Date Hiked: May 30, 2026
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
HIked this trail over a year ago and it was atrocious. Today is is insanely CLEAR! Cannot compare the 2. Thanks to the trail warrior who conquered this passage to a magical backcountry you can NOW get to...now that you can see where you are walking and no poison oak. What a feat! Last Chance Falls is an incredible destination. People please go while there is still some water flowing. You will not be disappointed...trail is good all the way with a little rope action before the falls. All completely manageable.
Santa Lucia Connector
-
Michael H
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: March 6, 2026
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
This trail is super easy to hike now and all the tread work is awesome. Though there are a bunch of rusting tools scattered along the way. What's going on? Lots of saws and stuff are getting rusted, there was even a muddy backpack and an American Flag that seem to have been there a while. I appreciate any trail work though I wonder if so many fully grown oaks and manzanitas to each side of the trail had to get cut down.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
This trail is super easy to hike now and all the tread work is awesome. Though there are a bunch of rusting tools scattered along the way. What's going on? Lots of saws and stuff are getting rusted, there was even a muddy backpack and an American Flag that seem to have been there a while. I appreciate any trail work though I wonder if so many fully grown oaks and manzanitas to each side of the trail had to get cut down.
-
dougmajor
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: March 22, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
After this week's rain, I got up earlier and made it to the falls; it was well worth the whole day's effort. I continued to loop and cut from my last incomplete attempt. I was able to clear the first blowdown now; it is just a hop over and cleared the area of burnt madrones. There is only now one brush-overgrown workaround on the connector. I also had a new blowover to fix from just last month, indicating this post-burn trail's fragile nature. Only one of the upper drippers has water. The trail is green, and some wildflowers are blooming. Excellent trail clearing has been done on this connector from about 200 feet from the Santa Lucia main trail intersection and the rest of the way up to Last Chance and beyond. The enormous gully tree downer is still there, but a workaround exists. Many areas of tread widening are helpful, as well as a rope to help you get across the "cliff". Getting to the falls is still a slog, but excellent tread work has been done up to Bluff Camp. It will be great when this trail is fully operational to the Indians, but now, both routes are available for a nice loop.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
After this week's rain, I got up earlier and made it to the falls; it was well worth the whole day's effort. I continued to loop and cut from my last incomplete attempt. I was able to clear the first blowdown now; it is just a hop over and cleared the area of burnt madrones. There is only now one brush-overgrown workaround on the connector. I also had a new blowover to fix from just last month, indicating this post-burn trail's fragile nature. Only one of the upper drippers has water. The trail is green, and some wildflowers are blooming. Excellent trail clearing has been done on this connector from about 200 feet from the Santa Lucia main trail intersection and the rest of the way up to Last Chance and beyond. The enormous gully tree downer is still there, but a workaround exists. Many areas of tread widening are helpful, as well as a rope to help you get across the "cliff". Getting to the falls is still a slog, but excellent tread work has been done up to Bluff Camp. It will be great when this trail is fully operational to the Indians, but now, both routes are available for a nice loop.
-
Michael H
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: February 25, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Starting from the Santa Lucia trial the connector has about 50 yards of extensive brush clearing but then becomes pretty overgrown for the rest of the trail all the way to Indians road. There was evidence of brushing and I did a good deal of my own brushing but more is needed. The trail is easy to follow though, even with the few blow downs.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Starting from the Santa Lucia trial the connector has about 50 yards of extensive brush clearing but then becomes pretty overgrown for the rest of the trail all the way to Indians road. There was evidence of brushing and I did a good deal of my own brushing but more is needed. The trail is easy to follow though, even with the few blow downs.
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: February 17, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Hiked to Last Chance Falls from Indians road. Sign and first part of trail was clear. Tread was visible the whole way but there were a couple trees blocking the path as well as general brush. Easy to workaround but not ideal. End of Santa Lucia trail looks awesome, lots of work done clearing the trail. Falls were exceptional as water flow around 520cfm.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Hiked to Last Chance Falls from Indians road. Sign and first part of trail was clear. Tread was visible the whole way but there were a couple trees blocking the path as well as general brush. Easy to workaround but not ideal. End of Santa Lucia trail looks awesome, lots of work done clearing the trail. Falls were exceptional as water flow around 520cfm.
