Date Hiked: May 15, 2025
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
This trail is in excellent condition - as good as the heavily trafficked section of Pine Ridge Trail. Very little brush hanging out into the trail. No obstructions, good tread.
A warning though: there are SO MANY ticks right now. Our dog had picked up maybe 5-10 over 25 miles on PRT. After my partner saw them in the grass and on our pant legs, we checked the dog at the top of the trail, and I swear we found over 50 on him. None on us, fortunately, thanks to long pants with cinch cuffs.
We took Terrace Creek Trail and North Coast Ridge Road plus a couple miles on Hwy 1 back to Big Sur Station, as an alternate to PRT, and thought it was a nice change of pace. Gets all the climbing done early and gives you a pleasant, gradual descent down NCRR for most of the return trip.
Terrace Creek Trail
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: December 20, 2024
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
I hiked the Pine Ridge/Big Sur/Coast Ridge loop on 12/20/24 w/my son (we accessed the loop from the beginning of Coast Ridge Rd.). I’m posting updates on the Pine Ridge, Big Sur, and Terrace Creek Trails.
Terrace Creek: “Wilderness Freeway,” all good.
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
I hiked the Pine Ridge/Big Sur/Coast Ridge loop on 12/20/24 w/my son (we accessed the loop from the beginning of Coast Ridge Rd.). I’m posting updates on the Pine Ridge, Big Sur, and Terrace Creek Trails.
Terrace Creek: “Wilderness Freeway,” all good.
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crockettonearth
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:24 am
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: February 25, 2024
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
Terrace Creek Trail
My wife and I did a three-day trip (02/23-25-2024) from Big Sur Station. Starting on Pine Ridge trail, connecting to Big Sur Trail, then the coast road to Terrace Creek Trail, back to Pine Ridge to Big Sur Station.
This 33-mile loop with about 7,500ft of climbing is a great option for a three-day weekend. However, after the last two windy storms in February 2024 where wind speeds were in the 70 mph range, there is a lot of deadfall on all the trails except this one!
There is only one massive Redwood that has come down however it fell right next to the trail and does not block it in any way. It's a sight to behold though.
Even the wood bridges across the creek are still intact!
Enjoy the buttery smooth single track on this trail.
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
Terrace Creek Trail
My wife and I did a three-day trip (02/23-25-2024) from Big Sur Station. Starting on Pine Ridge trail, connecting to Big Sur Trail, then the coast road to Terrace Creek Trail, back to Pine Ridge to Big Sur Station.
This 33-mile loop with about 7,500ft of climbing is a great option for a three-day weekend. However, after the last two windy storms in February 2024 where wind speeds were in the 70 mph range, there is a lot of deadfall on all the trails except this one!
There is only one massive Redwood that has come down however it fell right next to the trail and does not block it in any way. It's a sight to behold though.
Even the wood bridges across the creek are still intact!
Enjoy the buttery smooth single track on this trail.
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geoffvirtue
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2020 11:10 pm
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: October 16, 2023
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
Terrace Creek is in the best shape I have ever seen it! Great job, crews! Wilderness freeway from the top of the road all the way down to the junction with pine ridge.
Water is flowing and the redwoods were serene, great day out there!
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and/or well maintained)
Terrace Creek is in the best shape I have ever seen it! Great job, crews! Wilderness freeway from the top of the road all the way down to the junction with pine ridge.
Water is flowing and the redwoods were serene, great day out there!
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crockettonearth
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Tue Feb 18, 2020 10:24 am
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: May 30, 2022
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Terrance Creek Trail 3E22 - full segment
1. Terrance Creek conditions are Passable Clear in the higher elevation - upper segments from 2,640ft to 1,720ft. There is lots of vegetation growing on the trail in this segment. Mostly grasses. There are no trees or bushes that need to be ducked or climbed over. It is steep and loose in sections. In the lower elevations from 1,720ft to 1,440ft the trail is clear - a wilderness freeway.
2. There is water, where the trail crosses Terrance creek.
3. Poison Oak will be encountered on the upper segment of this trail.
4. Bugs are minor but present near water and at camps. Flys are worse than mosquitoes. Flys were bad where we filled water where the trail first crosses the creek when descending from the road system.
Mapped-based talk through of this segment in the last 1/3 of this film --> https://youtu.be/zrwLf_bWGJM
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Terrance Creek Trail 3E22 - full segment
1. Terrance Creek conditions are Passable Clear in the higher elevation - upper segments from 2,640ft to 1,720ft. There is lots of vegetation growing on the trail in this segment. Mostly grasses. There are no trees or bushes that need to be ducked or climbed over. It is steep and loose in sections. In the lower elevations from 1,720ft to 1,440ft the trail is clear - a wilderness freeway.
2. There is water, where the trail crosses Terrance creek.
3. Poison Oak will be encountered on the upper segment of this trail.
4. Bugs are minor but present near water and at camps. Flys are worse than mosquitoes. Flys were bad where we filled water where the trail first crosses the creek when descending from the road system.
Mapped-based talk through of this segment in the last 1/3 of this film --> https://youtu.be/zrwLf_bWGJM
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Jim Ringland
- Posts: 149
- Joined: Sat May 07, 2011 12:02 pm
- Location: Oakland, CA
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: April 1, 2022
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and well maintained)
I did this from the Terrace Creek Camp to the North Coast Ridge Road. Lots of up, but the trail is in great shape. Outlaw Camp is just a wide spot in the trail. There appears to have once been another site across the creek, but it’s now almost impossible to reach now and looks to be getting brushed in.
