Date Hiked: March 5, 2026
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
A very steep trail but easy to follow. There is some erosion and some brush encroachment as the landscape regenerates. Luckily the Dolan fire didn't kill every pine so there is an occasional bit of shade along the way.
Rodeo Flats Trail
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: December 3, 2024
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Up and down in the afternoon.. fortunate to catch the set over the marine layer at trail top (picture). Straightforward trail, up what appears to be an old fire road.. ending at another old fire road. Lower portion is pretty denuded, upper portion has low brush encroachment and numerous small gullies cutting through the road.
Am curious if there is any water source from the top of Rodeo Flats to Cone Peak.. my guess is no.
[Ed=gn: heading south on the NCRT to Cone Peak, in all by the driest years, water is available 4.7 miles away, at Cook Spring Camp. ]
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Up and down in the afternoon.. fortunate to catch the set over the marine layer at trail top (picture). Straightforward trail, up what appears to be an old fire road.. ending at another old fire road. Lower portion is pretty denuded, upper portion has low brush encroachment and numerous small gullies cutting through the road.
Am curious if there is any water source from the top of Rodeo Flats to Cone Peak.. my guess is no.
[Ed=gn: heading south on the NCRT to Cone Peak, in all by the driest years, water is available 4.7 miles away, at Cook Spring Camp. ]
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dougmajor
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: June 1, 2024
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
This is a work report regarding the past report of the washouts and the reported difficulty of the Arroyo Seco trail to the Forks Camp.
I spent the morning clipping and clearing, 10 downed small trees moved off the trail, and 3 cut trees to clear the trail. There are 3-4 larger downed trees but all are easy to get over.
NOTE: the first river crossing has a large tree push down, but branches are now cleared and you can do a go under and follow the rock hop across the river, which is still flowing nicely. 4 small tributaries are still flowing on the west side to the Forks and then two more larger flowing past the Forks turn out on the Rodeo Flats trailer. SO plenty of water.
Time was spent making the 2 new washouts passable with steps carved out and tread widened to make these crosses possible but imperfect and safe.
Still some push to through the flowering vegetation but the rest was clipped going up and down the trail so the woodier encroaching brush has mostly been cleared. The tread is easy to follow and except for the repaired washouts, has a reasonable slope for the Arroyo Seco Trail but becomes much more steep when it becomes the Rodeo Flats trail.
Amazing new pines growing and liked Leor's suggestion of leaving the road and going up the ridge with their sandstone hoodoos and new and old pine trees. Great views and nice to have a breeze today.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
This is a work report regarding the past report of the washouts and the reported difficulty of the Arroyo Seco trail to the Forks Camp.
I spent the morning clipping and clearing, 10 downed small trees moved off the trail, and 3 cut trees to clear the trail. There are 3-4 larger downed trees but all are easy to get over.
NOTE: the first river crossing has a large tree push down, but branches are now cleared and you can do a go under and follow the rock hop across the river, which is still flowing nicely. 4 small tributaries are still flowing on the west side to the Forks and then two more larger flowing past the Forks turn out on the Rodeo Flats trailer. SO plenty of water.
Time was spent making the 2 new washouts passable with steps carved out and tread widened to make these crosses possible but imperfect and safe.
Still some push to through the flowering vegetation but the rest was clipped going up and down the trail so the woodier encroaching brush has mostly been cleared. The tread is easy to follow and except for the repaired washouts, has a reasonable slope for the Arroyo Seco Trail but becomes much more steep when it becomes the Rodeo Flats trail.
Amazing new pines growing and liked Leor's suggestion of leaving the road and going up the ridge with their sandstone hoodoos and new and old pine trees. Great views and nice to have a breeze today.
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AandA
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: May 27, 2024
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
I'm sure glad we were hiking this trail in the downhill direction! Sunny and steep. Rocks/loose rubble made for uncomfortable footing in many places... But the late spring flowers were absolutely gorgeous, and the pines were all growing back such that the scene looked more like the 2015 photos below, not the charred 2021. The only downside was that we had to continue on the brushy, washed-out Arroyo Seco trail to get back to our car.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
I'm sure glad we were hiking this trail in the downhill direction! Sunny and steep. Rocks/loose rubble made for uncomfortable footing in many places... But the late spring flowers were absolutely gorgeous, and the pines were all growing back such that the scene looked more like the 2015 photos below, not the charred 2021. The only downside was that we had to continue on the brushy, washed-out Arroyo Seco trail to get back to our car.
