Re: Good Hikes Close to Foresta?

Any advice on good hikes near Foresta or short drive from Foresta? I haven't spent any time in this area. Love great views of granite and water and love a good healthy hike to see them.

There is a nice waterfall down the foresta road toward El Portal. Not a hard hike, but it's a pretty nice little fall.

Don't expect much water... now...

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Back in early June.




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/28/2011 02:38PM by 2+2=5.

There's a decent hike with some good views of Elephant Rock when you go down Old Coulterville Rd to Hwy 140.

Park at the trailhead/start of trail/start of abandoned road about half way between the 120/Foresta Rd junction and the middle of Foresta.
There used to be a dumpster there that you could use a a landmark of where to park.
Don't know if the dumpster is still there.

Then there's the road between Foresta and El Portel that's already been mentioned. There's some good threads here that farther discuss that. I've never been down there so I don't know first-hand what it's like, but from what I've read it sounds good.

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Hiker Dad
Any advice on good hikes near Foresta or short drive from Foresta? I haven't spent any time in this area. Love great views of granite and water and love a good healthy hike to see them.

How strenuous and how long of a hike are you interested in?

If you don't mind hiking uphill quite a bit, start at the trailhead on Big Oak Flat Road just north of the intersection of Foresta Road and Big Oak Flat Road. From that trailhead, you can head up the hill until this trail ends at the junction with the Old Big Oak Flat Road. Then take the Old Big Oak Flat Road east to Rainbow View, an overlook that has a great view of Bridalveil Falls.

Or for even a more strenuous hike (maybe better suited for an overnight backpacking trip though I've known people who have done it as a day hike) would be to take the Old Big Oak Flat Road only until the junction with the trail to Ribbon Meadows and El Capitan. Then take that trail uphill to either Ribbon Meadow or further to the summit of El Capitan. (Then you can tell your friends that you climbed to the top of El Capitan.)

Good suggestions. Do you know the mileage on those three hikes? Are there any water sources along the way?