Date Hiked: June 28, 2026
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
I hiked a ~2-mile section of the Horse Pasture Trail starting from the Marble Peak Trail. I made it up that far, passing through several significant sections of trail obstructed by poison oak, before turning around at a section of trail covered in poison oak. However, the trail was otherwise perfect, and I hope to hike it again in the future.
Horse Pasture Trail
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evan_p
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: February 26, 2026
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
The section from Marble Peak trail until the saddle is starting to get encroached upon by poison oak and brush. Only one small tree in the way, so nothing a pair of loppers and hand saw won't fix. From the saddle until Tassajara Road it's all clear.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
The section from Marble Peak trail until the saddle is starting to get encroached upon by poison oak and brush. Only one small tree in the way, so nothing a pair of loppers and hand saw won't fix. From the saddle until Tassajara Road it's all clear.
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: April 11, 2025
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Scouted the Tony Trail as part of the 10-mile loop hike from Tassajara: Tony, to Marble Peak Trail, to the Horsepasture Trail, to the Cutoff Trail, and back on the Narrows Trail.
VWA volunteers worked on the trail following this scouting trip, and this report includes the work done over the past 2 weeks.
Section: Marble Peak Trail to the Tassajara Cutoff Trail: CLEAR
Section: Tassajara Cutoff Trail to the Trailhead on Tassajara Road: WILDERNESS FREEWAY
The crossing of Tassajara Creek, right after you turn off from the Marble Peak Trail, was amazingly easy for this time of year. I was able to rock hop a short distance down from the actual trail crossing.
The work our volunteers did last fall is holding up well. There are still a few sections that didn't get brushed. But the biggest obstacle is poison oak, everywhere.
From the Cutoff Trail back to Tassajara Road we cleared lots of brush. Not all of it, but you can hike this section without spending too much time looking at the ground. Giving you more opportunity to enjoy the amazing views.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Scouted the Tony Trail as part of the 10-mile loop hike from Tassajara: Tony, to Marble Peak Trail, to the Horsepasture Trail, to the Cutoff Trail, and back on the Narrows Trail.
VWA volunteers worked on the trail following this scouting trip, and this report includes the work done over the past 2 weeks.
Section: Marble Peak Trail to the Tassajara Cutoff Trail: CLEAR
Section: Tassajara Cutoff Trail to the Trailhead on Tassajara Road: WILDERNESS FREEWAY
The crossing of Tassajara Creek, right after you turn off from the Marble Peak Trail, was amazingly easy for this time of year. I was able to rock hop a short distance down from the actual trail crossing.
The work our volunteers did last fall is holding up well. There are still a few sections that didn't get brushed. But the biggest obstacle is poison oak, everywhere.
From the Cutoff Trail back to Tassajara Road we cleared lots of brush. Not all of it, but you can hike this section without spending too much time looking at the ground. Giving you more opportunity to enjoy the amazing views.
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: October 27, 2024
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
VWA volunteers worked from the Marble Peak Trail junction 1.5 miles up. We also worked from the cutoff down in September. A couple of brushy sections remain, but all the fallen trees have been cleared, and some large sections of brush have been cut way back or grubbed out.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
VWA volunteers worked from the Marble Peak Trail junction 1.5 miles up. We also worked from the cutoff down in September. A couple of brushy sections remain, but all the fallen trees have been cleared, and some large sections of brush have been cut way back or grubbed out.
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: August 2, 2024
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Hiked the Horsepasture Loop from Tassajara: walked up Tassajara Road to the Horsepasture Trail, took the HP Trail to the Cutoff, then down the Cutoff to Tassajara Creek, and then walked up the Creek to return to Tassajara.
There was lots of slough in the trail, but very little encroaching brush. One tree had fallen, on the switchbacks heading down into the Horsepasture, but it was easy to get around and could be cleared with a hand saw.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Hiked the Horsepasture Loop from Tassajara: walked up Tassajara Road to the Horsepasture Trail, took the HP Trail to the Cutoff, then down the Cutoff to Tassajara Creek, and then walked up the Creek to return to Tassajara.
There was lots of slough in the trail, but very little encroaching brush. One tree had fallen, on the switchbacks heading down into the Horsepasture, but it was easy to get around and could be cleared with a hand saw.
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borisaronshtam
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2024 9:27 am
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: July 20, 2024
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
I am glad that VWA reads the reports
Thanks for all the corrections!
