Date Hiked: May 23, 2026
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Tried to follow this trail from NCRT to Trail springs camp but gave up. The first maybe 0.25 miles there is some thread, then you can go cross country down the slope but I never ever intercepted any of the switchbacks showing on the GPS.
Gamboa Trail
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evan_p
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: April 4, 2026
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
From the ridge until Trail Springs the trail steadily deteriorates until it is entirely impassible and you're reduced to crawling over brush. From Trail Springs until Ojito the trail has deteriorated to Difficult since two years ago, with frequent blowdowns and poison oak substantially slowing progress.
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
From the ridge until Trail Springs the trail steadily deteriorates until it is entirely impassible and you're reduced to crawling over brush. From Trail Springs until Ojito the trail has deteriorated to Difficult since two years ago, with frequent blowdowns and poison oak substantially slowing progress.
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Doug Major
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: August 8, 2025
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Gamboa Trail Update
I made another attempt to move to the top of the trail and improve the trail rating this weekend. Unfortunately, I failed again
This was my inspiration from BigSurKate’s post:
https://bigsurkate.blog/2019/04/21/more ... boa-trail/
Time to keep this historic trail open. This is an essential link on the planned Condor Trail.
Coming from the top side from the end of Cone Peak Road, I solo worked again on the way up the North Coast Ridge Trail (3E10) to the leaning Gamboa Trail Head sign.
I spent 4-5 hours working on the top section. You first encounter extensive encroachment at the end of the burned redwood that has run parallel to the trail for years, a short loop to the left, and following some ribbons, you bypass and soon are back on the tread.
Keeping on the ridge top, you come to the first switchback that is open and easy to find. As you descend, you will notice a large rock that anchors the second switchback, so going around the rock, you continue to traverse the hill. Care has been made to clear a rough path to some trees that mark where you clear the following ridge line. As you proceed, you will find another larger tree with a ribbon.
Next, the tread enters a more massive brush/blowdown area, so it is easier to drop down to the next level of switchbacks instead of pressing ahead. That is unfortunate because I believe this ridge is the old “Mountain Trail” that connects Big Creek through the “Joita Camp” and on to King City. This “new trail” was reported to save a day of transport of livestock, including cattle, hogs, and turkeys (how did they do that?)
As you look for the tread again, look for some larger trees ahead as the contours round the terrain into the first larger drainage. This small group of trees provides a nice respite from the sun. You'll also notice some work as the trail navigates around a rock face. The faint trail is visible across the drainage, and the path loops gently down. As you enter this middle section, more ingrowth has caused this area to worsen since my last attempt, two months ago. Soon, I was in survival mode, mostly just bushwacking ahead, hoping for water. I found a REI camp stool, obviously ripped off a hiker, as I reported about my cellphone and another about lost tent poles. The Gamboa is a snake! (If you want the chair returned, please contact me)
After navigating this for two more drainage areas with heavy regrowth, you finally enter a more brush-clear area under larger trees with a few blowdowns. Entering the brush again (stay high), you will find the area I spent so much time fixing two months ago. Better, but it should be rated passable minus minus, GPS only. Water is still flowing at Trail Springs! I have always found water here, but sometimes it is located between the rock pools, rather than the dripping wall and gurgling sound I experienced last time. I planned on looping down and back up the trail, but bushwacking uphill seemed impossible, so the Gamboa won again. I spent the night at the Cone Peak Lookout with a REI chair bag for a pillow. The Ridge Route to Cone Peak is the only option for now, except for the adventurous...who bring some clippers!
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Gamboa Trail Update
I made another attempt to move to the top of the trail and improve the trail rating this weekend. Unfortunately, I failed again
This was my inspiration from BigSurKate’s post:
https://bigsurkate.blog/2019/04/21/more ... boa-trail/
Time to keep this historic trail open. This is an essential link on the planned Condor Trail.
Coming from the top side from the end of Cone Peak Road, I solo worked again on the way up the North Coast Ridge Trail (3E10) to the leaning Gamboa Trail Head sign.
I spent 4-5 hours working on the top section. You first encounter extensive encroachment at the end of the burned redwood that has run parallel to the trail for years, a short loop to the left, and following some ribbons, you bypass and soon are back on the tread.
Keeping on the ridge top, you come to the first switchback that is open and easy to find. As you descend, you will notice a large rock that anchors the second switchback, so going around the rock, you continue to traverse the hill. Care has been made to clear a rough path to some trees that mark where you clear the following ridge line. As you proceed, you will find another larger tree with a ribbon.
