Bill Wallace Trail

Bill Wallace Trail

[ June 2016: The State Park lands that flank the Bill Wallace Trail have been burned extensively. Contact State Parks for a trail status update. ]

The Bill Wallace Trail is in a 2500 acre section of the El Capitan State Beach that is north of Hwy 101. The hike is about 12 miles round trip and makes a large loop starting near the coast following one side of El Capitan Canyon up into the hills and then returning back along the opposite side of the canyon. The trail follows an old oil road within the former ranch and is fairly well maintained and leads through both coastal foothills and chaparral back country gaining about 1,000 feet along the way. In the center of the canyon is El Capitan Canyon Resort. It is a private resort and not part of the State Park.

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Article by James Wapotich at Songs of the Wilderness

Brochure for El Capitan State Beach and map of the Bill Wallace Trail