Date Hiked: May 4, 2026
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)

I hiked the this and the Connector up from Pine Valley to the Pine Ridge Trail. Steep, mostly clear, with a reasonably wide trailbed. There's a hop-over log at a little of 3400', but it's easily managed. Not enough to downgrade this to "Passable". Beyond there there is nothing more than the occasional floppy branch or stem leaning in (or down from the top of a brush tunnel, of which there are many). All could be easily avoided or nudged aside.

Date Hiked: May 28, 2025
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)

I saw some reports on the Bear Basin connector trail that seem to be describing this trail. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the Bear Basin Trail goes from Pine Valley up, up, up, passing the start of the abandoned Bear Basin Connector, then joining the Pine Ridge trail a mile or so above Church Creek Divide. The Bear Basin Connector comes off the Bear Basin Trail, drops into Bear Basin the climbs back up to the Pine Ridge Trail near Pine Ridge. I made a Bear Basin Connector trail report from this same day.
Anyway, about this trail. Recently maintained, it's in fine shape. Very steep out of Pine Valley, with just a few few encroaching branches. After you gain the ridge, there are more places with a slanted tread. Enjoy it while it lasts, this lightly traveled trail need yearly maintenance.

Ed(jg): officially (USFS) the Bear Basin Trail connects Pine Valley to Bear Basin then to Pine Ridge Trail at Black Cone Trail junction, whereas the "Bear Basin Connector Trail" connects the (roughly) mid-point of the Bear Basin Trail to the Pine Ridge Trail (roughly) south of that junction. Since the western end of the Bear Basin Trail is "lost", hikers now get to Pine Valley via a combination of Bear Basin and Bear Basin Connector Trails - a bit awkward for trail reporting, but it is what it is.

Date Hiked: May 28, 2025
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)

This is the trail that used to go from the Bear Basin Trail [Pine Valley to Pine Ridge Trail] down to Bear Basin, then back up to the Pine Ridge Trail, near the ridge. I last did it about 15 years ago with map and compass. The trail itself had largely disappeared but it was a doable not too crazy cross country route. This time I had a downloaded map and GPS so thought I'd be in good shape. Wrong! I quickly got away from the old trail route trying to find a place to walk. I haven't done so much crawling since I was 2 years old. A few steps, then back to hands and knees trying to get through near impenetrable Ceanothus and young oaks. Once I had to slither on my belly. I finally heard Bear Creek below me, but after covering less than a mile in over 3 hours I decided to drag my bruised and bloody body back up the hill. Very glad to get my feet back on the Bear Basin trail.

Ed(jg): this report is for the "lost" western half of the Bear Basin Trail

Date Hiked: April 18, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

From Bear Basin Connector to Pine Valley. While I did not go South of the connector on Bear Basin Trail, I can say that that stretch looks like it would be rated lower, it's immediately much brushier than what I hiked.
Tread is easy to follow visually but there's a lot of brush - mainly ceanothus - encroaching on the trail from both the sides and above that you have to push through. All of that brush is in the pruner to lopper size class (at least the parts you need to get through), so it's not too difficult but it is more or less constant for more than half the trail length.

Date Hiked: January 18, 2025
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

We climed out of pine valley on this trail up to Pine Ridge Trail.

We saw Lynn and another VWA ranger coming down after doing some tree work and vegtation removal.

The trail is steep and sloped in spots. Plan for your Muscles to be fully engaged!

With a little more brushing this trail will be clear.

Video of the passable brush and tree work is Linked In this video[youtube]https://youtu.be/pn543JIsYHY[/youtube]

Date Hiked: May 15, 2024
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

Hiked the Bear Basin Connector to the Bear Basin Trail, and from there down to Pine Valley. VWA trail crew volunteers have worked a bit farther up from below, getting approximately halfway to the Connector. But in the process of clearing all the trees last April (2023) we also brushed quite a bit of the worst sections on the Connector. You still have to duck in a few places. But the main difficulty now is the steepness of the trail coming out of Pine Valley. Again, we hope to clear more of the brush at the top. But this trail would be suitable for a short cut to Pine Valley if you don't mind the steep grade.

Date Hiked: May 23, 2023
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

A VWA volunteer trail crew worked on the Bear Basin Trail and the Bear Basin Connector May 19-24th. We were supported by a USFS packer and a former MRD firefighter, who packed our gear to Divide Camp. This allowed us to clear about half of the Bear Basin Connector, and clear all the trees on the Bear Basin Connector and the Bear Basin Trail down to Pine Valley.

There is still plenty of overhanging brush. We hope to return for a couple more trips to work on these brushy sections. But it does help that all the fallen trees have been removed using crosscut saws.

We didn't even try to go down to Bear Basin. Maybe someday if we get all the other trails back in shape, we can find the trail down to Bear Basin and even up the other side, to Pine Ridge.

Note: if you are starting up the trail from Pine Valley, cross the Carmel River opposite the gate to Jack's cabin. Then cross the small open area (once a great campsite) that is littered with fallen pine trees. Go to the spring at the right side of the meadow, where a trail sign marks the start of the Bear Basin Trail. Look up the hill for a pink flag. Once you reach that flag, the trail will become apparent.

Date Hiked: May 17, 2023
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

From Pine Valley to Bear Basin connector, the trail is evident, with a little guesswork needed at the very beginning near the creek. There is a spring (!) at the very bottom of this trail to the right of the metal sign that points you uphill toward Pine Ridge. There's a lot of encroaching brush that will scrape you as you walk, and at times you'll be doing the crouch-walk to avoid twigs in face, but it's passable by an agile person on foot. Some medium downed trees. Will need maintenance soon to continue to be usable. Beyond the Bear Basin connector trail, Bear Basin trail is completely lost. Even with an intrepid heart and able body, I gave up the adventure after an hour of bushwhacking and crawling around on hands and knees, about 100 feet in 20 minutes.

Date Hiked: April 2, 2022
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)

From Pine Valley to Pine Ridge Connector is Clear and well-tread, except for a few locations. There is one fallen tree that requires climbing, and another that needs to be crawled underneath. A third locations can be duck-walked if your pack is not too heavy.

Date Hiked: May 30, 2021
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)

Deadfalls and tread are manageable, but overgrown brush has created a 3-4 foot "tunnel" of much of the trail. A few areas of head-height poison oak.