Portrero Trail to Hurricane Deck

Portrero Trail is a challenging climb up to Hurricane Deck, where there are amazing vistas of the rugged, remote back country wilderness. It is very very hot in summer and the trail, after it begins climbing out of the river bed, has no water at all and very limited shade. For this reason it is best not to attempt this hike in summer, when temperatures can reach into the 90s and 100s. In fact, it gets so hot on Hurricane Deck that the rocks clink together when you walk on them like high-fired china dishes!

But don't be persuaded against Portrero Trail and Hurricane Deck. The thrill of the sheer cliff vista point, the intense remoteness of the area, and the lure of the name - Hurricane Deck - is what draws you back again and again.

Portrero Trail hike follows the Manzana trail toward the schoolhouse, then veers to the right to climb Hurricane Deck to a pleasant vista. The total mileage is around 8 miles round trip.

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

Potrero Trail Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: March 31, 2008, 1:37 pm
by: Diane

We hiked the Potrero trail from Hurricane Deck down to Potrero camp. The lower half of Potrero trail is untouched by the fire. The upper half is almost completely devastated with the exception of the Oak meadow which is as pretty as ever. By devastated I mean that the trail where it traverses laterally is scary going and much of the area burned so hot that nothing survived, not even spring flowers. The little reliable water source near the Oak meadow is silted in. No water was available there.

Posted: April 1, 2007, 7:24 pm
by: badoix

Hiked the Potrero trail from the Manzana trailhead to Hurricane deck yesterday. The Potrero trail (from the Potrero back-country camp near the Manzana creek) is completely sun-exposed and there's absolutely no shade except for the little grassy patch just after 3 mi. from the start. So if you must do it on a sunny day - carry lots of water! The trail is quite overgrown at several locations, but can still be followed. The end-point is indistinct; the trail joins Hurricane Deck trail at about 4.6 miles, but to get really awesome 360 degree views of the back-country you have to continue past one or two crests to get to an exposed spot on a narrow ridge at around 6 miles. It's a really long day hike, but the wild, remote back-country experience and the oasis-in-the-desert grass meadow (the potrero) halfway there are what make this trail worth it. We saw a couple of rattlesnakes (one gave a loud rattle every time we went past it) and deer near Davy Brown campground on the return. I'd have liked to spend some more time on the meadow exploring the caves nearby but we couldn't.

Posted: November 26, 2006, 1:04 pm
by: BernardMines

Yesterday we, some of the Wednesday night crowd, hiked the Potrero trail in the backcountry. This is one of those kind of locals only trails. Its on the map but only a few intrepid hikers ever go on it. Just a quarter mile before you hit Nira camp there is a turn off parking area. This is where you'd park if you were going to hike down to the Manzana School house. So you hike down the Manzana trail about a mile until you reach Potrero Camp. If you continue down the river you'd reach Manzana School house in 5 miles or so. There is also the Hurricane Deck trail that runs parallel to the Manzana Trail but due north a couple miles. Hurricane Deck is this mountain range that lies between the Sisqoc River and the Manzana River. The Hurricane Deck trail runs for about 20 miles or so, along the ridge of hurricane deck. The ridgeline is at an elevation of 4-5000 feet, and the rivers are closer to 1000, so it is a fairly high mountain. This is one of those stunningly beautiful areas. One can access Hurricane Deck from several points. The Hidden Valley trail is one of them. The Potrero trail is another one of the access points.



From the Manzana river the trail rises steeply up the flank of a tributary creek. The trail eventually rises up to a ridge line and follows the ridge on up with a gain of about 3000 feet or so over about 3 miles, to eventually hit the top of the deck. We are not going quite that far. Instead we are heading to the rocks that are maybe 4-5ths of the way there.



The landscape is sort of hard to define. In general it has this sort of sun blasted Southern California look. By the creek are pines and small meadows intermixed with arctostpholis and chemise. Medusa grass seems to grow right along the trail. You have to watch your fingers or it will pierce the skin and the needle thin thorn will break off. As you rise up above the river the landscape turns into the sort of standard chaparral scrub. So you hike steeply up this trail, eventually you reach a few interesting large rocks near the top.



