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Snyder Trail/Knapp's Castle

Rating: [out of 5]
For:	Snyder is longer and uphill. Knapps castle deserves a 1, if you start from the top, because it is very short.

Knapp's Castle - Photo by Ray Ford

Look out for kamikaze mountain bikers hell-bent for leather on Snyder trail. This trail attracts some of the worst ones.

Snyder trail is a nice hike on its own, or you can make a loop with the Freemont trail. The loop is a nice car shuttle hike if you have a group of people. If not you will wind up walking on Paradise road for about a mile and a half at the end. Freemont trail is a historical trail of sorts, being an old stagecoach route. Or so I've heard. You will also get to hike to an old ruined lodge called Knapp's Castle.

Knapp's Castle can be a short destination of its own on a warm summer night to watch the sunset if you start from East Camino Cielo Rd. instead. See the map and directions to the trailhead.

You will need an Adventure Pass to park your car for either hike.

Snyder trail on its own is a little over 7 miles.

Snyder-Freemont Loop is done as a car shuttle (which means two cars - one at the start and one at the finish) is about 8 miles. Add another 1.6 miles if you don't have that second car.

Knapp's Castle Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: February 13, 2011, 9:25 am
by: Cross Tie Walker

I see. Thx Calli.

calli wrote:

Curious as to how you didn't read my previous posting. The plan to help the community is by PRESESRVATION for the future. If you enjoy the views and ruins, shouldn't our future generations enjoy it as well?
The guy who owns the property was very nice by letting us cross over the private lines - and someone betrayed his trust by turning him into the County. Good job, now he has every right to enforce his private property rights and arrest any tresspassers.

Posted: February 13, 2011, 8:57 am
by: calli

Posted: February 12, 2011, 6:40 pm
by: Cross Tie Walker

Curious as to how the work (now since shut down by the County; see http://nicholshuffles.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/dec-jan-2011-045.jpg) was intended to help the community. What were the plans?

calli wrote:

In regard to the work being done up at Knapp's - it has nothing to do with a film set or movie production. The new owner is doing reconstructive and prevention construction to help with past vandalism and to preserve what is left for future generations. Despite the "private property" sign trying to deter us from hiking past, the owner doesn't mind; he is a very nice man just trying to help out our community.

Posted: December 13, 2010, 10:36 am
by: calli

Posted: November 24, 2010, 7:21 pm
by: Cross Tie Walker

As has been reported, there is some work being done up at Knapp's Castle, but nothing preventing hikers from visitors. There was a phone number posted for information with regard to the property, and it's a movie location/location scouting company. So I suspect the day laborers who were clearing some brush and doing some refitting on the chimney are there preparing the site for a film set. (Conjecture at this point.)

Posted: October 31, 2010, 2:23 pm
by: pinkmachismo

Visited Knapp's Castle this past Friday for the first time in years. I was disappointed to find that the lodge area is now crowded with a trailer and a large amount of construction equipment and debris. Sort of ruins the effect. Just thought I would post to warn those of you planning on visiting soon.

Posted: April 18, 2010, 12:45 am
by: ChrisMcC

Visited for the first time today, what a cool spot! Especially for photography.

Brought my 6-month pregnant wife and 17-month old son, so we just parked close to the ruins Smile

. It was an easy walk down the dirt road to reach them.

A note about finding the trailhead: After you turn right on East Camino Cielo, there's a dirt road to the left closed off by a gate about two miles in--this is not it. The correct spot is farther down after the road gets a little rougher. It was at exactly 3 miles in on our odometer. Here's a pic of the trailhead.

This is kind of stupid, but I was a little confused because I had always assumed Knapp's Castle looks out over Santa Barbara. It's actually on the other side facing Santa Ynez!

Here's an HDR photo I took from our outing.[/img]

Posted: December 9, 2007, 9:40 am
by: BSA Troop 42

The Knapp's Castle area is in good shape. East Camino Cielo off of Highway 154 is signed for closures during road work starting 10 December 2007.

Posted: July 24, 2007, 1:07 am
by: robiwan

Easy trail fun walk took us 3 hours to go from snyder trailhead to knapp castle and back. We stopped to eat and took a couple of breaks to drink. there is a sleepy hollow type part of this trail where the trees grow over the path. its good place to stop and rest.

Posted: September 12, 2005, 6:03 pm
by: Anonymous

Knapp's castle is privately owned and recently was purchased by someone who will actually be using the property. I am friends of the new owners and I've heard there may be occasional restrictions on physically visiting the ruins. There is a good chance the new owners may be building outbuildings and have power moved onto the site.