Trout Farm Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features Birding · Historical Significance · River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The trail starts as a gravely fire road along the bank of South Fork San Pedro Creek. Along the beginning part of the trail, there are a few picnic tables. While the picnic tables are to your right, if you look in the bushes at the far point of the campsite you'll see a few steel circles. These circles were the old trout farm.

Beyond this, the fire road section of the trail continues into a eucalyptus forest until you see a gate saying "No Trespassing". Beyond this gate is the watershed of San Andreas Lake. The trail narrows to the right of the gate (do not go past the gate) into a dusty/dirty path. On the now narrow section of the trail, you'll begin your climb up the hill.

Immediately to your left, there are massive Eucalyptus trees tipped over a small creek feeding into the larger South Fork San Pedro Creek. It really is a sight to see because the trees even though they are tipped over are still alive. Looking up from the tipped trees, there are huge Eucalyptus trees all around you now. Beyond this point, you'll enter a small clearing and go to your left under a small redwood tree.

Just beyond the redwood tree, to your right, you'll be able to see some old mossy cement stairs covered in the brush(these are from the old trout farm, do not attempt to climb these) and other small cement walls which also held fish in the times of the trout farm.

There is then a switchback and you'll continue up the mountain. You'll go over a small bridge and go further up the hill. After you cross the bridge you'll bass two wooden fences and go up to your right(previously you would go up to your left and you can still see traces of the old trail I would advise not going up the abandoned part of the trail because it isn't being maintained anymore so it is covered in poison oak) from this point you can look down at the trail you were on before and look at the massive trees from above.

As you go up the hill the trees along the trail will get younger until you hit the top of the run. At the top of the run you can see the Brooks Creek Trail and 10 paces up the Brooks Creek Trail there is a bench offering you great views of the valley below. Back on the trail, the smooth, dusty inclining trail from before transforms as now you are going downhill and the trail goes under many pine trees, so roots and pine needles cover the path.

The trail continues like this all the way down the hill in a gradual decline. At the very end of the trail, you'll pass beautiful seasonal wildflowers.