Thanks for the report! I really need to get up there this spring. Any wildflowers yet?

Date Hiked: March 7, 2026
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Trail Report – Santa Lucia Trail to Junipero Serra Peak (Snow Search)

Here is a trail report for the Santa Lucia Trail up to the shoulder and to the peak. I started early with a goal of reaching Junipero Serra Peak in search of snow. Seeing a Ventana Wilderness Alliance truck in the parking lot, I expected to run into some fellow trail maintenance friends along the way.

The trail climbs quickly through remarkable rock formations, past the new sign, and then hops up onto the smooth rock level. At the top of the smooth rock area, your route drops into a drainage with a well‑maintained singletrack. Recent rain has left some soggy areas that will definitely get your feet wet. After passing two active rivulets, I arrived at the old trail tractor that has been sitting there for years, along with another trail sign directing hikers away from the connector to the Indian Adobe property.

Crossing the main stream, you head up toward the peak, gaining significant elevation along the spine between two drainages, with rushing water always heard. The trail passes between mature live and burned oaks, from small meadows into rock gardens. Soon, you cross above two upper active drainages that converge just below, then proceed through a wet riparian area. The view soon opens for the first tree‑free climb up to the shoulder. Here, the tread is holding well, and with minimal lopper work at a few choke points, it is free and clear up to the intersection with the peak spur, now marked by a new metal sign that replaces the old post from years ago.

Proceeding up toward the peak, the first two switchbacks have worn tread and heavy push‑through encroachment. I was concerned it would be worse higher up, but after a short ridge section, the next switchbacks look much better maintained. There are over twenty‑five switchbacks in total. You weave back and forth between the Roosevelt Creek drainage (running to the Arroyo Seco River) and the Mountain Laurel Stream (running to the San Antonio River), with excellent views of the coastal range and the rock formations that make “the Indians” so special.

Eventually, you reach a ridge and head straight up into the first brush tunnel, which does not look in good shape. I removed snags and opened it up to make passage easier. Around another brushy switchback, still concerned about a larger brush tunnel above, I continued gaining elevation. Interestingly, the next section has been completely cleared as you wrap around the false summit and drop into the Santa Lucia Creek drainage. In this well‑maintained stretch, I encountered one large blowdown and was able to adjust it into a cleaner log hop.

Beyond this, you enter an intense burn area with massive dead trees still standing, and you can see the fire tower in the distance. Patches of snow begin to appear, growing in size and depth as you circle the peak through recovering forest. You return under the trees with snow on the ground and no brush issues, and the views are absolutely stunning. The ladder to the top of the forty‑foot fire tower is still intact and offers outstanding vistas and a quiet place to rest, even though it is not quite the true summit. You can see the Cone, the Double Cone, the gap, and the Ocean as well. On some days, they say, the snows of the Sierra.

On the way down, I met another solo clipper/camper MH coming up from the Arroyo Seco Campground side. He reported managing to cross the Roosevelt slide area with some effort. We descended together along the switchbacks toward the old use camp area, marked by a wire loop in the tree where the old signage once hung. Just above that were tents that were set up by a team from the Ventana Wilderness Alliance, who had made camp. It was great to talk with them and to see how much they had improved the trail in just a few hours since my first pass. Thank you, Tom, and your crew.

By the time I crossed back through the green‑grass drainage toward the rocks, the light had turned to golden hour. I returned to my car, thinking this was probably the last real snow day at Junipero Serra Peak for many years.

Date Hiked: December 27, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Post heavy rains: passable from Southern Santa Lucia Trail to Junipero Serra Peak. Fairly overgrown, but tread is evident. Some fallen trees, but only a couple were difficult to pass. Dense brush will snag on large packs, but should be fine with a smaller day pack. Mountain Laurel Water source running (post rain). No ticks or poison oak encountered on this winter hike, but they will likely be impossible to avoid during the warmer months. There are minor obstacles, but you can definitely hike this trail without much risk of getting lost or stopped. If you're up for a trek, go for it. If you want something open and leisurely, avoid this one.

Date Hiked: July 6, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Lots of encroaching brush that at points covers the whole trail, but the tread is always clear below the bushes. One spot of unavoidable poison oak where the trail crosses a flowing riparian area around 40ft long. After climbing out of the riparian zone from 2900'-3800' there are signs of recent maintenance on the trail.

There are a couple downfalls and lots of whitethorn obscuring the trail about half a mile from the summit, but it remains easily passable.

Date Hiked: November 16, 2024
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)

Hiked to the summit on a crisp, clear and beautiful fall day.

My last trip up was in February '22, the trail was much more clear then due to then-recent Dolan fire which burned much of this area. There was green flagging along the way to show the way in spots where it might have been slightly confusing.

