Manzanita Hike #4 PG&E Pecho Ranch

A special trip to the PG&E Pecho Ranch, a property that is south of Montaña De Oro State Park and is usually closed to the public. We will walk up a ridge to observe the local endemic Pecho manzanita (Arctostaphylos pechoensis) as well as the brittle leaf manzanita (A. crustacea). We will also visit a healthy stand of Bishop pine (Pinus muricata), a two-needle pine that occurs in isolated groves along the coast between Santa Barbara and Humboldt Counties.

Park at the Coon Creek parking area which is at the farthest south dead end of Pecho Valley Rd in Montaña de Oro State Park, even farther south than shown on the map (35.258068, -120.886966). We will start by walking from the parking lot a short distance to the Point Buchon Trailhead where everyone most check in at PG&E’s kiosk, and then we will hike the closed and unpaved road up the ridge.

Because of the restricted access to this area, all participants must RSVP to reserve a spot by emailing bill.waycott’at’gmail.com with “Point Buchon” in the subject line no later than one week prior to this outing.

Rain or threat of rain cancels.