Pine Ridge
- 17.5 mi
- round trip
- 2,269 ft
- climb
- 1,905 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jan–Dec
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; a fire perimeter is near this location; weather is good · USFS, nifc_wfigs, OpenWeather · checked 3 h ago
Is Pine Ridge open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Pine Ridge, 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.
Pine Ridge is a hard hike of about 17.5 miles in the Ventana Wilderness, within the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest and Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park in California. The land is managed by State Park and Recreation, and the route rises from about 880 feet to about 1,905 feet. The trail is natural-surface and allows horses, and it is not an accessible route. The climb is an out-and-back, and the one-way gain of about 2,269 feet makes it a serious commitment. Late summer is the warmest stretch. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Carmel Valley show September highs around 81°F with lows near 51°F and almost no wet days. That station sits well below the trail, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Post Creek Trail and Pine Ridge Trail both start within a mile. Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park Campground is about 1.4 miles away, and the Little Sur River offers canoeing about 7 miles off.
- Post Creek TrailHiking0.8 mi
- Pine Ridge TrailHiking0.9 mi
Mt. ManuelHikingPhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1 mi
Ventana CampHikingPhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.1 mi
Terrace CreekHikingPhoto: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.1 mi
Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park CampgroundCampingPhoto: Slipshod Photog — CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1.4 mi- Valley View TrailHikingPhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.6 mi
- Little Sur RiverCanoeing6.9 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Ventana CampHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: ilya_ktsn, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Terrace CreekHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: S. Rae, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Tan Bark TrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: tdlucas5000, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Black Cone TrailHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: yargeritaville, CC0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Valley View TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Buzzards Roost TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- East Molera TrailHiking · ~7 min drive
Ewoldsen trailHiking · ~13 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Pfeiffer Falls TrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: Aleksandr Zykov, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Waters TrailHiking · ~11 min drivePhoto: David Jones, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Pine Ridge
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
63° / 40°
11 wet
Feb
64° / 41°
10 wet
Mar
67° / 41°
10 wet
Apr
69° / 43°
7 wet
May
71° / 46°
4 wet
Jun
76° / 48°
1 wet
Jul
78° / 51°
0 wet
Aug
80° / 51°
0 wet
Sep
81° / 51°
1 wet
Oct
78° / 48°
3 wet
Nov
69° / 42°
7 wet
Dec
63° / 40°
11 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Carmel Valley, CA, 16.4 mi away at 480 ft. The station sits about 1,400 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