Section: First 1.5 miles (from start of spur trail up to 5,400' saddle where spur trail crosses to pine forest on back of ridge): Passable to clear. This is mostly clear but there is some heavy brush encroachment in a few spots along the southeast-facing switchbacks and the 10' high manzanita has grown into the trail a bit on the upper sections.

Section: Next 0.5 miles to where trail switches back to climb back ridge to summit: trail and tread are clear of brush but there are several burned pines down across the trail along the north-facing slope , at 6' I was able to straddle across the bigger ones but it was harder for those shorter than me; there was recent snow but it was manageable.

Section: final 0.5 miles to false summit with lookout tower and beyond to actual summit: due to the snow the actual track was not
always discernable and the green flagging was harder to see and/or there was none, but the way is relatively clear and since I was in front of the group I put in bright orange flagging which was not necessarily on the exact route but which led first to the false summit then to the summit.

Date Hiked: December 10, 2023
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Some brush encroaching on the trail, especially in sections along north/west facing slopes. A couple minor deadfalls approaching the final climb to the summit. The tread is somewhat faint near the top but it’s easy to find your way.

Date Hiked: December 18, 2022
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

The summit spur had some brushy moments, but honestly was probably a tad bit clearer than lower down on the mountain. Then for the last mile or so, we had 6-8 inches of snow and were doing small postholes all the way up. Because of this, I do not know how brushy it would be if there was no snow, but it did not seem like it would be bad. A little hard to follow the trail in snow seeing as we were making the first tracks, but we managed. Summit fire lookout is missing a floor, register is on the other (higher) of the two peaks / bumps on the summit.

Date Hiked: February 19, 2022
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)

OMG I COULDN'T BELIEVE HOW WIDE OPEN THIS WAS (FOR THE MOST PART-SEE DETAIL BELOW).

Section: from saddle/Santa Lucia Trail to ~1/4 mile from high saddle where you cross to behind the ridge: Wilderness Freeway. VIRTUALLY EVERYTHING HERE BURNED, so this is incredibly easy to follow as you clime steadily up and up and up to the upper saddle. The tread remains in pretty good shape, a little harder on the downhill (but it always was) because of small rocks and loose dirt.

Section: continuation up to the high saddle and the first hundred yards or so beyond: this did not burn and is (as it has always been) mostly a somewhat narrow brush tunnel, you need to duck under branches from time to time and the flatter section across the saddle and around to the back is particularly heavy brush; but the tread is clear and the track is always wide enough to get through

Section: continuation from there to the summit: it looks like a moonscape on the back side of the ridge, pretty much everything is burned up there, a couple of trees are across the trail but can be stepped over or gotten around, as you make the final ascent up the northern ridge of the summit block towards the false summit/tower there are some trees (and some patches of snow had survived!) but there are lots and lots of burned trees just standing there ready to fall down, the tower is still there and can be climbed up for the great view.

Date Hiked: November 22, 2021
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)

The brush on the switchbacks between the Santa Lucia Trail intersection and the final ridgeline has all been torched and this section is very easy to follow - except for a short bit where the trail veers off the ridge into unburned territory. The trail is a bit narrow in places and the fire has exposed lots of loose rocks. On the way down, I went at a jog but had to be pretty careful so as to not slip on the loose rock.

Where the trail cuts behind Junipero Serra Peak, there is low encroaching brush but it is easily passable and the trail is very easy to follow. I'm not sure what plant it is, but it seems to me like in the coming years it might grow up and become bothersome.

Date Hiked: May 14, 2021
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***

Description:

Today a Volunteer VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger and VWA/USFS Trailcrew Leader were given access to survey the trail from Indians to Junipero Serra Summit. In general the trail is rated difficult and has been burned severely by the fire with only a few sections being unburned between the Summit Junction and Junipero Serra Peak. Portions of the summit area did survive the fire.

Trail conditions are as follows:

Santa Lucia Trail Summit Jct. to back side of Mountain Saddle. - Difficult - This section of trail burned heavily during the fire. The ridge line is barren, except for a short section of trail leading to the saddle. The trail can be followed but has lots of off camber tread, with many small rocks and boulders in the trail. Up top, vegetation is beginning to grow back in the middle of the trail. These tiny ceanothus seedlings have the potential to become large plants. Some of the burned vegetation is also sticking into the trail.
Back side of Mountain Saddle to Junipero Serra Summit - Difficult- The once welcoming forest on the back side of the mountain burned severely during the fire. The trail sign to Junipero Serra Camp is gone. Several downed trees along the back side were there before the Dolan Fire, and they burned, but not completely. You still have to step over them. And the trail still winds up and down where it had been when the trees and brush were all intact. The thick buck brush leading to the summit also burned. However, portions of the brush remain sticking into the trail. Once at the summit, the forest canopy mostly survived, providing shady spots for lunch and rest after the arduous climb to the summit.
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