This mainly relates to the section of the trail from the cutoff to Tassajara Creek (Adobe camp). My last report marked it as difficult. The good news is that this time our small team was able to clean the trail using small garden tools. We were able to cut through the large fallen tree that was totally obscuring the trail. My suggestion is for every hiker in Big Sur to do the same. That way the trails remain walkable.
The trail now in the best condition I ever saw it in the last 30 years. Can be marked as Yellow.
A few other corrections to the trail conditions around that area:
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
I am glad that VWA reads the reports
Thanks for all the corrections!This mainly relates to the section of the trail from the cutoff to Tassajara Creek (Adobe camp). My last report marked it as difficult. The good news is that this time our small team was able to clean the trail using small garden tools. We were able to cut through the large fallen tree that was totally obscuring the trail. My suggestion is for every hiker in Big Sur to do the same. That way the trails remain walkable.
The trail now in the best condition I ever saw it in the last 30 years. Can be marked as Yellow.
A few other corrections to the trail conditions around that area:
- The cutoff trail from Tassajara Zen Center to the top needs to be marked as Yellow: Passable-Clear
- Marble Peak trail section from Adobe Camp to Tassajara Creek Camp can be marked as Yellow: Passable-Clear
- Tony Trail from the top of the ridge to Marble Peak trail needs to be marked as Brown: Difficult-Passable
- Marble Peak Trail from Tony Trail to Tassajara Creek Camp needs to be marked as Red: Impassable-Difficult. But a good team of 3 people can easily clean it up and mark it, as they hike through it.
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borisaronshtam
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Mon Jun 03, 2024 9:27 am
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: June 10, 2024
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
Hiked from Tassajara Zen Center to Horse Pasture camp on Tassajara creek in order to get to Arroyo Seco Horse Bridge.
Make sure you are recording your trail, so you can trace your path back.
Note that the Gaia GPS map, though pretty accurate, is not precise.
I am planning to be back there in couple of weeks. This time I will bring machete and marking tape.
From the crossing of Tassajara Creek to Arroyo Seco, at the fallen Horse Bridge, the trail is nearly perfect.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GfpzZRb8JvyPUszb6
[JG: here the Gaia-incorrect name "Horse Pasture Camp" refers to (False) Adobe Usecamp, not the USFS Horse Pasture Camp (which is in Horse Pasture !)]
[Betsy: Additionally it is not advised to use a machete in the kinds of woody brush found in the Ventana. Great way to slice up your arms and legs. Use loppers and a hand saw! Then maybe you won't need to add a bunch of flagging. Also, you can just head over to bigsurtrailmap.net and download a map file for your Gaia app. That way you will have a precise map on your phone.]
General Condition: Difficult (brushy and/or many deadfalls, faint tread)
Hiked from Tassajara Zen Center to Horse Pasture camp on Tassajara creek in order to get to Arroyo Seco Horse Bridge.
Make sure you are recording your trail, so you can trace your path back.
Note that the Gaia GPS map, though pretty accurate, is not precise.
I am planning to be back there in couple of weeks. This time I will bring machete and marking tape.
From the crossing of Tassajara Creek to Arroyo Seco, at the fallen Horse Bridge, the trail is nearly perfect.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/GfpzZRb8JvyPUszb6
[JG: here the Gaia-incorrect name "Horse Pasture Camp" refers to (False) Adobe Usecamp, not the USFS Horse Pasture Camp (which is in Horse Pasture !)]
[Betsy: Additionally it is not advised to use a machete in the kinds of woody brush found in the Ventana. Great way to slice up your arms and legs. Use loppers and a hand saw! Then maybe you won't need to add a bunch of flagging. Also, you can just head over to bigsurtrailmap.net and download a map file for your Gaia app. That way you will have a precise map on your phone.]
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scottmiller
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Fri May 20, 2022 5:59 pm
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: May 18, 2022
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Horse Pasture Trail from Horse Bridge to Horse Pasture Camp (sort of). We had planned to hike the Horse Pasture Trail from north to south, at the end of a five-day loop going west on the Marble Peak Trail, then north to Divide Camp, and then east and south. We were going to stay at Horse Pasture Camp, and if there was no water we would just keep going to Horse Bridge. However, the Marble Peak Trail turned out to be impassible, or at any rate we just totally lost the trail, so we decided to go back and do part of the loop backwards. That meant hiking up Horse Pasture Trail, and because the water seemed iffy, we filled every water bottle we had in case we had to dry camp. Dang, that was a heavy pack.
