Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
blackberries, thimbleberries, and ubiquitous poison oak. Head-high chain ferns shade
still pools, while horsetail rushes and mosses grow in spongy clumps between granite
boulders.
Past the tenth ford, the trail passes a significant canyon and tributary that stem
from
Uncle Sam Mountain,
the massive granite ridge looming more than 4750 feet
overhead. Swift runoff from this major peak follows the
Church Creek Fault,
among
the largest fault systems in the
Ventana Wilderness,
whose shattered course provides
a natural channel. If you're on your way to
Round Rock Camp,
you'll observe
this northwest-trending fault in deep channels and waterfall basins along the Carmel
River.
The twelfth crossing skirts a moss-covered granite wall—be aware that both the
USGS and USFS maps inaccurately label this the site of Hiding Canyon Camp, which
lies 0.2 mile farther upstream. Expect to get your feet wet in all but the driest months,
as the trail is often submerged by high water.
True to its name,
Hiding Canyon Camp
(9.2 miles, 1740') is easy to miss. You'll
reach the turnoff just as the trail leaves the river's edge to climb the canyon. Just
across the river, the camp offers two large sites, each with a table and cooking grate.
The first site sits atop a narrow terrace along the west bank. The larger, preferred
site is just a few feet upstream near an enormous ponderosa pine with a 6-foot-plus
diameter. You'll recognize ponderosas by their golden puzzle-piece bark and pine
needles bunched in threes.
If you're willing to hike upriver off trail for 0.4 mile, you'll pass through a nar-
row sandstone gorge and arrive at
Ventana Mesa Creek Falls,
which tumbles into a
swimming hole. Farther upriver, the canyon widens and turns south, entering a second
gorge at the confluence with
Ventana Mesa Creek.
A few feet farther upstream the
creek cascades into a deep granite-lined pool. If the water level is low enough in late
summer and fall, you can press on for 200 feet to a larger swimming hole and water-
fall within a mossy, fern-lined grotto. The refreshingly cold water is a welcome es-
cape on a hot summer day.
From Hiding Canyon Camp, the Carmel River Trail continues across the river
and ascends the east-facing canyon wall. Climb 0.1 mile to a stunning overlook of the
narrow river gorge. The trail leads up a minor ridge to the easily missed unmarked
Round Rock Camp Trail junction
(9.6 miles, 2030'). If you're continuing on the
Carmel River Trail, refer to
TRIP 50 Hiding Canyon & Round Rock Camps
and fol-
low that trail description in reverse.
