Lost Valley to Castle Rock

This hike begins at Nira at the Manzana trailhead. It follows the same path as the Lost Valley Trail hike. The difference is a nice side-trip off the trail for an adventurous climb up a distinctive rock formation. Don't try this hike if you are nervous about climbing a slippery, crumbly rock.

When you reach the summit, the rock towers hundreds of feet, with sheer cliffs, over the valley below. Hurricane deck is right in front of you, and you can imagine there must be a short-cut up to the Deck along a ridge. Perhaps one day I'll explore and see if it can be done. Or maybe not.

There is an interesting spot to have lunch where there is a natural ampitheater, similar to the pool on top of Pool Rock. If you could just block off the one end, it could fill up with rain water and make a great swimming pool. The sandstone, although too crumbly for hardcore climbing, is fun to walk on and explore. There are many similar rock formations in the area, many with little windworn caves. Lots of interesting places to explore.

This hike is about 9 miles round trip. It is a gentle incline the whole way, and then very strenuous the last 1/4-1/2 mile.

You will need an Adventure Pass to park at the trailhead.

Lost Valley Trail and Castle Rock Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: August 3, 2009, 11:16 am
by: alexjob.sb

I just got back yesterday from a 2 day backpacking trip up the Lost Valley Trail. First of all if you take the trail all the way back to the Hurricane Deck T intersection, where it ends, the hike is more of a ~20 mile round trip. Current conditions, as of 8/1, are VERY dry. Sulfur Creek is empty, with the exception of some small standing pools. The spring mentioned in the hike description trickling and proves quite a pain to get any water from. I took 3 liters of water and drank almost all of it the first day making the hike back down quite dehydrating although the little water I did manage to get from the spring helped despite its sulfuric taste (I used a Katadyn purifying bottle).

The landscape, although showing obvious signs of the Zaca fire, is breath taking. Once you make your way up the crumbling trail that hugs the hills on the way up, you’ll be stoked to find gorgeous vistas of hills, valleys, rock formations and Hurricane Deck. About 8 miles in I spotted bear tracks hardened into the trail. It looked like a medium to large sized bear had been up there when the ground was wet and his tracks had dried in the mud. In addition I found fresh coyote tracks, saw a couple rattle snakes and about a million quail. I did bring a bear can for my food just in case as there are no trees to hang your smelly stuff at the end of the trail where Lost Valley intersects with Hurricane Deck. The trail is pretty easy to follow all the way to the end although one must be aware of little turnoffs that end in a wall of brush.

The Poison Oak is doing quite well right now so I’d take care to keep an eye out for it on either side of the trail as it often hangs over right a shin height. Most of the pine trees have been scorched badly by the Zaca fire but many oaks are making solid headway in producing new growth. If you’re intending to head left on Hurricane Deck toward the Manzana area I’d recommend you plan to get up there while you have at least 3 hours of daylight left. The trail is incredibly difficult to find and almost impossible in the evening.

In conclusion just a couple tips to keep in mind at least during the current weather and seasonal conditions. If you even intend on just going up Lost Valley and back, bring lots of water. Like I said I brought 3 liters and it wasn’t enough. Given I am a 6’3” dude who sweats like nobody’s business but I should have gone with at least a gallon if not a gallon and a half. As far as food I’d recommend going super lightweight with stuff high in carbs and protein. Clif and Luna bars a great with perhaps some boiled eggs and wheat bread. Something I found myself craving too was fruit so maybe throw a couple oranges and apples in you back as well. Nira is a great campground to park in and the creek there had enough water in it to take a blissful dip in after getting back down from the trip. As for the adventure pass I’d recommend getting the year long pass at Big-5 for $30. Road conditions on the way to Nira are adequate and you shouldn’t have much of a problem getting there in any sort of car. Also a great tool is the Bryan Conant map of the San Rafael Wilderness. Lost Valley seemed pretty darn accurate and his topographic indicators are extremely helpful.

