Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CHAPTER
seventeen
Arroyo Seco
N
EAR ITS SOURCE,
the Arroyo Seco is anything but a dry wash, as its Spanish name
might suggest. Only as it approaches the Salinas River does it dwindle into a desiccated
sandy riverbed. This relatively unknown river originates in the eastern Ventana Wil-
derness amid some of Big Sur's most spectacular backcountry. Its fanlike drainage en-
compasses numerous tributaries. The Arroyo Seco is fed from the north by Paloma and
Piney Creeks; from the west by Tassajara, Church, and Willow Creeks; and from the
southwest by Lost Valley Creek. To the south its headwaters descend off the east face
of Coast Ridge and the north face of Cone Peak, and to the southeast it flows from
Junipero Serra Peak into Roosevelt and Santa Lucia Creeks. Together these tributaries
slice through diverse mountainous terrain, carving narrow gorges that shelter deep em-
erald pools.
As with most of the Ventana Wilderness, the best time to visit the Arroyo Seco is
in spring or fall. Be aware that ticks and mosquitoes flourish in spring and summer, and
in fall many small tributaries run dry. During heavy winter storms, the small creeklets,
creeks, and rivers swell rapidly and can be difficult or dangerous to cross. Summer is
an excellent time to enjoy the river's numerous swimming holes, though air temperat-
ures are often uncomfortably hot, and flies can be a nuisance.
The narrow, winding 18-mile Arroyo Seco Road—or Arroyo Seco-Indians Road,
as labeled on the USFS map—threads through the wilderness, connecting Santa Lucia
Memorial Park Campground near Jolon with the Arroyo Seco resort area, west of the
Salinas Valley town of Greenfield. The road has been permanently closed to public
vehicles since its seasonal closure in late fall 1994. The stretch between the Arroyo
Seco Campground and Escondido Campground remains closed to all vehicles, due to
landslides. The road is open to hikers, equestrians, and bicyclists year-round, if they
can get past the landslides. The stretch between Escondido and Memorial Park camp-
grounds is closed seasonally, starting with the first rains of the season through approx-
imately April. Contact Monterey County Public Works for current road conditions:
(831) 755-4800,
www.co.monterey.ca.us/publicworks
.