General Condition: Wilderness Freeway (Heavily used and well maintained)
I did this from the Terrace Creek Camp to the North Coast Ridge Road. Lots of up, but the trail is in great shape. Outlaw Camp is just a wide spot in the trail. There appears to have once been another site across the creek, but it’s now almost impossible to reach now and looks to be getting brushed in.
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James Yurchenco
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: March 2, 2022
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Clear and easy to follow. One single log across the path that is simple to cross.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
Clear and easy to follow. One single log across the path that is simple to cross.
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VWA_Ranger
- Posts: 117
- Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2020 4:41 pm
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: April 16, 2021
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***
Description:
The lower Pine Ridge Trail Corridor has reopened to the general public. VWA/USFS Volunteer Rangers will be patrolling the area constantly to monitor its use. This weekend volunteer Rangers patrolled from the Terrace Creek trailhead to the PRT up to Sykes then back to the Big Sur Station. They talked to 92 folks along the trail.
Trail conditions are as follows:
Terrace Creek Trailhead to Outlaw Use Camp - Clear, no major obstacles along the trail.
Outlaw Use Camp to Terrace Creek Camp/PRT. - Clear, no major obstacles along the trail.
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DISCLAIMER: This report is for informational purposes only. Trail conditions may change at any time. The Ventana Wilderness Alliance assumes no liability for the use of this information.
General Condition: Clear (no obstacles and tread well defined)
*** VWA/USFS Volunteer Ranger/Trail Crew Report ***
Description:
The lower Pine Ridge Trail Corridor has reopened to the general public. VWA/USFS Volunteer Rangers will be patrolling the area constantly to monitor its use. This weekend volunteer Rangers patrolled from the Terrace Creek trailhead to the PRT up to Sykes then back to the Big Sur Station. They talked to 92 folks along the trail.
Trail conditions are as follows:
Terrace Creek Trailhead to Outlaw Use Camp - Clear, no major obstacles along the trail.
Outlaw Use Camp to Terrace Creek Camp/PRT. - Clear, no major obstacles along the trail.
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DISCLAIMER: This report is for informational purposes only. Trail conditions may change at any time. The Ventana Wilderness Alliance assumes no liability for the use of this information.
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Ron Bannon
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: June 5, 2018
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Hiked to the trailhead on Coast Ridge Road---about 4.5 miles/2500 feet elevation gain from the main highway, Route 1. The closure sign at the trailhead is gone and it appears open, but there is a warning that it may not be passable. Although I did not hike in, it appears to be completely overgrown. Almost two years of non-use appears to be enough time to make things disappear. Too bad, I was hoping to come back and hike down to Pine Ridge to see what's there.
Weird, but the 'private' roads that meander through the wilderness are being upgraded big-time with tax-payer money. Just walk along the Old Coast Road from Bixby Bridge and you'll see a ton on Monterey County workers and equipment making upgrades---drains, gates, etc.. The public is being told to stay away, but all I see is a vast amount of money being poured into making the real estate more valuable for the lucky few.
[Ed. note- Terrace Creek Trail remains closed due to severe damage on the Pine Ridge Trail above Barlow Flat Camp. Wilderness is by definition roadless. North Coast Ridge Road, which generally defines the western boundary of the Ventana Wilderness, is a USFS (not private) road. An agreement with owners of private inholdings along this road permits foot traffic, but restricts public vehicles, including bicycles. Old Coast Road is a county road and the crews described are in the process of repairing storm damage to eventually re-open the road to public use.]
General Condition: Impassable (completely overgrown or tread obliterated)
Hiked to the trailhead on Coast Ridge Road---about 4.5 miles/2500 feet elevation gain from the main highway, Route 1. The closure sign at the trailhead is gone and it appears open, but there is a warning that it may not be passable. Although I did not hike in, it appears to be completely overgrown. Almost two years of non-use appears to be enough time to make things disappear. Too bad, I was hoping to come back and hike down to Pine Ridge to see what's there.
Weird, but the 'private' roads that meander through the wilderness are being upgraded big-time with tax-payer money. Just walk along the Old Coast Road from Bixby Bridge and you'll see a ton on Monterey County workers and equipment making upgrades---drains, gates, etc.. The public is being told to stay away, but all I see is a vast amount of money being poured into making the real estate more valuable for the lucky few.
[Ed. note- Terrace Creek Trail remains closed due to severe damage on the Pine Ridge Trail above Barlow Flat Camp. Wilderness is by definition roadless. North Coast Ridge Road, which generally defines the western boundary of the Ventana Wilderness, is a USFS (not private) road. An agreement with owners of private inholdings along this road permits foot traffic, but restricts public vehicles, including bicycles. Old Coast Road is a county road and the crews described are in the process of repairing storm damage to eventually re-open the road to public use.]
Re: Terrace Creek Trail
Date Hiked: May 26, 2015
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Dates: 26 May 2015
Hiked the Terrace Creek Trail from the Coast Ridge Road to the Pine Ridge Trail.
Terrace Creek Trail: Passable. Would rate as clear except the entire trail is lined with poison oak on both left and right sides. It is impossible to hike this trail without touching poison oak. Must wear long pants.
General Condition: Passable (some brush and/or deadfalls, tread evident)
Dates: 26 May 2015
Hiked the Terrace Creek Trail from the Coast Ridge Road to the Pine Ridge Trail.
Terrace Creek Trail: Passable. Would rate as clear except the entire trail is lined with poison oak on both left and right sides. It is impossible to hike this trail without touching poison oak. Must wear long pants.
