very good shape. However, hikers should use caution in a few narrow sections where the tread runs close to severe drop‑offs. There is only one significant blowdown, with both over- and under-options currently workable. Water is flowing well at Estrella Camp, at the upper falls, and at one dripping drainage above the camp. The "root steps" are very steep down to the falls, but possible with one climb over. On this July 4th weekend, there were over twenty cars parked along Highway 1 at Salmon Creek Falls, and about fourteen campers at Estrella, plus a few day hikers on the trail.
I was also interested in locating the old Calizona Mine site and the hydraulic nozzle reported to be upriver from the falls (mentioned in the “Trail Guide to Los Padres”). After a bit of upstream exploration, I had to turn back without success. It seems more promising to approach via the Estrella drainage and look downstream. Just upstream from camp was the location of the old mining community, with four structures reportedly up a northern drainage; faint paths appear to climb toward a flatter area. I did locate one foundation of a miner’s cabin just off the trail, near where it drops down to the main riverside camping area.
An additional note relates to a recent lost‑hiker incident mentioned on BigSurKate’s site with an entry June 27, 2026, at 11:26 am:" I encountered a hiker coming down Willow Creek who had started at Salmon Creek intending to follow a loop described in a guidebook. The upper trail was so overgrown that he lost the route near dusk; I was able to get him back to his car at Salmon Creek, and he then faced a three‑hour drive home to Santa Barbara."
Currently, the upper signs at the top of Salmon Creek Trail and at the Lion’s Den/Silver Peak junction are missing. Without these signs, hikers attempting the loop can have trouble choosing the correct entry point. It is hard to miss the trail going up Salmon Creek itself, but very easy to miss the upper entry point or Lion’s Den turn‑off without clear signage. In that situation, it is likely a person would simply follow Coastal Ridge Road to the Los Burros Road intersection and then drop down toward Highway 1 via the Willow Creek drainage. If he indeed descended Willow Creek via Kinder Mine Road (the proposed Condor Trail route), then finding his way past the miner’s cabin and down that route would have been quite an adventure. He had one night in Silver Peak sleeping in the rough.
All of this underscores the need to replace the missing upper-trail signs at Salmon Creek and Lions Den/Silver Peak to better support safe navigation and preserve loop options and safe passage.
[b]Date Hiked:[/b] July 3, 2026
[b]General Condition:[/b] Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Trail Report – Upper Salmon Creek Trail (Estrella Camp to Coastal Ridge Road)
This report covers the less‑maintained upper portions of the Salmon Creek Trail, from the upper falls and Estrella Camp up to the Coastal Ridge Road.
Over two days, I focused on brushing the less‑traveled upper section of this remarkable canyon. With the ridge road recently regraded, access to the top of the trail and on toward Lion’s Den and beyond is currently accessible. The wilderness is clearly reclaiming the corridor, but recent work has once again made the upper trail a defined path rather than a full push‑through. Particular care was given to poison oak infestations and regrowth at pinch points along the tread.
The upper and lower sets of switchbacks are in very good shape. However, hikers should use caution in a few narrow sections where the tread runs close to severe drop‑offs. There is only one significant blowdown, with both over- and under-options currently workable. Water is flowing well at Estrella Camp, at the upper falls, and at one dripping drainage above the camp. The "root steps" are very steep down to the falls, but possible with one climb over. On this July 4th weekend, there were over twenty cars parked along Highway 1 at Salmon Creek Falls, and about fourteen campers at Estrella, plus a few day hikers on the trail.
I was also interested in locating the old Calizona Mine site and the hydraulic nozzle reported to be upriver from the falls (mentioned in the “Trail Guide to Los Padres”). After a bit of upstream exploration, I had to turn back without success. It seems more promising to approach via the Estrella drainage and look downstream. Just upstream from camp was the location of the old mining community, with four structures reportedly up a northern drainage; faint paths appear to climb toward a flatter area. I did locate one foundation of a miner’s cabin just off the trail, near where it drops down to the main riverside camping area.
An additional note relates to a recent lost‑hiker incident mentioned on BigSurKate’s site with an entry June 27, 2026, at 11:26 am:" I encountered a hiker coming down Willow Creek who had started at Salmon Creek intending to follow a loop described in a guidebook. The upper trail was so overgrown that he lost the route near dusk; I was able to get him back to his car at Salmon Creek, and he then faced a three‑hour drive home to Santa Barbara."
Currently, the upper signs at the top of Salmon Creek Trail and at the Lion’s Den/Silver Peak junction are missing. Without these signs, hikers attempting the loop can have trouble choosing the correct entry point. It is hard to miss the trail going up Salmon Creek itself, but very easy to miss the upper entry point or Lion’s Den turn‑off without clear signage. In that situation, it is likely a person would simply follow Coastal Ridge Road to the Los Burros Road intersection and then drop down toward Highway 1 via the Willow Creek drainage. If he indeed descended Willow Creek via Kinder Mine Road (the proposed Condor Trail route), then finding his way past the miner’s cabin and down that route would have been quite an adventure. He had one night in Silver Peak sleeping in the rough.
All of this underscores the need to replace the missing upper-trail signs at Salmon Creek and Lions Den/Silver Peak to better support safe navigation and preserve loop options and safe passage.