Next, the tread enters a more massive brush/blowdown area, so it is easier to drop down to the next level of switchbacks instead of pressing ahead. That is unfortunate because I believe this ridge is the old “Mountain Trail” that connects Big Creek through the “Joita Camp” and on to King City. This “new trail” was reported to save a day of transport of livestock, including cattle, hogs, and turkeys (how did they do that?)
As you look for the tread again, look for some larger trees ahead as the contours round the terrain into the first larger drainage. This small group of trees provides a nice respite from the sun. You'll also notice some work as the trail navigates around a rock face. The faint trail is visible across the drainage, and the path loops gently down. As you enter this middle section, more ingrowth has caused this area to worsen since my last attempt, two months ago. Soon, I was in survival mode, mostly just bushwacking ahead, hoping for water. I found a REI camp stool, obviously ripped off a hiker, as I reported about my cellphone and another about lost tent poles. The Gamboa is a snake! (If you want the chair returned, please contact me)
After navigating this for two more drainage areas with heavy regrowth, you finally enter a more brush-clear area under larger trees with a few blowdowns. Entering the brush again (stay high), you will find the area I spent so much time fixing two months ago. Better, but it should be rated passable minus minus, GPS only. Water is still flowing at Trail Springs! I have always found water here, but sometimes it is located between the rock pools, rather than the dripping wall and gurgling sound I experienced last time. I planned on looping down and back up the trail, but bushwacking uphill seemed impossible, so the Gamboa won again. I spent the night at the Cone Peak Lookout with a REI chair bag for a pillow. The Ridge Route to Cone Peak is the only option for now, except for the adventurous...who bring some clippers!
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dougmajor
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: May 16, 2025
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Here is a follow-up from last week's misadventure on the Gamboa and to report some solo trail work.
Since the last quarter mile of the trail was the worst, according to my estimation, I came down from the Cone Peak side to work on the trail from Trail Springs camp up the trail ( and to the location where I lost my Cell Phone).
The trail sign at the camp was located, fixed, and made visible, as was the entrance point of the Gamboa into the camp. Of note, if I didn't recall that point in the past, even the trail's entrance would be hard to find; it is now a spring-lined drippage. Some movable downed wood was also relocated to help make this junction more user-friendly.
I worked on this very brushed-out section for 2.5 hours. This included crawling into the brush on hands and knees, clipping around until I could stand up, and leaning into and tramping down the brush to expose and clip the roots. In areas of immovable blowdowns that covered the tread, care was taken to clear out a larger area to ensure I could refind the path. I tried every 15 feet to clear a larger area so a future traveler could connect the dots between the brush. There was only one naturally cleared area under a large tree (where I could see two large, parallel blow-downs where I discovered my phone was missing; these can be seen on Google Earth. The trial is much higher on the slope)
I finished my work at a point where the trail rounds the drainage and enters a relatively more straightforward/cleared section where the large trees have reduced brush growth. My problem was where to enter this brush maze after a clearing. Now, that entrance point is at least possible (an immediate brush with blowdown obscured this at the last pass), and it is now more likely to be found with GPS help.
Even with my rustic rating, I would call this part of the Gamboa impassable, but now, it's "possible" with a GPS, clippers, and going downhill. Water might be necessary for this route if you can't use Cook Spring, but the ridge route is still the best option for going to the summit from the north CRT. A lot more work is needed on this isolated trail tributary to Cone Peak and its continuation down to Ojito camp and beyond. Hiking back, the only human on the mountain, to my bike on Cone Peak road as the sun set on the Cone and Pacific was my reward.
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Here is a follow-up from last week's misadventure on the Gamboa and to report some solo trail work.
Since the last quarter mile of the trail was the worst, according to my estimation, I came down from the Cone Peak side to work on the trail from Trail Springs camp up the trail ( and to the location where I lost my Cell Phone).
The trail sign at the camp was located, fixed, and made visible, as was the entrance point of the Gamboa into the camp. Of note, if I didn't recall that point in the past, even the trail's entrance would be hard to find; it is now a spring-lined drippage. Some movable downed wood was also relocated to help make this junction more user-friendly.
I worked on this very brushed-out section for 2.5 hours. This included crawling into the brush on hands and knees, clipping around until I could stand up, and leaning into and tramping down the brush to expose and clip the roots. In areas of immovable blowdowns that covered the tread, care was taken to clear out a larger area to ensure I could refind the path. I tried every 15 feet to clear a larger area so a future traveler could connect the dots between the brush. There was only one naturally cleared area under a large tree (where I could see two large, parallel blow-downs where I discovered my phone was missing; these can be seen on Google Earth. The trial is much higher on the slope)
I finished my work at a point where the trail rounds the drainage and enters a relatively more straightforward/cleared section where the large trees have reduced brush growth. My problem was where to enter this brush maze after a clearing. Now, that entrance point is at least possible (an immediate brush with blowdown obscured this at the last pass), and it is now more likely to be found with GPS help.