Posted: April 26, 2009, 5:53 pm
by: Jade

We attempted the Castle Rock hike for the first time, and didn't end up making it there. I was on the lookout for a campsite, a pool with some water, and fallen pines, and didn't see any of those things - we eventually ended up at the campsite under the oak tree.

We found where the trail continued around the hill after the camp, but it was extremely overgrown, and we had to duck under a lot of vegetation. Then about 1/4 mile after the camp we followed it into a sort of ravine, and lost it completely. We couldn't find it in any direction, and we were getting tired, so we turned back.

Up until the camp by the oak tree, though, the trail is overgrown with weeds, but generally in good shape and not hard to follow. There is still a little water running in parts of Sulfur Creek, but we didn't come across any water sources where you could easily refill your bottles.

I wish I knew where we missed the turnoff!

Posted: December 22, 2008, 6:47 pm
by: carp_nb

The Lost Valley Trail is a bit of an adventure right now if you go past the spring/campground. Up until that point (leaving from the Manzana Trail), the trail is in amazing shape. Almost more like a freeway or a running track; it's perfectly groomed.

It's a totally different story from there up to the junction with the Hurrican Deck Trail. Bring loppers, a saw and some nerves. Sections of the trail are pretty washed out wherever a creek or drainage intersects the old road. Some of these make for very sketchy, very loose scrambles along an exposed edge. The north facing sections of the trail are very grown over. It's like a slalom course weaving in and out brush. The fire left lots of dead sticks to poke and scratch you as you weave your way along the trail. We tried to prune some of the branches but we were running short on time and couldn't be as thorough as we would have liked. More for next time, I guess.

Up near the top of the trail before you hit the Deck there are a couple more sketchy washouts. It's passable on foot but be really careful. A trekking pole or two would help. I don't think you could do it with stock.

Posted: November 6, 2006, 5:26 pm
by: BernardMines

Did a big backcountry hike yesterday. Hiked out of Nira to Castle rock. Its one of those mildly epic back country hikes. Starting at the Manzana River hiking up and then along the Lost Valley trail about 5 miles. Eventually you end up near some rock formations near the top end of the canyon,

You go off the main trail along a creek and find the rough trail. Look for the cairn at the channel of two creeks and folllow up that trail! Its sort of ill defined but don't trust the game trails if you have to get scraped up to continue thru. You are going to the top of the rocks you cannot even see from the trail. From below it does not look that spectacular. The hillside is very steep and loose and you are scrambling thru Spanish swords and chemise. So it’s a sort of painful and sweaty hike to the top.

Abutting the top of the hillside is a large rock formation, its sandstone, but its very coarse and hard. The way its eroded gives the rock very interesting shapes, the lower rocks have some interesting spines. We've named one shark rock for the large fin; another is more like a stegosaurus, for the bone like plate emerging from the top of a boulder. As you get to the upper terraces the rock has soft curves. Among the curves are small pockets of soil with vegetation, grass growing in them and pine trees, a few ferns. So the plant life changes dramatically from very sharp and scratchy to soft and mystical.

The rock platform is about 50 feet wide at the widest and maybe 150 yards long, and its terraced, onto several levels. Eventually you make it to the top platform. From below your view is a rather narrow view of a dry canyon, and a desert like hillside scramble. From the top you realize that the creek you hiked up to get to the canyon has this big reverse delta. Lots of little channels have worn away a rather complicated set of little valleys, which filter into the main creek that you hiked up. The delta has worn away the rock that sort of opens up into a large bowl, maybe a mile or two across. Your view is like that of being on the roof of a 10 story building in the center of it. From below you only see the one narrow canyon, from above you realize there is a warren of them.

You have an enormous sweeping view of mountains and canyons on all sides. The northern edge being Hurricane deck, the lower slopes are rough chaparral and the top is a golden grass meadows. The other slopes are all just chaparral forest. The sunlight is glistening and not a cloud in the sky. Its a perfect late fall warm day where the sunlight is just so intense and so crisp and sparkling, that the view is really unfocused and intangible, very like an impressionist painting, no people and no signs of syphilization to speak of. Though there are Indian pictographs hidden in a few rock caves in this area if you know where to look.