There is a sort of hidden meadow up here and oak trees. This is I think a continuation of the same strata of rock that forms Castle rock and the Condor Caves, only about 6 miles or so due West. And like the Condor Caves there are a few well known Chumash cave paintings out here.


So as we reach the meadow area the trail descends slightly and the area changes from that sort of sun blasted chaparral to a more sun dappled meadow with oaks and rocks. We go maybe 100 yards further before we have to hit a sort of hidden trail. Look sharp to your right. The hidden trail runs along this small dry drainage. You can look out a half-mile or so and see all these large rocks. The largest are the size of a small house. Watch the trail it goes up and down. It’s easy to get a little lost as the trail crosses several drainages, and the trail is also sort of overgrown. The first drainage crossing had us a little lost, as I followed the drainage down to what could not possibly be the correct way, it took us merely a minute or so before I turned around and headed back up the creek. The trail in fact crosses back over the creek but its sort of hard to spot. There are several small drainages that we cross as the trail meanders towards the rocks. Our real destination is not yet visible from the trail. We come over another low rise and from there you can see where we are going its a large flatish rock about 20 feet high or so and about the size of a large house. You know you're at the right place when you see the metal log box on a pole. So we have our lunch in the mouth of a small cave on this large rock. There are numerous caves to explore. Some of the best are little tiny caves.


I think Steve was a bit pleasantly surprised at our destination. Steve wanted to go to the backcountry and having not done too much hiking back here is more liable to choose a destination based on the images conjured up by the name. liked the lilt of the sound of "Fish Camp" on his lips. Having been there I find this camp site maybe one of the least desirable places to camp. (I remember one time a boy scout, wishing me an unenthusiastic good luck crossing the creek there are fish camp, this sort of heavy overloaded pack, like unenthusiasm will always remind me of fish camp) The caves are in fact where I wanted to go, but I sort of had to convince Steve that it was worth seeing. Steve sort of reluctantly agreed. But was more than pleasently surprised at the destination.

At about 3:15 or so we started back. The hike down was very peaceful and quiet. The bright sunlight losing some of its intensity, and the chill sort of nipping in the air as the shadows started to grow. We make it to Potrero camp at the intersection of the Potrero trail and the Manzana trail at about 4:40. The sunlight is rapidly fading, so I wish the rest of the crew a pleasant evening, they are camping but I've got dogs to feed and walk at home so I can not spend the night out here.



The walk along the trail above the river is just exactly perfect. As is very often the case when I walk this way I feel like my soul has been cleansed and I feel happy, alive and centered. I make it to the trailhead at exactly 5:04pm. This is perfect timing as the sun has already fallen behind the hills and it is dusk.



The drive back takes only an hour and ten minutes. The dogs are joyous at my return. I prepare a dinner of roast chicken with onions, mashed potatoes and corn. I have a couple beers, walk the dogs and eat an enjoyable dinner all by myself in the house. The smells of the roasting onions, and chicken combined with the chilly temperatures outside make it seem particularly cozy. I think of the boys out there at Potrero camp rolling around on the hard ground in their sleeping bags for warmth as I sit on the couch eating a delicious dinner, the dogs unsuccessfully begging at my feet. But I know too that if I was out there none of it would seem like hardship. Instead the challange to find comfort would seem like adventure. And the morning coffee out in the wilderness, even if its instant, is better then the best blue Mt. beans in town. As you sit warming youselves in the morning sunlight.

Posted: April 23, 2006, 8:41 pm
by: Bryan

Hiked the Potrero trail as far as Negus Meadow this weekend Someone has done some great work on that trail over the past three years (THANK YOU!). I lopped the stray bushes and branches that reached for my pack. Trail is in fine shape.

Saw a BIG bear at the far east end of the meadow. The bear was the biggest I've seen in our backcountry and extremely black. Those encounter experiences are magical when they occur.

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Posted: March 23, 2005, 7:37 pm
by: Diane

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