San Rafael Wilderness - Manzana Trail
The San Rafael Wilderness is 197,380 acres of pristine California beauty. In 1968 the San Rafael became the first primitive area in the Nation reclassified as wilderness under the Wilderness Act of 1964, with additional acreage added in 1992 by the Los Padres Condor Range and River Protection Act. The San Rafael Wilderness is located in the San Rafael and Sierra Madre Mountain Ranges in southeastern Santa Barbara County (northern part of Santa Barbara District and Southern part of Santa Lucia District). The two main corridors into the wilderness are the Sisquoc River and Manzana Creek. The section that Jon and I explored was along the Manzana Creek.
Much of the trail is covered with wildflowers on each side.
This is the valley we will be staying in. It is about a three to three and a half mile hike in, mostly flat. There are some ready made sites right on the trail, but there are spots all over that would be ideal.
The river that surrounds the valley.
Another shot of the river. I tried panning for gold but no luck =(.