Buena Vista Catway

Dogs Unknown

Features River/Creek · Views

Re-opened after the December 2017 the Thomas Fire Closure. Use caution around loose soils, rolling rocks, and unstable portions of the trails. USFS staff continue to work with local groups and partner organizations to repair damaged sections of trails. Check USFS website for the most up-to-date information.

The Buena Vista Catway begins at a junction with the San Ysidro Trail about 0.8 of a mile up the San Ysidro Canyon. The Buena Vista Catway starts off fairly mellow before suddenly and steeply climbing up the hillside that you're approaching. After 20 or 30 minutes of running this ascent, you'll finally top out on a saddle and have a moment to catch your breath. The dirt roadway then transitions into a footpath, which will take you down to the bottom of Buena Vista Canyon via a couple of switchbacks.

After crossing the creek you'll see a junction with the Buena Vista Trail, which heads to the right (down the canyon). Stay to the left to stay on the Buena Vista Catway, which will once again ascend steeply up the hillside over a series of switchbacks.

After 1/2 of a mile of running past the creek crossing, you'll reach Buena Vista overlook, which features a stone bench and spectacular views of the surrounding mountains and the coastline below. Continuing past the overlook, you can run another 1.5 miles along the Buena Vista Catway to reach Romero Canyon, at which point the trail comes to an end. You can return along the same route or link up with trails in the Romero Canyon area.

Thanks to John McKinney, The Trailmaster, for sharing this trail description. To learn more about trails in California, check out his guides at The Trailmaster Store.