Rattlesnake Creek Trail (2E11) and Rattlesnake Camp in the Ventana Wilderness A Brief History
Jack Glendening
Because of its historical significance, now much
forgotten, I've developed an attachment for Rattlesnake Creek Trail
and to Rattlesnake Camp, the peaceful, secluded, and seldom visited
camp which lies along it. This webpage pulls together bits of
information I've gathered.
shows it connecting with Devils Peak and the Little Sur drainage, along what are
currently known as the Ventana Double Cone (VDC) and Skinner Ridge Trails, before
the existence of the current Big Pines Trail,
Ventana Double Cone Trail, Puerto Suelo Trail, Danish Creek Trail, and even the Carmel
River Trail. The 1921 USGS Jamesburg Quadrangle map
(based on 1917 surveys) shows more detail.
Sections of the original Rattlesnake Creek Trail have now been reconfigured and renamed to
become sections of the Big Pines, Danish Creek, and Skinner Ridge Trails - the official
USFS Rattlesnake Creek Trail currently terminates at trailheads on the Big Pines and Ventana Double
Cone Trails.
1930-1960: VDC Trail development
Rattlesnake Creek Trail was
used to support initial construction (1935-36) and resupply of the VDC lookout
tower and trail via mule train. (Later, for unknown reasons, the resupply route was changed
to Bottchers Gap.).
Sometime, apparently after 1956, its uppermost end was rerouted,
probably a "bypass" to make the VDC ascent more direct - the later
route heads SW from Little Pines Spring (instead of NW)
to intersect the current VDC Trail.
Until 2016, the historic 1921 route was still marked by a signpost along
the VDC Trail, its trail sign having been removed (presumably after the "bypass" re-routing) to leave just holes and a bolt.
But though escaping many past fires, the sign and its post were finally destroyed by the Soberanes fire in 2016.
Historic Trail Signpost (note bolt for missing 90° signboard)
1960's: trail restoration
At some unknown date the trail fell into disuse. It was
reopened by H.J. McCracken circa 1965, who placed tin markers on trees to guide hikers
along the trail, essentially following the 1921 quadrangle map route.
McCracken Marker
These markers can be found from
Danish Creek up to Little Pines Camp, though sparser at the higher
elevations. (Above there, my assumption is that he followed the
1921 route, not than the later bypass route - but I've not found any
markers above Little Pines Camp along either route.)
1990-2010: sporadic maintenance
The trail has been maintained sporadically since its restoration.
In the 1990's, Bob Eaton's Ventana Mounted Assistance Group and some
Cachagua locals helped maintain the trail. It later
became impassable but was restored in the
2000's by Rami Shihadeh, Jan Doelman, and Stephenson School hikers -
and likely unknown others. But by 2010 it was again
overgrown above Rattlesnake Camp.
2010: my introduction
My personal acquaintance with Rattlesnake Creek Trail and
Rattlesnake Camp came in 2010, after
losing the trail in brush above the camp on a dayhike.
I did an overnight backpack
to explore further
and flag the trail markers I could find above the camp, then asked Jan
Doelman to show me the upper, mostly unmarked, trail. He, Rami, and Paul
Danielson helped clear brush to where the trail leaves the creek and
the following day Jan led me up the remaining, less brushy,
section to the VDC Trail.
(As a culmination, I then
backpacked up Rattlesnake Creek Trail, staying overnight at Little
Pines Camp, to make my first VDC summit on Oct 26, 2010.)
I believe this was the last time that any clearing was done above Rattlesnake
Camp.
2010+: above Rattlesnake Camp
I did not do any later work on the section above the camp
(nor did anyone else, to my knowledge)
so that became impassable, as attested by
my 2013 experience
trying to go down from the VDC Trail to Little Pines Spring. So I had to make that a "lost" trail
location on my
Big Sur Trailmap .
2010+: Rattlesnake Camp
I made periodic trips from Danish Creek up to Rattlesnake Camp,
the last in November 2015,
doing some lopping and sawing and flagging - so that section remained difficult but doable
for the determined hiker (though a GPS with
accurate trail data was very helpful).