The trail itself is very steep, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were a lot of shady parts. There was a lot of low growth, we were wading waist-high through poison oak, some tall brush, a few downed trees, and an occasional place where the grass had taken over completely. The good news is that the tread is 95% visible, so even though it feels like a deer trail now and then, we never doubted we were off the trail. The cliff-side parts are slumping a bit, but even though I am scared of heights, it was OK. You want to keep your wits about you, though.
The spring before Horse Pasture Camp was a tiny trickle. I guess if we were incredibly patient and had a few hours to burn we could have filled up our bottles. That was the only water, except for a small pool farther down the trail. So, not completely dry, but not all that great.
As for the camp, we never found it, so we camped in the meadow. There are enough level spots here and there. The view was great, the stars were great. The next day, being spooked about the unknown water status, and having only a liter each left after the hike up and making dinner and breakfast, we turned around. Going down the steep parts was difficult.
The camp on Tassajara Creek was terrific, and we had a nice swim at Horse Bridge, and the next day a massive breakfast at the Wild Horse Cafe in King City, so, even though it was a truncated trip, it was a good trip.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Horse Pasture Trail from Horse Bridge to Horse Pasture Camp (sort of). We had planned to hike the Horse Pasture Trail from north to south, at the end of a five-day loop going west on the Marble Peak Trail, then north to Divide Camp, and then east and south. We were going to stay at Horse Pasture Camp, and if there was no water we would just keep going to Horse Bridge. However, the Marble Peak Trail turned out to be impassible, or at any rate we just totally lost the trail, so we decided to go back and do part of the loop backwards. That meant hiking up Horse Pasture Trail, and because the water seemed iffy, we filled every water bottle we had in case we had to dry camp. Dang, that was a heavy pack.
The trail itself is very steep, but I was pleasantly surprised that there were a lot of shady parts. There was a lot of low growth, we were wading waist-high through poison oak, some tall brush, a few downed trees, and an occasional place where the grass had taken over completely. The good news is that the tread is 95% visible, so even though it feels like a deer trail now and then, we never doubted we were off the trail. The cliff-side parts are slumping a bit, but even though I am scared of heights, it was OK. You want to keep your wits about you, though.
The spring before Horse Pasture Camp was a tiny trickle. I guess if we were incredibly patient and had a few hours to burn we could have filled up our bottles. That was the only water, except for a small pool farther down the trail. So, not completely dry, but not all that great.
As for the camp, we never found it, so we camped in the meadow. There are enough level spots here and there. The view was great, the stars were great. The next day, being spooked about the unknown water status, and having only a liter each left after the hike up and making dinner and breakfast, we turned around. Going down the steep parts was difficult.
The camp on Tassajara Creek was terrific, and we had a nice swim at Horse Bridge, and the next day a massive breakfast at the Wild Horse Cafe in King City, so, even though it was a truncated trip, it was a good trip.
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jack_glendening
- Posts: 734
- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:03 am
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: April 2, 2022
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
From northern trailhead to Tassajara Cutoff junction, trail in good shape with some slumping, overhanging branches and PO, plus one walk-around fallen branch. Thin running water at Horse Pasture Spring but NO water at Quail Spring, illustrating current drought conditions.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
From northern trailhead to Tassajara Cutoff junction, trail in good shape with some slumping, overhanging branches and PO, plus one walk-around fallen branch. Thin running water at Horse Pasture Spring but NO water at Quail Spring, illustrating current drought conditions.
Big Sur Trailmap: https://bigsurtrailmap.net
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stefan
Re: Horse Pasture Trail
Date Hiked: February 22, 2021
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Good condition. A few branches across the trail you need to step around. Typical poison oak around stream crossings. Ticks spotted in the grassy sections. A small landslide about 1.5 miles north of the Marble Peak trail junction that is fine to cross. No real fire danger was apparent. No bugs. Water was available at Quail Springs and junction of Tassajara Road and Church Creek trail at the north end. Standing water at the Horse Pasture Camp. Could not locate a good spot to camp at Horse Pasture Camp and proceeded north to Wildcat Camp on the Church Creek trail section, which had ample water.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Good condition. A few branches across the trail you need to step around. Typical poison oak around stream crossings. Ticks spotted in the grassy sections. A small landslide about 1.5 miles north of the Marble Peak trail junction that is fine to cross. No real fire danger was apparent. No bugs. Water was available at Quail Springs and junction of Tassajara Road and Church Creek trail at the north end. Standing water at the Horse Pasture Camp. Could not locate a good spot to camp at Horse Pasture Camp and proceeded north to Wildcat Camp on the Church Creek trail section, which had ample water.