Even with my rustic rating, I would call this part of the Gamboa impassable, but now, it's "possible" with a GPS, clippers, and going downhill. Water might be necessary for this route if you can't use Cook Spring, but the ridge route is still the best option for going to the summit from the north CRT. A lot more work is needed on this isolated trail tributary to Cone Peak and its continuation down to Ojito camp and beyond. Hiking back, the only human on the mountain, to my bike on Cone Peak road as the sun set on the Cone and Pacific was my reward.
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dougmajor
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: May 10, 2025
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
After the previous reports, I was motivated to improve the rating by at least a notch. After doing more work on the Cone Peak Road to NCT work, I met some campers coming up from Carrizo Springs to camp at Cone Peak. I gave them directions but pointed out there was no water and sun exposure on the ridge route; they were old like me and complaining about the trail. I wished them luck.
The Gamboa chew me up and spit me out!
I am able to report some improvement on the upper portion of the trail with some clipping down and some ribbons to help guide you, but at the third switchback, there was a huge bush clump, making it easier to drop down to the next trail level. You can see the trail across the drainage from there, but finding the tread and keeping the correct elevation is tough. After the third drainage with a giant burnout tree, just as it looked like things might clear out, that is where the real fun begins. As you try to round the point, all the tread is lost. This was a time I lost my GPS cell phone, so all possible trail locations were lost. I could see the trees surrounding Trail Springs Camp, but it wasn't easy to bushwhack the last 300 feet.
Great water flow at the spring but all the signage was gone, so I guessed the route to Cone Peak(Right, but without a GPS to confirm I took the sure route) Even on the trail up, I missed a switchback and so proceeded up to the Stone Ridge in the saddle right after Twin peaks and made it to the peak intersection. At this time, I heard some voices at the summit and a rescue helicopter circling the peak with its speaker. The couple I encountered had a health issue on the summit (suggesting heat exhaustion), and the emergency crew was sent for, but the helicopter could not land because of the wind. (I was worried my wife had made a call!) Racing down the main trail, I was surprised at the new growth since my last time up; the CCC group had done some great, road-wide trail work on the lower third, but the upper needs some work.
From the trainhead, I had to hike to my bike at the end of Cone Peak Road in the full moon, but it was now 9:30 pm. I met with the Big Sur emergency personnel, coming up from the road, they kindly let me call my wife on their satellite phone, and lent me a light to bike back to my car. Thanks to the first responders, they were on their way to assist the couple on the peak. I got home at midnight after leaving at 5:00 AM that morning.
This adventure ripped holes in my pants and pack; the Gamboa is still a killer! It's hard to imagine the homesteaders using this trail to the Carrizo herding cattle, pigs, and even turkeys; they were sturdy people!
I plan on working from the Cone Peak side up to where my phone was lost this Friday, and looking for the 'expensive tent poles' described previously. Are there any takers?
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
After the previous reports, I was motivated to improve the rating by at least a notch. After doing more work on the Cone Peak Road to NCT work, I met some campers coming up from Carrizo Springs to camp at Cone Peak. I gave them directions but pointed out there was no water and sun exposure on the ridge route; they were old like me and complaining about the trail. I wished them luck.
The Gamboa chew me up and spit me out!
I am able to report some improvement on the upper portion of the trail with some clipping down and some ribbons to help guide you, but at the third switchback, there was a huge bush clump, making it easier to drop down to the next trail level. You can see the trail across the drainage from there, but finding the tread and keeping the correct elevation is tough. After the third drainage with a giant burnout tree, just as it looked like things might clear out, that is where the real fun begins. As you try to round the point, all the tread is lost. This was a time I lost my GPS cell phone, so all possible trail locations were lost. I could see the trees surrounding Trail Springs Camp, but it wasn't easy to bushwhack the last 300 feet.
Great water flow at the spring but all the signage was gone, so I guessed the route to Cone Peak(Right, but without a GPS to confirm I took the sure route) Even on the trail up, I missed a switchback and so proceeded up to the Stone Ridge in the saddle right after Twin peaks and made it to the peak intersection. At this time, I heard some voices at the summit and a rescue helicopter circling the peak with its speaker. The couple I encountered had a health issue on the summit (suggesting heat exhaustion), and the emergency crew was sent for, but the helicopter could not land because of the wind. (I was worried my wife had made a call!) Racing down the main trail, I was surprised at the new growth since my last time up; the CCC group had done some great, road-wide trail work on the lower third, but the upper needs some work.
