Gotta give credit to /r/bikesandboots 's post that inspired me to do this trail. I've lived near the Santa Cruz mountains most of my life but have never trail camped out there. Considering my feet prefer to do less than 10 miles in a day, the Peter's Creek Loop in Portola Redwoods offers a great opportunity for a single overnight. Three miles (3.5 if we're honest) from park HQ to the Slate Creek trail camp. Surface water is available about a 1/2 mile past the camp, but I just brought all the water (and wine) I'd need for this cool-weather overnight. I did this hike on a weekday with only a handful of other people on the trail, none of whom I saw once past the Slate Creek trail camp. Lot's of solitude to enjoy.
Getting a permit required you to first check the trail camp calendar for an open spot, emailing your request to the posted address, then once you receive your permit approval, you must call a specific number to pay for the permit. The Slate Creek camp is popular in the summer and books quickly. No worries about getting a site in March.
From the trailhead, there's a solid climb the first mile before the trail evens out a bit. Came across some downed trees along the trail that provided minor navigational challenges. I was at camp in about 2 hours. After about an hour break, I embarked on the 5 mile round trip to the Peter's Creek Loop. Lots of downed trees at the beginning of this trail that were partially addressed by trail crews. An ominous sign said this was a strenuous hike, but the incline was usually moderate instead of steep. There were a few small overgrown sections and a bit of poison oak, but not much. Also came across a couple of abandoned cars from before this section became part of the state park.
The Peter's Creek Loop itself is amazing. It's a classic old growth grove that's as picturesque as the groves in Humboldt County. A very impressive hidden gem in the mountains of Santa Cruz. The creek running through the middle of the grove is what makes this loop shine. The hike back was uneventful and the rain didn't start until I was near the end. I capped the evening with a bottle of wine & pasta with salmon. I'm getting into stoveless backpacking and this overnight was a great way to test what that's like. Everything worked well and I've been working on some other menu ideas.
My tent apparently is designed only for light rain while this night's rain was fairly heavy. Not a big deal, but lesson learned. Though I had occasional dripping from above, the floor stayed mostly dry.
Having full rain gear, I was able to use the picnic table at night as well as the morning. I munched on granola and shelf-stable bacon while I packed up camp. The trail back was wet, but mostly downhill. The morning clouds were thin enough to let the sunlight though, which reflected in the light drizzle for some amazing views.
Gotta give credit to /r/bikesandboots 's post that inspired me to do this trail. I've lived near the Santa Cruz mountains most of my life but have never trail camped out there. Considering my feet prefer to do less than 10 miles in a day, the Peter's Creek Loop in Portola Redwoods offers a great opportunity for a single overnight. Three miles (3.5 if we're honest) from park HQ to the Slate Creek trail camp. Surface water is available about a 1/2 mile past the camp, but I just brought all the water (and wine) I'd need for this cool-weather overnight. I did this hike on a weekday with only a handful of other people on the trail, none of whom I saw once past the Slate Creek trail camp. Lot's of solitude to enjoy.
Getting a permit required you to first check the trail camp calendar for an open spot, emailing your request to the posted address, then once you receive your permit approval, you must call a specific number to pay for the permit. The Slate Creek camp is popular in the summer and books quickly. No worries about getting a site in March.
From the trailhead, there's a solid climb the first mile before the trail evens out a bit. Came across some downed trees along the trail that provided minor navigational challenges. I was at camp in about 2 hours. After about an hour break, I embarked on the 5 mile round trip to the Peter's Creek Loop. Lots of downed trees at the beginning of this trail that were partially addressed by trail crews. An ominous sign said this was a strenuous hike, but the incline was usually moderate instead of steep. There were a few small overgrown sections and a bit of poison oak, but not much. Also came across a couple of abandoned cars from before this section became part of the state park.
The Peter's Creek Loop itself is amazing. It's a classic old growth grove that's as picturesque as the groves in Humboldt County. A very impressive hidden gem in the mountains of Santa Cruz. The creek running through the middle of the grove is what makes this loop shine. The hike back was uneventful and the rain didn't start until I was near the end. I capped the evening with a bottle of wine & pasta with salmon. I'm getting into stoveless backpacking and this overnight was a great way to test what that's like. Everything worked well and I've been working on some other menu ideas.
My tent apparently is designed only for light rain while this night's rain was fairly heavy. Not a big deal, but lesson learned. Though I had occasional dripping from above, the floor stayed mostly dry.
Having full rain gear, I was able to use the picnic table at night as well as the morning. I munched on granola and shelf-stable bacon while I packed up camp. The trail back was wet, but mostly downhill. The morning clouds were thin enough to let the sunlight though, which reflected in the light drizzle for some amazing views.