Willow Creek
Photo: Intothewoods29, Public domain (via Wikimedia Commons)- 12.6 mi
- round trip
- 2,815 ft
- climb
- 3,297 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Oct–May
- best months
Caution today
Agency alerts are in effect for this area; weather is good · USFS, OpenWeather · checked 8 min ago
Is Willow Creek open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Monterey Ranger District. It doesn't name Willow 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.
Willow Creek is a hard hike in California's Silver Peak Wilderness, part of the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest. The trail is an out-and-back that climbs from a low point of about 630 feet to a high of 3,297 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 2,815 feet over roughly 12.6 miles. The Forest Service manages the land, and the route is natural-surface and not accessible. Spring and fall are the most comfortable times to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Priest Valley, which sits about 1,000 feet lower, show May and October highs near 79°F with lows around 40°F. That station records no snow days from December through March, and July and August average highs of about 96°F. Plaskett Creek Campground, about 2.3 miles away, is the closest nearby base. Prewitt Loop and Prewitt Ridge Trail are both within about 3.5 miles, and Kirk Creek campground is about 7.4 miles off.
Plaskett Creek CampgroundSurf fishing2.3 mi
Prewitt LoopHikingPhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3.2 mi- Prewitt Ridge TrailHikingPhoto: pom'., CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)3.5 mi
- CruickshankHiking3.8 mi
Silver Peak TrailHikingPhoto: kueda, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5.6 mi
Silver Peak UsetrailHikingPhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)5.7 mi- Kirk CreekCamping7.4 mi
- PonderosaCamping7.6 mi
Source: Roamze catalog (indexable pages within 10 miles, PostGIS distance)
- Silver Peak TrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: kueda, CC BY 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Spruce CreekHiking · ~12 min drivePhoto: sergei.gussev, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Williams Ranch Ridge UsetrailHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
Stone Ridge TrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: vikjam, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- Silver Peak UsetrailHiking · ~10 min drivePhoto: cjuneau, CC BY 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
San AntonioHiking · ~17 min drivePhoto: Demi Lucas, CC BY 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Williams Ranch Water UsetrailHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: inkknife_2000 (7.5 million views +), CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)
KIRK CREEKHiking · ~13 min drivePhoto: Roger Sylvia, CC BY-SA 3.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- Stone Ridge Spine PathHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: vikjam, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)
Lottie PotreroHiking · ~18 min drivePhoto: Farhill, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)
Best time to visit Willow 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, 46 mi away at 2,300 ft. The station sits about 1,000 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