-
Doug Major
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: February 15, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
After rain elevates the Arroyo Seco flow, going up the gorge and viewing the spectacle is always great—only 2 other groups there on a Saturday afternoon. Gorge parking is now free.
The new work on the road to the blown-out Horse Bridge/Marble Peak trail is holding. Just past the turn-off the fun begins with a single track around a deep slide. The rest of the new blow-downs are passable, but a new rock fall after the road returns to the gorge is problematic; I worked on making a rock trail and clearing some of the more trail-blocking rocks. It is like the rock fall in front of the mine further up the road.
The sign is in good shape at the connector trailhead, but you immediately head into the brush. I clipped down the trail till the first waterfall but had to stop because of a time constraint. I had bought some rope to help at the "cliff walk" after connecting with the Santa Lucia trail but did not make it that far. A more significant double blowdown covers the trail, but an upper pathway is available. Past trial work at the top has been more of a "tramp down" approach than a cut-back lopping. I made sure the PO was cut back at the ground. The tread is evident but primarily soft and at an angle. I did not make it to the more burnt section, but it looked like some work was done past that area, so it is passable. Will be back later this spring.
I missed seeing the Last Chance Falls with such a large flow, but I did some backtracking, past the old Adobe/Girl Scout Camp up to the Mutt and Jeff Falls. They were roaring, with a fantastic amount of flow with the rock grotto fully submerged.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
After rain elevates the Arroyo Seco flow, going up the gorge and viewing the spectacle is always great—only 2 other groups there on a Saturday afternoon. Gorge parking is now free.
The new work on the road to the blown-out Horse Bridge/Marble Peak trail is holding. Just past the turn-off the fun begins with a single track around a deep slide. The rest of the new blow-downs are passable, but a new rock fall after the road returns to the gorge is problematic; I worked on making a rock trail and clearing some of the more trail-blocking rocks. It is like the rock fall in front of the mine further up the road.
The sign is in good shape at the connector trailhead, but you immediately head into the brush. I clipped down the trail till the first waterfall but had to stop because of a time constraint. I had bought some rope to help at the "cliff walk" after connecting with the Santa Lucia trail but did not make it that far. A more significant double blowdown covers the trail, but an upper pathway is available. Past trial work at the top has been more of a "tramp down" approach than a cut-back lopping. I made sure the PO was cut back at the ground. The tread is evident but primarily soft and at an angle. I did not make it to the more burnt section, but it looked like some work was done past that area, so it is passable. Will be back later this spring.
I missed seeing the Last Chance Falls with such a large flow, but I did some backtracking, past the old Adobe/Girl Scout Camp up to the Mutt and Jeff Falls. They were roaring, with a fantastic amount of flow with the rock grotto fully submerged.
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: November 20, 2024
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
trail is as good a shape as I've seen it in the past 20 years !
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
trail is as good a shape as I've seen it in the past 20 years !
-
Big Sur Rec crew
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: October 18, 2024
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Working from the junction toward the road,we made passable the first third ,cutting back much brush. The rest of the trail is mostly deer weed. Def passable and two hikers came down the other day and proceeded down creek and I assume just jumped at Jeff’s🫡
Enjoy.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Working from the junction toward the road,we made passable the first third ,cutting back much brush. The rest of the trail is mostly deer weed. Def passable and two hikers came down the other day and proceeded down creek and I assume just jumped at Jeff’s🫡
Enjoy.
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: July 9, 2023
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The potential difficulties that Jan mentioned in his December 2022 report are here! The regrowth this season is immense, particularly the thigh high deer weed that has completely consumed the trail in spots. There are a couple new downed trees as well and the tread has been covered by soft soil and rocks in a few spots. That said, the trail alignment across the slope is at a consistent angle and therefore followable.
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The potential difficulties that Jan mentioned in his December 2022 report are here! The regrowth this season is immense, particularly the thigh high deer weed that has completely consumed the trail in spots. There are a couple new downed trees as well and the tread has been covered by soft soil and rocks in a few spots. That said, the trail alignment across the slope is at a consistent angle and therefore followable.
Re: Santa Lucia Connector
Date Hiked: December 8, 2022
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Easily followable, encountered one tree which required a short crawl to get past. New postfire growth in the the trailbed may lead to difficulties a year or two from now
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Easily followable, encountered one tree which required a short crawl to get past. New postfire growth in the the trailbed may lead to difficulties a year or two from now