We drank wine on top admiring the view and lay down in a rock bowl contoured enough to be very comfortable and we took a little nap.

Posted: August 9, 2006, 10:55 pm
by: bkraushaar

hiked part of the lost valley trail today. In adequate shape for the first couple miles. Some areas have crumbly shale accompanied by 30+ft drops on the side that are not very safe feeling. Once you begin to cross stream, trail gets very overgrown and semi difficult to follow (Forgot my Loppers). HOT day, so we descided to take it easy and return before we made it to the spring. Fun Hike, but trail could use some maintenance!

Posted: April 27, 2006, 8:33 am
by: bitingspider

Nira to the big rocks for a night 4/22-23 - first ones on the trail so got the pleasure of knocking off hundreds of ticks. Lost Valley trail certainly easy to follow - beyond the streamside campsite though it's pretty overgrown. Fresh bear tracks in the creekbed below 'castle rock'. We got a nice rain that night.

Posted: March 28, 2006, 6:38 pm
by: Bryan

Trail from the special turnoff up to the Hurricane Deck is in pretty bad shape. Since it used to be a road that is now overgrown with trees the hike felt more like a slalom run than a hike. Bobbing and weaving in and out of trees. No crawling but the trail could use lots of clearing. From Manzana to the special turnout is fine and smooth sailing. BRING LOPPERS when you do this - it needs the help!

Posted: January 29, 2006, 6:49 pm
by: Anonymous

Weather was unbeatable -- warm with a good breeze. The last 1/2 mile was pretty tricky, but manageable. Total trip was 8.4 miles (GPS) from Camp Nira.

---

Posted: January 17, 2006, 12:20 pm
by: Anonymous

Did the Nira-Manzana-Whiteledge-Lost Valley loop. Sections of trail at the top are still pretty washed out and tricky. Lots of ticks on the switchbacks of the old road.
Mileage signs on the loop don't quite seem accurate. The sign at Hurricane Deck/Lost Valley trails said 12 to Nira. The sign at Lost Valley/Manzana trails said 13 to Whiteledge. Anyone know what the actual mileages are?

Posted: July 17, 2005, 11:54 am
by: Anonymous

No ticks, clear skies and good breeze. Lots of horney toads, turkey vultures, and red-tails out. Good trail and easy to follow along the water.

Posted: June 1, 2005, 5:58 pm
by: BSA Troop 42

30 May 05 – Trail is good. The spring 2.9 miles down Lost Valley Trail from the Hurricane Deck Trail was flowing; Twin Oak Camp had water. No ticks. No rattlesnakes found. Our deepest thanks to those with the energy and initiative required to maintain the trails.

Posted: May 5, 2005, 2:14 pm
by: Anonymous

I heard from Wilderness Ranger Dave that he and a friend worked Lost Valley up to the Hurricane Deck junction. Just cutting the big stuff so you can get through. We went up to Castle Rock this past weekend and the trail looked real good. Just did some minor touch up to Dave's work.

Posted: March 31, 2005, 5:36 pm
by: Anonymous

I did a solo trip from Camp Nira through to Santa Barbara Canyon in late March 2005. Lost Valley Trail is lightly used and very overgrown beyond the junction to those now off-limits archeological sites. The last 300 yds. before the old road begins to switchback up the mountain is completely washed out and trail is hard to find. Keep going to the lovely camp under the two big live oaks, and then cut back sharply to the right to begin the switchbacks. There is a big slip-out about 1/2 mile before the junction with the Hurricane Deck trail. Anybody foolish enough to have pushed a horse this far will find no way to go beyond. Hikers only; wear full clothing for ticks and brush.

Posted: March 23, 2005, 7:34 pm
by: Diane

Post your update here.