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California Trails

Pacific Crest Trail: CA Section 13

THREE POINTS to AGUA DULCE: Finish off the San Gabriel's by dipping into steep ravines and over ridges covered in spruce on this 41.3-mile stretch that ends beneath the uplifted sandstone cliffs in Vasquez Rocks County Park.

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Trail Facts

  • Distance: 66.6

Waypoints

PCT232

Location: 34.3426933288574, -117.983505249023

From CA 2, head N on PCT

PCT233

Location: 34.3435249328613, -117.983253479004

Three Points Trailhead; splits from Silver Mocassin Trail

PCT234

Location: 34.3658180236816, -117.992088317871

Creeklet with better water than Sulphur Springs Campground

PCT235

Location: 34.3674659729004, -117.988883972168

Sulphur Springs Campground; bad looking water in creek; faucets didn’t work; from here walk on road going W

PCT236

Location: 34.3711051940918, -117.998199462891

Trail tread starts again

PCT237

Location: 34.3809852600098, -118.027030944824

Spring

PCT238

Location: 34.3849411010742, -118.034866333008

Spur to Mt. Pacifico Campground

PCT239

Location: 34.3971672058106, -118.054100036621

Old dirt road on ridge

PCT240

Location: 34.3895225524902, -118.080696105957

Mill Creek Trailhead with water, parking and bathrooms

PCT241

Location: 34.3915748596191, -118.08137512207

Mill Creek Picnic Area under large power lines; bathrooms but no working water

PCT242

Location: 34.3993682861328, -118.093307495117

Possible camping on firebreak (bulldozed roads too steep to drive on) just uphill from trail

PCT243

Location: 34.3960494995117, -118.106864929199

Cross paved Mt. Gleason Road

PCT244

Location: 34.3849182128906, -118.139381408691

Big Buck Trail Camp Spur

PCT245

Location: 34.3804016113281, -118.138618469238

Cross dirt road

PCT246

Location: 34.3798179626465, -118.139663696289

Resume trail tread

PCT247

Location: 34.3832817077637, -118.149887084961

Nice creek in wooded glade

PCT248

Location: 34.3813323974609, -118.181831359863

Dirt road on ridgetop

PCT249

Location: 34.381233215332, -118.189918518066

Messenger Flat Campground

PCT250

Location: 34.3786163330078, -118.204048156738

Cross dirt road

PCT251

Location: 34.379150390625, -118.22045135498

Santa Clara Divide Road

PCT252

Location: 34.3788681030273, -118.222396850586

Resume walking on actual PCT trail tread

PCT253

Location: 34.387565612793, -118.252479553223

North Fork Saddle Ranger Station; under the shadow of more powerlines this station has bathrooms, garbage cans and water

PCT254

Location: 34.4182815551758, -118.251167297363

Mattox Canyon Camp; nice, small campsites near the creek; great place to end the day

PCT255

Location: 34.4339179992676, -118.272163391113

Cross dirt road

PCT256

Location: 34.4375343322754, -118.272918701172

Soledad Canyon Road; RV parks in the area. Here you’ll find a parking lot with a bathroom and a shaded picnic table.

PCT257

Location: 34.4400672912598, -118.270835876465

Trail tread continues after crossing a polluted creek, a dump and train tracks. Monument marking the “final” section of PCT completed. Trail ahead to Agua Dulce is very hot, shadeless and grass covered.

PCT258

Location: 34.4555816650391, -118.269180297852

Cross dirt road

PCT259

Location: 34.475284576416, -118.304649353027

CA14/Antelope Valley Freeway: go under freeway in a large tunnel — impossible to hitchhike here. Ahead pass through scenic Vasquez Rocks County Park with bizarre rock formations; lots of poison oak drapes an algae-choked creek ahead

PCT260

Location: 34.480712890625, -118.311256408691

Vasquez Rocks County Park

PCT261

Location: 34.4894180297852, -118.320152282715

Turn L on Escondido Canyon Road, as official PCT section follows the road

PCT262

Location: 34.4890327453613, -118.326316833496

Turn R on Agua Dulce Canyon Road going due N; road is in fact the official PCT; when you reach town, ask around for well-known trail angel house: www.hikerheaven.com

PCT263

Location: 34.4946327209473, -118.326850891113

Agua Dulce; good pizza/cheap breakfast burritos;

More PCT: Next Section | Previous Section

Shady rest

Location: 34.4401550292969, -118.27131652832

PCT’ers find rare shade under a picnic spot. ©Jack Haskel

The last piece of the puzzle

Location: 34.4398918151856, -118.270179748535

Forest Service and BLM-erected monument to the final section of the PCT completed in 1993. ©Jack Haskel

Tunnel CA 14

Location: 34.4751091003418, -118.304695129395

Note the PCT blaze. ©Jack Haskel

Rocky outcrops

Location: 34.4806900024414, -118.312187194824

Below the namesake formations of Vasquez Rocks County Park. ©Jack Haskel

Rocks and sky

Location: 34.4809494018555, -118.31184387207

The uplifted pink-and-red sandstone cliffs of Vaquez Rocks County Park. ©Jack Haskel

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