From the trainhead, I had to hike to my bike at the end of Cone Peak Road in the full moon, but it was now 9:30 pm. I met with the Big Sur emergency personnel, coming up from the road, they kindly let me call my wife on their satellite phone, and lent me a light to bike back to my car. Thanks to the first responders, they were on their way to assist the couple on the peak. I got home at midnight after leaving at 5:00 AM that morning.
This adventure ripped holes in my pants and pack; the Gamboa is still a killer! It's hard to imagine the homesteaders using this trail to the Carrizo herding cattle, pigs, and even turkeys; they were sturdy people!
I plan on working from the Cone Peak side up to where my phone was lost this Friday, and looking for the 'expensive tent poles' described previously. Are there any takers?
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hiker_girl
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: April 12, 2025
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
This trail is incredibly brushy, and the trail is mostly not visible from eye-height. There were so many fallen trees completely overgrown with new shrubs. The only way you can tell you are on trail is through GPS tracking, or if you feel that the soil is more packed down. Bushwhacked the whole way.
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
This trail is incredibly brushy, and the trail is mostly not visible from eye-height. There were so many fallen trees completely overgrown with new shrubs. The only way you can tell you are on trail is through GPS tracking, or if you feel that the soil is more packed down. Bushwhacked the whole way.
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evan_p
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: June 1, 2024
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The section from the ridge trail to Trail Springs Camp was impassable, it took us about 2 hours to traverse. Trail springs had nice flowing water and plenty of flies. The rest of the trail until the Stone Peak intersection was largely passable. There's a lot of brush and poison oak encroaching on the trail, but it's easy to push through, and it would be a straightforward job to trim it back with hedge clippers.
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The section from the ridge trail to Trail Springs Camp was impassable, it took us about 2 hours to traverse. Trail springs had nice flowing water and plenty of flies. The rest of the trail until the Stone Peak intersection was largely passable. There's a lot of brush and poison oak encroaching on the trail, but it's easy to push through, and it would be a straightforward job to trim it back with hedge clippers.
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: April 20, 2024
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The trail, where it exists, is in pretty rough shape. I hiked the trail with my dog as part of a trip from the Indians Road, over the Carrizo Trail, with a plan to get to Cone Peak.
This report is for the section of the trail from the Carrizo Trail to Trail Springs Camp.
The trail is a maze of blown downs, brush tunnels and heavy brush that must be pushed through. Since the trail is a traverse across a steep mountain side, going around obstacles can be hard and sketchy. I lost the trail several times and spent a lot of the hike following the line on my GPS. I was really glad that I had the track that I downloaded from the BigSurTrailMap.net site. It took us about 3 hours to hike the 1.5 mile section of the trail.
Trail Spring Camp was nice with plenty of flowing water.
I never made it to Cone Peak. I hiked about a quarter mile of the Cone Peak Trail and turned around since it looked like more of the same and I was beat.
I don't recommend hiking this section of the Gamboa trail. If you do hike this, allow yourself plenty of time and concentrate on good route finding.
At some point something along the way pulled a tent support pole out of my pack. I'd love to get it back since it is pretty specialized pole that is made to fit a trekking pole.
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
The trail, where it exists, is in pretty rough shape. I hiked the trail with my dog as part of a trip from the Indians Road, over the Carrizo Trail, with a plan to get to Cone Peak.
This report is for the section of the trail from the Carrizo Trail to Trail Springs Camp.
The trail is a maze of blown downs, brush tunnels and heavy brush that must be pushed through. Since the trail is a traverse across a steep mountain side, going around obstacles can be hard and sketchy. I lost the trail several times and spent a lot of the hike following the line on my GPS. I was really glad that I had the track that I downloaded from the BigSurTrailMap.net site. It took us about 3 hours to hike the 1.5 mile section of the trail.
Trail Spring Camp was nice with plenty of flowing water.
I never made it to Cone Peak. I hiked about a quarter mile of the Cone Peak Trail and turned around since it looked like more of the same and I was beat.
I don't recommend hiking this section of the Gamboa trail. If you do hike this, allow yourself plenty of time and concentrate on good route finding.
At some point something along the way pulled a tent support pole out of my pack. I'd love to get it back since it is pretty specialized pole that is made to fit a trekking pole.
