Spruce Creek
Photo: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 10.0 mi
- round trip
- 1,496 ft
- climb
- 2,123 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jan–Dec
- best months
Is Spruce Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Spruce 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.
Spruce Creek is a 10-mile out-and-back hike in the Silver Peak Wilderness, part of the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest in California. The trail is managed by the Forest Service and rated hard, with a one-way climb of about 1,500 feet from a low point of 740 feet to a high of 2,123 feet. The route is on natural surface and allows horses but not bikes. It is not an accessible trail. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Hearst Castle show July and August highs in the mid-70s with almost no wet days, while winter months bring highs around 60 and about eight wet days a month. That station sits roughly 600 feet lower than the trail's high point, so temperatures on the ridge run cooler. Nearby hikes include Mount Mars Southeast Ridge Usetrail, Salmon Creek and Silver Peak Usetrail, all within about a mile and a half. The Nacimiento River, about 7.6 miles away, offers canoeing.
Mount Mars Southeast Ridge UsetrailHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)0.9 mi- Salmon CreekHikingPhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)1 mi
Silver Peak UsetrailHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.3 mi- BuckeyeHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.5 mi
- Soda SpringsHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)1.6 mi
Nacimiento RiverCanoeingPhoto: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)7.6 mi
Plaskett Creek CampgroundSurf fishing9.2 mi- Arroyo de la CruzCanoeing10 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)
Williams Ranch Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~5 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Williams Ranch Southern UsetrailHiking · ~7 min drivePhoto: cjuneau from Ottawa, CANADA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Stone Ridge TrailHiking · ~29 min drivePhoto: vikjam, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Silver Peak UsetrailHiking · ~2 min drivePhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 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)
Prewitt Ridge TrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)- Rocky Butte Truck TrailHiking · ~16 min drive
Dutra UsetrailHiking · ~4 min drivePhoto: Farhill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Lottie PotreroHiking · ~6 min drivePhoto: Farhill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Also worth it near here
- Route 1 - Big Sur Coast HighwayScenic drive · ~4 min drive
- Ragged Point Trail and OverlookBeach · ~5 min drive
- Nacimiento RiverCanoeing · ~13 min drivePhoto: Kjkolb, CC BY 2.5 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Gremlin BoulderRock climbing · ~14 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Woodrow ReservoirLake fishing · ~16 min drive
Best time to visit Spruce Creek
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, 13.9 mi away at 1,526 ft. The station sits about 600 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