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runcyclegirl
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Thu Feb 09, 2012 1:58 pm
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: October 31, 2021
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
I last hiked Rodeo Flat six years ago while on a loop hike from Carrizo Trail. This time I hiked up to loop through upper Arroyo Seco Trail. While the views are still impressive (and the road is still steep!), the contrast between pre/post Dolan squeezes my heart more than just a little.
The road itself is mostly clear and passable especially on the lower sections. There are some fire damaged trees on the road but none to impede one's walk. The lower section is also free of brush for the most part but not so as you climb. Yerba Santa crowd the road and there are intermittent pockets of rocky rubble to negotiate. The soil was soft due to recent rains which offered grippy surfaces on the steeper climbs. And, it is steep! The road is visible for a long way, long before you get there, long enough to wonder, is it going up that ridge? Oh, shit, yes, it does. Yes, it does.
Maria
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
I last hiked Rodeo Flat six years ago while on a loop hike from Carrizo Trail. This time I hiked up to loop through upper Arroyo Seco Trail. While the views are still impressive (and the road is still steep!), the contrast between pre/post Dolan squeezes my heart more than just a little.
The road itself is mostly clear and passable especially on the lower sections. There are some fire damaged trees on the road but none to impede one's walk. The lower section is also free of brush for the most part but not so as you climb. Yerba Santa crowd the road and there are intermittent pockets of rocky rubble to negotiate. The soil was soft due to recent rains which offered grippy surfaces on the steeper climbs. And, it is steep! The road is visible for a long way, long before you get there, long enough to wonder, is it going up that ridge? Oh, shit, yes, it does. Yes, it does.
Maria
- Taken 2015, looking down the valley.
- Post fire views.
- Fire damaged pines.
- Clear road on lower section.
- Fire damage, view southward.
- Brushy upper road.
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: May 23, 2020
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
The flatter top section had a few brushy stretches. The rest was steep and loose, pretty much what you would expect for an old firebreak.
Nice views of the Arroyo Seco drainage in places, though.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
The flatter top section had a few brushy stretches. The rest was steep and loose, pretty much what you would expect for an old firebreak.
Nice views of the Arroyo Seco drainage in places, though.
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Matt G
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: April 3, 2020
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and well maintained)
Hiked Rodeo Flat from North Coast Ridge down to Arroyo Seco/Memorial Park. Trail is excellent, total freeway. Only the top 1/2 mile has overgrown Ceonothus and other scrub but it's easily passable. Very little poison oak.
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and well maintained)
Hiked Rodeo Flat from North Coast Ridge down to Arroyo Seco/Memorial Park. Trail is excellent, total freeway. Only the top 1/2 mile has overgrown Ceonothus and other scrub but it's easily passable. Very little poison oak.
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seagoat1724
- Posts: 28
- Joined: Sun May 26, 2019 3:39 pm
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: October 9, 2018
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Between Rodeo Flat Trail Junction and Arroyo Seco Trail
Trail is passable. Many parts are clear and open, the trail can be the full width of the road. However, much of it is covered with thick brush and some blowdowns. Tread is easy to follow because it is old road with 2 treads.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Between Rodeo Flat Trail Junction and Arroyo Seco Trail
Trail is passable. Many parts are clear and open, the trail can be the full width of the road. However, much of it is covered with thick brush and some blowdowns. Tread is easy to follow because it is old road with 2 treads.
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aa6xa
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: April 8, 2019
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Hiked from Santa Lucia Campground to the Ridge Trail. The steep climbs are open "wilderness freeways". Near the top, where the trail levels out, it is overgrown. The old jeep trail is easy to follow, but expect to have to push through some brush. Didn't see any poison oak, and the trail is wide enough to go around if there is any.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Hiked from Santa Lucia Campground to the Ridge Trail. The steep climbs are open "wilderness freeways". Near the top, where the trail levels out, it is overgrown. The old jeep trail is easy to follow, but expect to have to push through some brush. Didn't see any poison oak, and the trail is wide enough to go around if there is any.
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hydrologic
- Posts: 21
- Joined: Sun Apr 19, 2015 1:23 am
Re: Rodeo Flats Trail
Date Hiked: December 10, 2018
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
old road is easy to hike. it's wide and brush free. once it turns back to the trail it gets pretty brushy at times but still easy to follow.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
old road is easy to hike. it's wide and brush free. once it turns back to the trail it gets pretty brushy at times but still easy to follow.
