FOM FOK Hiking Group

Hidden Villa

Description

About half of the hike is enclosed and half is exposed. The poison oak has sprung up quite a bit between the end of March and the middle of April. Make sure wear socks and jeans. Hike is easy on the "Wimble Scale." Plan on at least one large water bottle—or more if it is very warm. You can buy cold water in a bottle for $1 at the Visitor's Center. The short, less than 2 mile hike [in blue] will take about an hour and involve about 600 feet of climb. The longer, 2.5 mile hike [in red] will take about an hour and a half or a bit more and involve about 700 feet of climb.

Directions

[On map, short trip is in blue, long trip is in red]

Pay $5 to park at the first parking lot—next to the Visitor's Center.
Then grab a map and take the back trail behind the farm. There are lots of posted signs about flora in the area.
Follow the trail to the farm, then cross the road near the hostel and take, you guessed it, the "Hostel Trail". This is a steep, but sufficiently winding trail (maybe it really should be called "The Hostile Trail") waaaay up the the edge of the canyon.

The switch backs make this a bearable hike, even for the casual hiker. It may even be easier than the Rhus Ridge climb. There are plenty of vista points along the way to the top.
Go beyond the Toyon Trail cutoff all the way to the Grapevine Trail. This trail is not marked well with a sign, but you can find it by following the map. The summit is a bit before you hit the Grapevine Trail.
Short loop
- From here, the rest of the trip is downhill. Bear right at the Grapevine Trail intersection and descend to the Adobe Creek Trail intersection.
Long loop
- Bear left at the Grapevine Trail intersection and continue climbing slightly until you intersect with the Black Mountain Trail.
- Turn Right on the Black Mountain Trail and climb slightly for between one and two tenths mile until you intersect the somewhat hidden Swing Hill Trail. This trail cuts back sharply towards the Black Mountain Trail, so you have to be looking for it.
- From here, it is pretty much all downhill. Take the Swing Hill Trail until you intersect with the Adobe Creek Trail.
Bear right along the Adobe Creek Trail, where you will follow a lovely stream and cross three wooden bridges back to the farm.
Take either the trail behind the farm, or the paved road back to the parking lot.

Flowers

California Toothward, Milkmaids [Dentaria laciniata]
Miner's Lettuce, Indian Lettuce [Claytonia perfoliata]
Soap plant, Soap root, or Amole [Chlorogalum pomeridianum]
[Many more - to be filled in yet]

Trip Reports

Saturday, March 25, 2000

Kathy and Michael took the short trip as a preview hike. The wild flowers were just beginning to come up.

Saturday, April 15, 2000

Kathy, Michael, and Gwynneth took the long trip. The wild flowers were out en masse.