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 Reporter |
Summary: This is the hike of my youth. My friends and I used to come to this place for solace. The goal of the hike is to reach an unnamed, unfrequented, unspoiled, unpopulated pristine stretch of beach we locals call Paradise. Once upon a time a man named Kenny built a cabin, and it was loaded with poems, writings, art, and memories. The cabin is long gone, washed away by storms, but this is still an incredible hike, and an amazing place to spend a weekend. It is a little more difficult now that the road is closed, because the hike up the road adds 5 miles to your total. I have friends that cross private property and hike in and back on the jeep trail, but I prefer the ridge and bluffs. It is some of the most amazing coastline in the world, and you should have it all to yourself. There is plenty to explore, and you can even make this a shuttle trip to Main Street Beach in Guadalupe, or climb up the sandy bluff and come back to your car on the jeep road - a shorter version. Trailhead: From the 101 take the Clark Avenue exit in Orcutt, just south of Santa Maria. Head west until the road ends at Highway 1. Turn right and head northwest on Highway 1 for 8.25 miles. Less than a mile after you cross the railroad tracks, you will come to an intersection with Brown Road. You will need to turn left and head west on Brown Road for 4 miles. You will see a gated road on your left which is Point Sal Road. The last time I went the road had been permanently closed due to washouts. You will have to park at the gate and head up the road 2.5 miles until you see the ridge trail. It is easy to spot as there is a parking area there where the hike used to start. Note: You can cut the distance and elevation in half by hiking on the jeep road through cattle pastures, just don't tell anyone I sent you. :-) (Lat:34.91797 Lon:-120.66488) Trail Guides for Paradise via Point Sal: Best Hikes With Dogs - Southern California by Allen Riedel (Mountaineers books) Day Hikers Guide to Southern California by John McKinney (Olympus Press) Walking the California Coast by John McKinney (Harper Collins) Best Seasons: Year-Round User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: None Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by Allen Riedel, who has posted 123 other hikes on this site. To visit this reporters web site, click here. Trail Reviews Page 1 of 4 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Jenn on 6/7/2009 Vandenberg has closed access for now. 
Reviewed by Lex F on 8/13/2008 Not a complete review because we ran into a missile test. Vandenberg has a Point Sal trail status area on their web page. Before you head over to the trailhead, don't forget to check the site and see if the gate on top will be open. There was no indication at the bottom (2-3 miles from the gate) that the top was closed. address is: www.vandenberg.af.mil/pointsalaccess.asp 
Reviewed by Lynda on 7/12/2008 I lived in Santa Maria for most of my life, and moved from there in 1987. My family and I used to visit Point Sal fairly frequently, and never had to hike. We did have to take a long walk down to the beach, but it wasn't bad. Sounds like things have changed. My memories are almost always having the entire beach to ourselves. In 1970 my sister and I found something on the beach, didn't know what it was, and started digging. It ended up there was a horse buried in the sand. We still talk about that. Great beach! 
Reviewed by Gary & Cheryl on 6/20/2008 Estimated 7 mile hike (roundtrip) from the Guadalupe parking lot, some VERY steep dune trails to get there. There is a rope which helped tremendously! We were the only ones there, it was great. We saw mountain lion and deer tracks all over the place. It was between 90 and 99 degrees during our hike, bring lots of water!
Reviewed by Nick Skaggs on 6/17/2008 I don't know about all of you who discuss these 12-mile hikes, but the hike from the Point Sal gate to Paradaise beach is only 4 miles, and another 4 back. That's 8 miles. From the gate to the ridge overlooking the beach is a little over 3 miles. VAFB has re opened the road, it is legal for people to hike there. No vehicles are allowed, bicycles "aren't," but no one seems to care if you do. It's a quick drive from Guad or Santa Maria, go have fun!
Reviewed by Allison on 5/28/2008 When beginning the hike from the front gate, it's about a 12 mile hike to the beach and back. Not fun to do on a really hot day, but could be enjoyable with nice weather. The views are wonderful
Reviewed by Allan on 2/21/2008 Paradise Beach (or Perfix Beach as the surfers called it) is one of the best spots in the world. In December or January, the beach can be at about 80º if there isn't a storm coming or on hand. used to spend much time there in the late '70s thru '80s. See more at my blog: http://morningdonut.blogspot.com/ "Easiest" access is from Guadalupe side, Main street from Santa Maria west to the beach. Hike south 2 miles, either over the top of the dunes (500' elevation) or along the beaach and across Mussell Rock. 
Reviewed by RC on 8/15/2007 POINT SAL IS GREAT I WENT UP THERE 2 WEEKS AGO, IM GOING AGAIN THE END OF THIS MONTH JUST MAKE SURE YOU WERE SUN BLOCK BUT THE ROAD IS CLOSED YOU HAVE TO AGO AROUND FROM THE BACK TRAIL TO GET TO IT. ITS WORTH IT. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: California Hiking, California Trails, California Hikes, Santa Barbara County Hiking, Santa Barbara County Trails, Santa Barbara County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||