Silver Peak Wilderness - Hiking and Backpacking Big Sur - page 358

CHAPTER twenty
Silver Peak Wilderness
I N 1992, the Los Padres Condor Range & River Protection Act established the Silver
Peak Wilderness. It originally protected 14,500 acres of this sheer region, where ridges
plunge into deep V-shaped canyons and streams cascade past smooth boulders and
deep pools on their way to the Pacific. An additional 17,055 acres are being added to
these pristine lands within the Willow Creek and San Carpoforo drainages.
The wilderness encompasses a biologically rich landscape characterized by
golden oak savannas, sun-drenched chaparral slopes, and lush riparian canyons. North-
ern and southern biogeographical regions converge here in a sharp dichotomy of veget-
ation. Redwoods push their southern limits amid verdant canyons carpeted in ferns and
mosses. Watch for slithering salamanders and chatty winter wrens. Immediately adja-
cent, yet more typical of areas farther south, semiarid grasslands host yuccas, rufous-
crowned sparrows, and scurrying alligator lizards. The wilderness also shelters such
threatened and endangered species as the southern steelhead and the California condor.
Bounded on the west by the Pacific, the Silver Peak Wilderness rises thousands of
feet to the crest of the Santa Lucia Range. Here, hikers can lose themselves amid river
canyons, wildflower-strewn meadows, and high peaks that overlook the rugged coast.
DIRECTIONS: From San Simeon, head north on Highway 1, 1.5 miles past the
Monterey County line. The Salmon Creek Trailhead is on the east side of the highway,
at the heart of the Silver Peak Wilderness.
VISITOR CENTER: Pacific Valley Station: [phone]. The station is on the
east side of Highway 1, a mile north of the Sand Dollar Beach Day-Use Area, 30 miles
north of Hearst Castle, and 60 miles south of Carmel. Open daily 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
NEAREST CAMPGROUND: Plaskett Creek Campground (41 sites, $22/night; re-
servations recommended spring-fall and on holidays) is on the east side of Highway
1, 0.1 mile south of the entrance to the Sand Dollar Beach Day-Use Area, 40 miles
south of Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, and 35 miles north of San Simeon State Park.
There's a maximum of eight people per site. Each site includes a picnic table, fire
ring, and pedestal grill. Drinking water is available. For more information call Reserve
America at [phone] or visit ReserveAmerica.com .