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karsten
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: October 22, 2023
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
This report concerns the Gamboa Trail from the Carrizo Springs Trail to the Trail Spring Camp. The trail is almost completely missing in major sections coming down from the North Coast Ridge Road, such that it is easier to walk cross country, as the vegetation is pretty open here (though the terrain is steep). Later, the trail is heavily overgrown, with many fallen trees, making progress difficult. In the downhill direction, it is not too bad, but uphill I recommend taking the Cone Peak Trail and North Coast Ridge Trail when trying to get from Cone Peak to the Carrizo Trail.
There was plenty of water at Trail Spring Camp in October 2023 (before the rainy season started, though it was a wet year).
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
This report concerns the Gamboa Trail from the Carrizo Springs Trail to the Trail Spring Camp. The trail is almost completely missing in major sections coming down from the North Coast Ridge Road, such that it is easier to walk cross country, as the vegetation is pretty open here (though the terrain is steep). Later, the trail is heavily overgrown, with many fallen trees, making progress difficult. In the downhill direction, it is not too bad, but uphill I recommend taking the Cone Peak Trail and North Coast Ridge Trail when trying to get from Cone Peak to the Carrizo Trail.
There was plenty of water at Trail Spring Camp in October 2023 (before the rainy season started, though it was a wet year).
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evanswa0606
- Posts: 9
- Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2023 8:34 pm
Re: Gamboa Trail
Date Hiked: August 11, 2023
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
Did this trail on a day trip via carrizo to access cone peak country/devil's canyon. From NCRT to the first drainage crossing, the tread is in generally OK condition. Yerba santa in some parts reaches 4ft high and is on top of the trail. Best way to follow the trail without GPS(which is, in my opinion, necessary for this trail) is to follow the trampled segments of yerba santa and another shrub that is widespread throughout the burned areas both on gamboa and carrizo (I'm not quite sure of the name but it has a fragile yellow stem, grows to about 6 ft, and disperses 100s of seeds that stick to clothes when moved in the slightest). From the 1st drainage to trail springs, the yerba santa and the other plant generally grow taller, and combine with widespread deadfall to make it miserable. What I found particularly annoying was when the overgrown brush obscured deadfall that made me trip a couple of times. At this point, the tread is not really visible at all and I would consider a GPS or prior knowledge of the trail/area necessary. At trail springs water is in low flow, I'd expect a trickle by the start of September. From trail springs on, PO is everywhere, often reaching into/across the trail. While the tread to Ojito Saddle is always defined, PO is, in some places, unavoidable. In places, ceanothus conceals PO that encroaches across the trail at head height amidst deadfall, making it hard to combat all 3 annoyances at once. In other parts, however, the tread is well-defined and clear of any brush/deadfall at all. Approaching Ojito saddle, there is a mild brush tunnel, but nothing impassible by any means. Overall, while the trail does pass through a beautiful area of old-growth sugar pines and santa lucia firs, I found myself trying to fight the brush and avoid PO more often than I was able to appreciate the remarkable forest.
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
Did this trail on a day trip via carrizo to access cone peak country/devil's canyon. From NCRT to the first drainage crossing, the tread is in generally OK condition. Yerba santa in some parts reaches 4ft high and is on top of the trail. Best way to follow the trail without GPS(which is, in my opinion, necessary for this trail) is to follow the trampled segments of yerba santa and another shrub that is widespread throughout the burned areas both on gamboa and carrizo (I'm not quite sure of the name but it has a fragile yellow stem, grows to about 6 ft, and disperses 100s of seeds that stick to clothes when moved in the slightest). From the 1st drainage to trail springs, the yerba santa and the other plant generally grow taller, and combine with widespread deadfall to make it miserable. What I found particularly annoying was when the overgrown brush obscured deadfall that made me trip a couple of times. At this point, the tread is not really visible at all and I would consider a GPS or prior knowledge of the trail/area necessary. At trail springs water is in low flow, I'd expect a trickle by the start of September. From trail springs on, PO is everywhere, often reaching into/across the trail. While the tread to Ojito Saddle is always defined, PO is, in some places, unavoidable. In places, ceanothus conceals PO that encroaches across the trail at head height amidst deadfall, making it hard to combat all 3 annoyances at once. In other parts, however, the tread is well-defined and clear of any brush/deadfall at all. Approaching Ojito saddle, there is a mild brush tunnel, but nothing impassible by any means. Overall, while the trail does pass through a beautiful area of old-growth sugar pines and santa lucia firs, I found myself trying to fight the brush and avoid PO more often than I was able to appreciate the remarkable forest.
