Located near the midpoint of Big Sur, the Vicente Flat Trail at Kirk Creek Campground is a relatively isolated gem of a hike. Receiving far less traffic than trails in the more northern reaches of Big Sur at places like Point Lobos, Garrapta, or Andrew Molera State Parks, this hike might be more scenic than them all!
While the huge ocean and coastal views won’t be anything unique to this hike in particular (compared to other Big Sur trails), the alpine feel of this hike will be! This trail takes you into a stunning canyon nestled below the nearly mile high Cone Peak! You’ll be just a couple miles from the Pacific amongst giant Redwoods, but it will feel almost like a Rocky Mountain alpine valley!
This trail immediately became one of my Big Sur favorites!
Miles/Elevation:
10.9 miles
2,595 feet vertical gain
About Ventana Wilderness:
First established in 1978, Ventana Wilderness as a part of Los Padres National Forest has been protecting rugged wild lands for over 40 years. Characterized primarily as rough and rugged chaparral, Ventana contains about 240,000 acres of protected land.
You won’t just find chaparral here though. Elevations range from 600 feet all the way up to 5,750 feet at Junipero Serra Peak creating massive climate differences. You’ll find rugged hillsides covered in tough chaparral, narrow valleys holding lush Redwoods, and grassy meadows and pines sprinkled in between!
First constructed in the 1930’s by the legendary CCC, the trails here now are often steep, unstable, and overgrown. There are some very popular trails and trailheads, like the Sykes Hot Springs Hike, but if you want solitude and wilderness, Ventana is a great place to find it!
Getting To The Trailhead:
Roadtripping to Big Sur? Check out all of our road trip planning tips!
The Vicente Trailhead is located on Highway 1 in Big Sur on the Central Coast of California. There is not a robust public transit option in Big Sur, so you will most likely need to drive yourself.
The park is about 55 miles south of Carmel and Monterey, about an hour and a half drive. From San Francisco, the trailhead is about a 3 hour drive. While it is doable as a day trip from the Bay Area, it does require a lot of driving each way!
Parking at the trailhead comes in the form of gravel pullouts on the eastern, inland, side of the road. The trailhead leaves from the east side of highway 1 at the southern end of the gravel parking area. Kirk Creek Campground is right across the highway from the trailhead and could be used for parking if you are staying there, though I don’t think they allow for day use parking.
The Vicente Flat Trail:
Up The Coastal Hills:
From the trailhead along highway 1, the trail immediately begins climbing. The climbing will never be very steep on this hike; the trail is extremely well graded and makes for really nice hiking. The trail quality to start is also fantastic. That quality will degrade over time, but starting off it’s great!
Views over the Pacific are available almost immediately. You should be able to see the ocean from the trailhead, and from there every foot you climb opens up the views more and more. The panoramas on these coastal hills are very typical of Big Sur. North and south along the coast the dramatic hills plunge down to the water’s edge, and to the west the Pacific stretches out to the horizon!
Always be sure to follow the 7 Leave No Trace Principles when in the outdoors!
You will spend just under 3 mile ascending these oceanside hills, and in those ~3 miles you will gain about 1,400 vertical feet. This elevation gain is very gradual and evenly spread along the entire 3 miles, so the hiking is honestly fantastic. You will have some stretches along narrow trail on exposed hillsides, and some canyons and gullies to maneuver through.
Always follow basic trail etiquette when on trail!
The terrain along the hills is primarily brushy chaparral, but you will also see isolated stands of Redwoods, areas of open grasses, and some other groves of trees.
Make sure you have our ultimate road trip playlist if you’re driving to Big Sur!
Around the 2.8 mile mark, the trail will take a rightward turn. Here, you will leave the coastal hillside and its accompanying ocean views and begin hiking up Hare Canyon. Don’t worry, the views may be different, but they are equally spectacular! And, you’ll even get some peeks back towards the water!
Into Hare Canyon:
Once you make the turn into Hare Canyon the shrubby chaparral of the coast largely gives way to mixed forest and grasses. You will eventually get into Redwood forest, but to start it’s largely mixed forests, grasslands, and overgrown shrubs. Over these grasses and through the trees, a new view looking towards a pair of impressive peaks reveals itself!
5,154 foot Cone Peak and neighboring 4,817 foot Twin Peak tower over Hare Canyon, and you’ll have great views of their southern faces over the course of the hike up the Canyon. This is a unique thing compared to most Big Sur hikes I’ve done. The ocean views are to be expected, but big time mountain views are an added bonus!
The first notable landmark on the way into Hare Canyon is Espinosa Camp, a small backcountry camping site. This camp site comes about half a mile after the inward turn, and has room for about 2 or 3 tents, and a fire ring (check restrictions on fire before starting one).
Stop at Point Lobos on your trip through Big Sur as well!
I checked out the campsite, and was surprised to see there was no water source. Once back on the trail, you’ll quickly realize there is actually a nearby water source. Just a couple minutes up the trail, a small creek crosses the trail (or do you cross the creek?) providing water to any campers! Check trail conditions to ensure it’s still running though before you count on it!
