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HIKE 3 Cone Peak

Highlight Unobstructed views atop the highest coastal summit in California

Distance 4.0 miles round-trip

Total Elevation Gain/Loss 1,400'/1,400'

Hiking Time 2–3 hours

Recommended Maps A Guide to Ventana & Silver Peak Wilderness by the US Forest Service, Big Sur and Ventana Wilderness by Wilderness Press, USGS 7.5-min. Chews Ridge

Best Times April–November

Agency Ventana Wilderness, Los Padres National Forest

Difficulty

THREE MILES FROM the ocean, Cone Peak rises a mile to the sky. In summer 1999, most of Ventana Wilderness burned. Cone Peak, the dominant mountain of the southern wilderness, burned with it. Life has since rebounded on these sheer slopes, yet does little to hide the seamless joining of ocean and sky, the towering coastal vistas, or the sweeping panorama of the Santa Lucia Mountains.

The Hike climbs to the fire lookout atop Cone Peak (5,155') on steep but short Cone Peak Trail. It’s important to time your visit correctly. The 5-mile dirt access road closes after the first heavy winter rains (typically in December) and usually reopens in March, though this varies from year to year; call ahead to check if you’re planning a trip in early spring or late fall. Crowds and coastal fog are heaviest in the summer. No water is available at the trailhead.

Looking south from mile-high Cone Peak

To Reach the Trailhead Take Nacimiento Rd. east from Hwy. 1—the turnoff is by Kirk Creek Campground 4 miles south of Lucia. Be aware that Hwy. 1 is subject to washouts and closures, especially in the winter. Follow sinuous Nacimiento Rd. as it climbs 2,800 feet in 8 miles to the divide, and turn north on rough and unpaved Cone Peak Rd. Low-clearance vehicles should have no problem making it to the trailhead, 5.2 miles down this road by a small turnout.

Approaching from the east, take Hwy. 101 to the Hwy. G14/Fort Hunter Liggett exit just north of King City. Follow G14 south for 19 miles and turn right (west) on Mission Rd., passing immediately through an always-open fort entrance gate. Bear left on Nacimiento Rd. 3.0 miles past the gate and left again 0.9 mile farther—be watchful as the intersection signs are not obvious. From here, it is 18 increasingly narrow miles to Cone Peak Rd., where you proceed as described above.

Description From the trailhead, the trail initially strikes west to quickly attain a nearby saddle. The cliffs of Cone Peak and the fire lookout are clearly visible to the northwest, and Hare Canyon can be seen slicing southwest down to the ocean. Far down the canyon is a dense patch of green, a stand of coastal redwoods very near the extreme southern limit of their range. Beneath them hides Vicente Flat (Hike 2). Briefly remaining on the ridge, the trail then drops inland and passes thickets of manzanita, wartleaf, and other regenerating shrubs before switchbacking up to a second saddle (0.5/4,030').

As the trail begins its long coastside traverse to approach the peak from the west, the devastation of recent fires is evident in the bare hillsides. Fires sweep through the dry chaparral about once every 20 years as part of a natural process of plant regeneration. Known as the Kirk Creek Fires, the 1999 blaze began during a dry lightning storm in September and eventually consumed 90,000 acres—more than half the area of Ventana Wilderness.

Only a few scraggly oaks survived the blaze and Coulter pine snags still protrude from the slopes like old burnt matchsticks. The exposed trail traverses below the summit cliffs before beginning a tightly switchbacking ascent along a steep and rocky spur ridgeline. A small patch of unburned forest grows below the trail as it climbs to a junction with the Gamboa Trail immediately below the summit (1.8/4,830').

The walkway surrounding the lookout is usually open to the public, though the views are equally tremendous on the summit itself. Looking southwest, the scale of land and sea is distorted by your elevation—notice the tiny bridge of Hwy. 1 at Limekiln State Park far below. Turning northeast, the tall rise of 5,862-foot Junipero Serra Peak is one of the few distinguishing peaks in this land of sheer, naked topography. Southeast, the broad valley of Fort Hunter Liggett can be distinguished beyond the low nearby ridges. Heading downhill, you return the way you came.

Nearest Visitor Centers Big Sur Station, 831-667-2315, 10 miles north of the entrance for Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park and just south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on Hwy. 1, is open daily 9 a.m.–4 p.m. Memorial Day–Labor Day; the rest of the year it’s open intermittently depending on staffing availability. Also try King City Ranger Station, 831-385-5434, at 406 S. Mildred Ave. in King City; take the Canal off-ramp from Hwy. 101, go east on Canal, right on Division, and left on Mildred. It’s open Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Backpacking Information Backpacking is permitted along this hike, though not recommended due to the lack of campsites and water. No wilderness permit is needed but a valid campfire permit is required.

Nearest Campgrounds Kirk Creek Campground (33 sites, $22) is located at the junction of Hwy. 1 and Nacimiento Rd. Eighty percent of the sites are reservable year-round; visit recreation.gov or call 877-444-6777. Inland, try Nacimiento Campground (8 sites, $15, no water), on Nacimiento Rd. 3.5 miles east of Cone Peak Rd.

Additional Information www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf, ventanawild.org