Trip 67

PREWITT LOOP TRAIL

LENGTH AND TYPE: 12.8-mile out-and-back or loop

RATING: Strenuous

TRAIL CONDITION: Clear to difficult, poison oak

HIGHLIGHTS: Dramatic coastal views of sandy coves and jagged promontories from a remote canyon in the heart of Pacific Valley

TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD: The northern trailhead is on the east side of Highway 1, 30 miles south of Big Sur Station and 57 miles south of Carmel. The southern trailhead is on the east side of Highway 1, 0.8 mile north of the Pacific Valley Station, 2 miles north of Plaskett Creek Campground, and 17 miles north of Ragged Point. The following route description begins from the northern trailhead.

Parking for the northern trailhead is on the east side of Highway 1, at a turnout adjacent to the trailhead. There are no facilities or water at the trailhead. Parking for the southern trailhead is at the Pacific Valley Station. Parking is free at both trailheads.

TRIP SUMMARY: This hike leads past a diverse array of plant communities, from dense thickets of coastal scrub to cool redwood groves, oak and pine woodlands, and grassy savannas. The trail is best enjoyed in spring, when fields of delicate wildflowers boast profuse colors and aromas. For the best views, visit between October and April, when fog banks roll well offshore. On my last trip, the trail past Stag Camp was suffering from loose tread and active slides. Use caution.

Trip Description

From the turnout on Highway 1, stroll 50 feet down a single-lane dirt road to the signed Prewitt Loop Trailhead. According to the sign, the first backcountry camp, Stag Camp, is 4 miles from the junction (actual mileage 4.1 miles) and the entire loop trail is 12 miles (actual mileage 12.8 miles).

From the junction, turn right onto the Prewitt Loop Trail and head southeast past ocean views through fragrant thickets of sagebrush, coyote brush, coffeeberry, and poison oak. In 0.1 mile you’ll switchback north and climb past two small seeps amid chain ferns, horsetails, and a stand of willows. At the next switchback, the trail climbs southeast past two dry gullies (0.4 mile, 440').

Continue on a moderate grade past a dilapidated wooden gate marking the barbwire fence line of private property. Pause for views along the open coastal slope where Prewitt Creek meets the Pacific just north of Sand Dollar Beach. A few minutes past the gate, you’ll reach a four-way junction (0.7 mile, 630') with an unmarked private trail that leads down to the small housing development in Pacific Valley.

Fifty yards farther southeast, the trail crosses an abandoned, overgrown roadbed and bends east for your first glimpse of the broad Prewitt Creek watershed. Narrow belts of redwoods stretch up canyon like veins, following the moisture-bearing gullies and ravines, while more drought-tolerant oaks and pines stud the upper watershed. The trail contours past exposed south-facing slopes of arid chaparral and grasses, in dramatic contrast to the cooler, shadier north-facing slopes of mixed evergreens across the canyon.

A broad marine terrace, which gave Pacific Valley its name, rises above the rocky shoreline and below the Prewitt Loop Trail.

The grade eases as you contour past three small dry gullies fringed with slender redwoods, live oaks, and bays. Climbing to grassy slopes studded with mature live oaks, the trail reaches the Prewitt Creek headwaters and crosses two small gullies 50 feet apart (2.6 miles, 1420'). Past the second gully, you’ll switchback southeast to an easily missed spur junction (2.7 miles, 1530'). This spur doglegs left and climbs 150 yards to a dramatic overlook.

Past the spur, the main trail meanders through oak and pine woodlands populated by busy acorn woodpeckers, which store acorns to feed grubs they will later devour. Cross three prominent gullies (dry in all but heavy rain) to a stand of sycamores amid a fourth gully (3.8 miles, 1650'). Easily identified by mottled cream-and-white bark that resembles a jigsaw puzzle, the sycamores offer a place to picnic and enjoy canyon views. If you’d prefer a shadier spot with a picnic table, continue 0.3 mile to Stag Camp.

LUCKY COWS OR SPACE HOGS?

Gazing across the coastal terrace and lush grasslands at Pacific Valley, you may well wonder, “How lucky can a cow be?” Local cattle ranchers also feel pretty lucky, since they pay nearly a tenth of the market rate to graze each head of cattle on public vs. private lands. In 2004, the Forest Service charged allotment holders a measly $1.43 per AUM (animal unit month) for running cattle on the public land. Market rates on private land range from $12.50 to $15 per AUM. Cheap rent and a spectacular view—something to moo about.

However, all those happy hooves inflict a toll on the land. Cows graze native flora and fauna, trample delicate riparian zones, gouge and erode unstable slopes, and disperse seeds of invasive nonnative plants. They also disturb complex ecosystems by eating blooms that sustain butterflies, insects, and birds, in turn affecting predators further up the food chain.

Burger, anyone?

A minute past the sycamore-lined gully, the trail passes a piped spring where water spills into a manmade trough. This is the most reliable water till you reach the South Fork headwaters, 6.8 miles from the trailhead. Many animals use this spring. Look for the tracks and scat of such species as coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes, and the occasional mountain lion.

Continue climbing past grassy slopes that in spring burst with decadent displays of lupines, shooting stars, and California poppies. The trail dips through a minor gully past ancient oaks nearly 4 feet in diameter, then bends south and leads straight to Stag Camp (4.1 miles, 1760'). In the shade of sprawling tanoaks and bays, the lone site offers room for up to three small tents and includes a table and fire ring. Although the trail leads through camp, you’ll see few hikers along this little-used route.

Past this point, the trail is sketchy and not recommended. In spots, poison oak, rocks, brush, and large debris encroach on or obscure the tread. Although crews recently cleared much of the brush and slide debris from the trail, slopes along the creek’s upper headwaters are prone to future slides. In fact, just past camp the trail crosses gullies past two major slides in an area known as Big Slide (4.9 miles, 1800').

Hardy hikers will continue along arid south-facing slopes where chaparral species such as coyote brush and chamise thrive. The revitalizing sound of water heralds your arrival at the South Fork (6.8 miles, 1880'). The trail crosses the rocky canyon on a fallen redwood and climbs a ridge (7.8 miles, 1950') between two of the headwater drainages. You’ll veer north for the next 0.1 mile, switchback east 100 yards, then drop south into Kelly Camp.

Beyond the South Fork headwaters, the trail descends the remaining 3.5 miles to its southern trailhead at the Pacific Valley Station. If you parked your vehicle at the northern trailhead, you’ll need to hike 0.8 mile north along Highway 1 to the turnout.