But the 2016 Soberanes fire and following heavy rains produced downfall and brush growth which
rendered that route "impassable". Rattlesnake
Camp itself
did survive the fire
- but those seeking to visit it are now advised to bushwhack instead of trying to follow the trail.
Historic Little Pines Camp
"Little Pines Camp" used to be lie along the trail about 150 feet below
Little Pines Spring -
a basin up in a tree marks that location, near a tree blaze (at
N36.35502,W121.72225).
Little Pines Camp (note basin in tree)
Unfortunately the 1977 Marble Cone Fire led to erosion
which filled its flat area, after which the icemaker stove and sign were
relocated (to a flat area 1/8 mile below Little Pines Spring, 50
ft south of the trail, at N36.35550,W121.72075). But a huge pine
later fell, largely covering
the area, the sign burned, and that site is no longer used.
Little Pines "Use" Camp
When the "bypass" route was passable, hikers taking the VDC Trail to
VDC summit would often camp at the trail's upper end, going down 1/4 mile to get
water at Little Pines Spring. Many maps show a "Little Pines
Camp" at that location, but to my understanding the true camp,
with sign and stove, was at the "basin in tree" location described
above so this was really a "use camp" - but with the loss of the "historic" Little Pines Camp,
this can be considered the "new" Little Pines Camp. Unfortunately, the route to the spring is overgrown so this
use camp is now "dry" and seldom used.
Rattlesnake Camp
Rattlesnake Camp has survived numerous wildfires, the most recent being the 2016 Soberanes Wildfire which only singed the camp.
As of my last visit in 2017, Rattlesnake Camp remains in good shape, no trees having
fallen on it, still (presumably due to lack
of use) with a USFS grate and an icemaker store with chimney and a sturdy picnic table (though showing some wear)
Rattlesnake Camp - Picnic Table and Grate
and a sign.
Rattlesnake Camp - Sign
Rattlesnake Creek happily burbles alongside (I've always found water,
even in drought when lower Danish Creek was bone dry). In
2010 I placed a camp register so the few hikers who
reach there can record their tale and read about others who have
passed that way.
A metal sign at the eastern
trailhead near Danish Creek points adventuresome hikers to
his peaceful camp.
(If you go, it would be nice to bring along loppers and saw to help do some
clearing along the way )
Danish Creek Trailhead Sign
(note: Rattlesnake Camp is mislocated on many maps, shown as lying along
a ridgeline - the camp actually lies 0.8 mile beyond, beside Rattlesnake Creek.)
2017: Post Soberanes Wildfire
The 2016 Soberanes Wildfire went through the Rattlesnake Creek Trail, down to Danish Creek.
Although the spotty burning spared Rattlesnake Camp itself, the historic route to it has been rendered
impassable along the ridge - better to bushwhack on the more open southern side of the ridge.
The trail above Rattlesnake Creek Camp has been lost, and sadly the historic signpost along
the Ventana Double Cone Trail pictured above, after surviving many wildfires since its erection, was destroyed.
Around this time the ammo can containing the register at Rattlesnake Camp was apparently torn apart by a bear,
the register lost and not replaced. Photographs of its entries from 2010 to 2015 are at at
Rattlesnake Camp Register
Coda (from the Sierra Club "Trail Guide to Los Padres National Forest [Fifth edition, 1989]")
"By some miracle, Rattlesnake Camp and its immediate environs
escaped the fire devastation of 1977. So it is one of the few areas
that still give the sense of virgin forest, with handsome mature
trees. H.J. McCracken, the grand old hiker who died later in Anderson
Canyon, first reopened the trail to Rattlesnake Camp over 20 years ago
and nailed the markers to the trees. The many friends who loved and
admired him can think of peaceful, forgotten Rattlesnake Camp as his
permanent memorial."
If you have something to contribute or find an error, you can send an email to Jack Glendening at:
or post to the Trailmap Forum (later preferred, as others
may have same question/problem).
Additions or corrections will be credited.
)
or post to the Trailmap Forum (later preferred, as others
may have same question/problem).
Additions or corrections will be credited.
