Buckeye
Photo: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 14.3 mi
- round trip
- 2,440 ft
- climb
- 2,316 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jan–Dec
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 2 h ago
Is Buckeye open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Buckeye, so check the source for the area it covers.
Monterey Ranger District Emergency Closure Order with Exceptions
Agency closure covering Monterey Ranger District · Order 05-07-51-26-11 · USFS · Monterey Ranger District
Los Padres Fire Use and Firearm Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-00-26-05 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
San Carpoforo Beach Prohibition of Overnight Camping and Campfires
Agency alert covering Monterey Ranger District · Order 05-07-51-26-03 · USFS · Monterey Ranger District
Santa Barbara Front Country Fire Use Restrictions
Agency alert covering Los Padres National Forest · Order 05-07-5406-01 · USFS · Los Padres National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Monterey Ranger District. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Buckeye is a hard hike of about 14.3 miles, with a total elevation gain of 2,440 feet, on the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California. The trail is managed by the Forest Service, and the route is an out-and-back with a low point of 989 feet and a high of 2,316 feet. The trail surface is natural, and horses are allowed. It is not an accessible trail. Late summer and early fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Hearst Castle show August and September highs in the upper 70s, with lows around 58 to 60 degrees. That station sits about 800 feet below the high point, so temperatures up high run cooler. Several other hikes start close by, including Soda Springs, Salmon Creek and Silver Peak Usetrail. Plaskett Creek Campground, about 8.6 miles away, offers surf fishing.
- Soda SpringsHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.3 mi
Salmon CreekHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.9 mi- Silver Peak UsetrailHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.2 mi
Spruce CreekHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.5 mi- Mount Mars Southeast Ridge UsetrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.8 mi
- CruickshankHiking2.6 mi
Plaskett Creek CampgroundSurf fishing8.6 mi
Nacimiento RiverCanoeingPhoto: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Silver Peak UsetrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Spruce CreekHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Williams Ranch Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Stone Ridge TrailHiking · ~28 min drivePhoto: vikjam, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Mount Mars Southeast Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Williams Ranch Southern UsetrailHiking · ~8 min drivePhoto: cjuneau from Ottawa, CANADA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Williams Ranch Water UsetrailHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Rocky Butte Truck TrailHiking · ~18 min drive
Silver Peak TrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: kueda, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Prewitt Ridge TrailHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Buckeye
Best months: Year-round. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
60° / 47°
8 wet
Feb
60° / 45°
8 wet
Mar
62° / 47°
8 wet
Apr
65° / 47°
5 wet
May
69° / 52°
2 wet
Jun
73° / 55°
1 wet
Jul
75° / 57°
0 wet
Aug
77° / 58°
0 wet
Sep
78° / 60°
1 wet
Oct
74° / 56°
3 wet
Nov
66° / 50°
5 wet
Dec
59° / 46°
8 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Hearst Castle, CA, 14.7 mi away at 1,526 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