After leaving Espinosa Camp, the trail reaches its low point in terms of trail quality. The single track becomes narrower than at any other point, and the shrubbery becomes more overgrown than at any other point. It’s not the sharp and scratchy bushes of the coastline though. The stuff here is green grasses, weeds, and wildflowers that thrive in the moist and cool canyon.
For more awesome coastal hikes, check out our list of the best hikes in Big Sur!
While it’s good to see greenery thriving in Big Sur, a classically dry and fire prone area, it’s super annoying to hike through! I genuinely was not enjoying myself hiking through this stretch, and the only thing I could think about was all the ticks that were undoubtedly now feasting on me (I didn’t actually get a single tick)!
I promise though, you’ll get through it, and it’s really not all that awful. I would recommend wearing pants on this trail and having long sleeves with you though!
Right around the stream crossing you’ll reach the high point of the day and will begin an undulating descent down to Vicente Flat. You’ll be hiking along the side of the canyon, and while you’ll never really descend straight down into it, the trail follows a slight downward trend over the final mile and a half to Vicente Flat.
Travelling to Big Sur? Check our complete Big Sur road trip itinerary!
The last mile and a half goes pretty quick. There are a couple of fallen trees to navigate, slightly washed out sections of trails to cross, and some more overgrown shrubs to get through, but the final approach to Vicente Flat is pretty easy!
Before you know it, you’ll be at the flats and the final destination of the hike! Situated under towering old growth Redwoods along Hare Canyon Creek, this is a spectacular spot! Even higher than the Redwoods, the nearly mile high Cone Peak and neighboring Twin Peak provide an alpine aura to the canyon! In most situations, a 5,000 foot peak isn’t anything spectacular, but when it’s merely 3 miles from the coast and 3,000 feet above your head, it makes for a pretty spectacular backdrop!
Brazil Ranch might be the best short hike in Big Sur!
Vicente Flat is very nice, but there are many signs of human usage. Fire rings, camp sites, and worn trails are found all over the place around here, and somewhat take away from the beauty and magic of the place, but nonetheless it was very nice. This would be a great overnight backpacking trip, though I might try for a weekday to avoid the crowds!
Hiking Out:
After sitting down for lunch at Vicente Flat, I began the hike out. The return trip is a straightforward hike back along the same trail you arrived by, but there are other options from Vicente Flat. The Rocky Ridge Trail climbs northwards towards Limekiln State Park, and the Vicente Flat Trail continues inland towards Cone Peak Road and Cone Peak’s summit trail. I’ll definitely be back to explore these trails further!
But on this day, I was only here for a day hike so I made my way out on the Vicente Flat Trail. I had somewhat forgotten how much undulation there is on the trail, so the climbing I had to do on the hike out surprised me at first! It’s really not much though, and I quickly made it back to Espinosa Camp and the coastal hills!
One of the best hikes in Big Sur is a loop in Andrew Molera State Park!
Once back to the coast, the final mile and a half passed quickly as I descended to highway 1. Especially in the final mile, the trail quality is really good, so I actually ran short portions to finish! A smooth trail and gentle descent is perfect! After only 4 hours or so on trail, I was done and back at my car!
Topdown Lifestyle Rating: 9/10
This is a really great hike and might be my favorite in Big Sur. Pretty much every good Big Sur hike gets you huge panoramic views of the ocean and coastal hills and cliffs, but not as many really get you big time mountain views. And while Cone Peak and Twin Peak may not even be a mile high, they really tower high above you, more than 3,000 feet above you! The valley you’ll travel into and through really does feel almost alpine; something very unique to Big Sur.
I would 100% give this trail a 10/10 if the trail was a bit better maintained. I’ve definitely noticed that many if not most Big Sur trails are at least a little overgrown, so if you’re used to it this one won’t be that bad, but I like my trails a bit more maintained. If you enjoy more of a wilderness experience, then this might be a 10/10 for you, otherwise, this is still a fantastic hike! Just wear pants and maybe avoid tick season!
Pros:
- Great views
- Camping options
- Options to extend
- Exposed trail
Cons:
- Significant overgrown sections
Alternative Hikes:
The Boranda Trail to Timber Top
When To Hike The Vicente Flat Trail:
Big Sur is definitely a 4 season destination. Spring is a fantastic time to visit, and the weather should be pleasant and mostly dry. Spring is also the best time to see wildflowers in all their glory!
Summer brings the warmest temperature of the year (still comfortable), and morning fog that usually burns off by afternoon. Fall is generally the clearest weather, and winter brings the most precipitation, though it’s still a nice place to visit!
Honestly, I’ve been to this area every time of year, and Big Sur is always awesome. One last thing to consider is tick season. You may not know tick season is even a thing, but Big Sur is somewhat famous for its ticks, and this trail is overgrown in spots. Ticks are most active from February through July, and risk for Lymes Disease is highest in those months. Keep that in mind when deciding when to hike, and always check yourself for ticks after any hike!
Links For Further Reading:
Kirk Creek Campground to Vicente Flat Trail – California | AllTrails
Vicente Flat Trail – Los Padres National Forest
2 Comments