Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Trip 27
LIMEKILN TRAIL
LENGTH AND TYPE: 0.8-mile out-and-back
RATING: Easy
TRAIL CONDITION: Well maintained, good for kids
HIGHLIGHTS: Historic limekilns nestled in a peaceful redwood grove
TO REACH THE TRAILHEAD:
Day-use parking is immediately past the kiosk, adjacent
to the restrooms. Park your vehicle and stroll past the north end of the campground
(sites 23-34), where all three of the park's trails begin.
TRIP SUMMARY:
This hike meanders along Limekiln Creek's West Fork amid dense
redwood groves, once home to a vigorous lumber and lime manufacturing industry.
Early settlers used harvested trees to fuel kilns that purified, or “slaked,” limestone
extracted from rich deposits in the canyon. The lime was then loaded in barrels and
hauled to Rockland Landing, near Limekiln Beach. Schooners transported the lime
to Monterey and San Francisco, where it was used to make cement. Schooners also
brought in heavy goods and supplies to sustain the growing population. Today, all
that remains are four stone-and-steel furnaces from which the creek and park takes its
name. The trail roughly follows an old wagon trail to the kilns.
FIFTY CENTS A DAY
Only the hardiest, most self-reliant settlers successfully homesteaded the seemingly
impenetrable Santa Lucia Range. These early explorers, adventurers, and entrepren-
eurs forged a loose network of trails to cultivate flood-prone land and raise livestock,
relying on one another for bartered goods and services. When there was a need for
money, companies such as Rockland Lime & Lumber offered hard work. Whether
they were harvesting redwoods to fuel the limekilns or building wagon trails along
Limekiln Creek, men in 1920 made $.50 a day during a typical 10-hour workday.
Trip Description
From the trailhead (70'), you'll cross a large wooden footbridge over
Hare Creek.
A
few paces beyond the bridge, the trail passes a junction with the eastbound
Hare Creek
Trail.
Bear left and climb above the confluence of Hare Creek and
Limekiln Creek,
which flow clear as glass past lush carpets of ferns and mosses. You'll soon pass the re-
mains of an old-growth forest, logged to sustain the appetite of Rockland Lime & Lum-
