Corral Trail

Corral Trail is one of several ways to get to Ridge Trail from Hihn's Mill Road. Corral Trail starts from Sulphur Springs Road, not far from Hihn's Mill Road. From the parking area on Highland Way, to get to Corral Trail, take Hihn's Mill Road for about 2.5 miles to Sulphur Springs Road. Turn left onto Sulphur Springs Road and Corral Trail is reached after 0.4 miles on Sulphur Springs Road. This is well marked. Corral Trail winds through the thick redwoods, climbing gradually to a high ridge top and Ridge Trail. Corral Trail crosses a few side ridges and seasonal streams that come down from the high ridge at the end of the trail. The hillsides are steep, and the valleys carved by these seasonal streams are deep. In fact the hillside of the high ridge at the end of this trail is so steep, and is high enough, that with this trail being on the north side of this high ridge, even at midday in the winter this ridge blocks the sun and there are dark trail sections with no sunlight. As the trail climbs, there are occasional views through the trees of the surrounding Santa Cruz Mountains. Although the first 1.2 miles of this trail are doubletrack, at mile 1.2 the trail becomes singletrack at a sharp right turn. At mile 1.6, the trail levels off, and the forest is now a mix of oaks, manzanita, a few firs, and other low vegetation. After about another 0.2 miles, Corral Trail ends at Ridge Trail with a view of the Pacific Ocean in the distance. This point is at mile 0.6 along Ridge Trail.