Salmon Creek
Photo: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 10.1 mi
- round trip
- 2,761 ft
- climb
- 3,220 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–May
- best months
Caution at last check
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 14 h ago
Is Salmon Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Salmon Creek, 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.
Salmon Creek is a hard hike in California's Los Padres National Forest, within the Monterey Ranger District. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from about 656 feet to 3,220 feet, with a total elevation gain of 2,761 feet over a distance of about 10 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is natural-surface and open year-round. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Priest Valley show May and October highs around 79°F, while July and August average about 96°F. That station sits roughly 900 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. The trail is not accessible, and horses are allowed. Several other hikes start close by, including Buckeye and Mount Mars Southeast Ridge Usetrail, each about a mile away, and Spruce Creek and Soda Springs within about a mile and a quarter.
BuckeyeHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)0.9 mi- Mount Mars Southeast Ridge UsetrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.9 mi
Spruce CreekHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1 mi- Soda SpringsHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.2 mi
- Silver Peak UsetrailHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.6 mi
Nacimiento RiverCanoeingPhoto: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)8.5 mi
Plaskett Creek CampgroundSurf fishing9.4 mi- Arroyo de la CruzCanoeing9.7 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Mount Mars Southeast Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
- Spruce CreekHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Williams Ranch Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Stone Ridge TrailHiking · ~30 min drivePhoto: vikjam, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Silver Peak UsetrailHiking · ~3 min drivePhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Williams Ranch Southern UsetrailHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: cjuneau from Ottawa, CANADA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Williams Ranch Water UsetrailHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Rocky Butte Truck TrailHiking · ~17 min drive
Dutra UsetrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Farhill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Prewitt Ridge TrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Also worth it near here
- Route 1 - Big Sur Coast HighwayScenic drive · ~2 min drive
- Ragged Point Trail and OverlookBeach · ~5 min drive
Gremlin BoulderRock climbing · ~14 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Nacimiento RiverCanoeing · ~15 min drivePhoto: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)
- Plaskett Creek CampgroundCamping · ~16 min drive
Best time to visit Salmon Creek
Best months: October–May. 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
59° / 30°
10 wet
Feb
60° / 33°
10 wet
Mar
65° / 34°
8 wet
Apr
70° / 35°
5 wet
May
79° / 41°
2 wet
Jun
89° / 46°
1 wet
Jul
96° / 51°
0 wet
Aug
96° / 51°
0 wet
Sep
91° / 47°
1 wet
Oct
79° / 39°
3 wet
Nov
66° / 32°
5 wet
Dec
58° / 30°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Priest Valley, CA, 45.1 mi away at 2,300 ft. The station sits about 900 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
