Between Santa Barbara to Canada, hikers on The Hot Springs Trail will pass across not just mountains, but lands that are governed by many different agencies. With each new state and jurisdiction that is entered, new parameters are set. In this post, learn what kind of lands are visited and where we should be concerned, both now and in the future.
Law of the Land on The Hot Springs Trail
The following breakdown includes what kind of trail treads are used during this journey and the agencies or jurisdictions that are governing them. It also lists where all known private land is that could possibly affect this trail in the future.
Part 1: The Coast Connect Trail - California
Section 1: Santa Barbara to Ojai
City of Santa Barbara
Beach
Bike Path
Public Roads
Mile 5.8-7.3: The HST follows a public trail that is signed and used often by locals. Trail here is sandwiched between private lands with No Trespassing Signs. *No camping this segment.
Los Padres National Forest
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Closed Dirt Road
Miles 45.7-53.2: The HST follows roads past private property here. *No camping this segment.
Section 2: Ojai to Hikertown
Existing trails
Closed Forest Service dirt roads
Miles 126-128.8: The HST follows a road past private property here. *No camping this segment.
Los Angeles National Forest
Closed roads
Existing trails
The Pacific Crest Trail
Section 3: Hikertown to Tehachapi
Existing trails
The Pacific Crest Trail
Public Roads
Dirt Roads
Section 4: Tehachapi to Kernville
Existing trails
The Pacific Crest Trail
Sequoia National Forest
Forest Service dirt roads
Miles 266-268: The HST follows a forest service road past private property. *No camping this segment.
Mile 275.5: The HST has an XC option here that descends a steep hillside. *An Official Bypass Option here is made on Public Roads.
Miles 281-292: The HST follows Public Roads thru the town of Bodie/Lake Isabella. *No camping. Hotels.
Miles 298.5-300: The HST avoids hillside homes here as it’s makes its way up the Kern River, by following a road.
Public Roads
Part 2: The High Sierra Hot Springs Trail - California
Section 1: Kernville to Mammoth Lakes
City of Kernville
Miles 1-2: The HST follows public roads past private property. *No camping this segment.
Sequoia National Forest
Existing trails
Golden Trout Wilderness
Inyo National Forest
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
Sierra National Forest
John Muir Wilderness
Ansel Adam Wilderness
Devil's Postpile National Monument
The Inyo Crossing: Mammoth Lakes to Nevada
Public Roads
City of Mammoth Lakes
Inyo National Forest
Forest Service dirt roads
Inyo Crossing Mile 12.7: The HST crosses a Hwy 395 perimeter fence here
XC
Miles 22.7-23.2: The HST crosses 2 Department of Fish and Game fences while going XC here as it nears then reaches the Owens River. *An Official Bypass Option is made on a road which also has a bonus resupply option along it.
Inyo Crossing Miles 46-47: The HST follows a public road past private property as it make its way thru the town of Benton. *No camping or hotels this section.
Part 3: The Nevada Trail - Nevada
Section 1: Boundary Peak to Silver Peak
Nevada BLM
Inyo National Forest
Boundary Peak Wilderness
Existing trails
BLM dirt roads
Section 2: Silver Peak to Tonopah
BLM dirt roads
Miles 47-53: The HST follows a public road past private property while going thru Silver Peak. *No camping this segment.
Public Roads
Miles 85.5-90: The HST follows public roads past private property while going thru Tonopah. *No Camping this segment. Hotels are passed en route.
Section 3: Tonopah to Austin
Public Roads
BLM dirt roads
XC
Miles 102.9-112.5: The HST crosses the San Antonio Range going XC. There is no Official Bypass Option here other than to skip this segment.
Miles 123.2-127: The HST skirts the private San Antonio Ranch here. *Stay on trail which follows public BLM roads. *No camping this segment.
Arc Dome Wilderness
The Toyiabe Crest Trail
Toyiabe National Forest
XC
Miles 210.3-225.6: The HST climbs North Toyiabe Peak going XC. An Official Bypass Option is made here by following Forest Service dirt roads.
Section 4: Austin to Eureka
Mile 231.9: The HST crosses the Hwy 376 perimeter fence here.
BLM dirt roads
XC
Miles 246.2-251.2: The HST crosses the Tequima Range XC. There is no Official Bypass Option here other than to skip this segment.
Mile 251.2: The HST visits the Monitor 3 Well here, a ranching water source that you can drive to and as well. *Camping not recommended here.
Mile ~273.4-276: The HST follows a Forest Service road thru private land along Faulkner Creek. I’ve talked with the land owner on the phone and was given permission to pass thru – along with everyone else (big game hunters included so be careful in this area). A few campsites are passed and the place feels wild but this parcel may be sold and new owners could have the right to block access to the National Forest. No official bypass has been established at this time. The hiking here is excellent.
Miles 279.4-285.7: The HST follows BLM roads as it passes by 2 private ranches.
Public Roads
Section 5: Eureka to Harrison Pass
Public Roads
BLM dirt roads
Existing trails
XC
Miles 322.6-350.8: The HST crosses the Diamond Range XC. There is no Official Bypass Option here other than to skip this segment.
The Pony Express Trail
Humboldt National Forest
National Forest dirt roads
XC
Miles 387.8-393.2: The HST climbs and descends Pearl Peak and the Dragon’s Tail XC. There is no Official Bypass Option here other than to skip this segment.
Forest Service dirt roads
Section 6: Harrison Pass to Lamoille
Ruby Mountain Wilderness
The Ruby Crest Trail
Section 7: Lamoille to Wells
*The Ruby Crest XC Bypass follows a public road past private property. No camping this segment.
XC
Miles 441.3-451.9: The HST crosses the northern Ruby Crest XC. Use the Lamoille Resupply Option to bypass this segment on public and Forest Service roads.
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Public Roads
East Humboldt Wilderness
East Humboldt Highline Trail
Section 8: Wells to Idaho
Miles 511-515.9: The HST follows public roads and it passes thru Wells. *No camping this segment. Hotels.
Mile 515.9: The HST passes thru 2 unlocked gates that contain Threemile Hot Spring.
Mile 520-530.5 – The HST follows public roads past private property. *No camping this segment.
Jarbidge Wilderness
Existing Trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Part 4: The Idaho Soaktennial Trail – Idaho
Section 1: Nevada to Hammett
Bruneau-Jarbidge Wilderness
The Idaho Centennial Trail
BLM roads
Public Roads
Existing Trails
Mile 95.1: The HST follows public roads past private property here. *No camping.
Section 2: Hammett to Atlanta
Boise National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Public Roads
Miles 120-121: The HST follows public roads past private property. No camping this segment.
Miles 183.3-193.1: The HST follows a public road past campgrounds and private property.
Existing trails
Section 3: Atlanta to Stanley
Sawtooth National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Public Roads
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Section 4: Stanley to Bench Creek
Public Roads
Sawtooth Wilderness
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Public Roads
Sawtooth National Recreation Area
Existing trails
Section 5: Bench Creek to Whitewater Ranch
Salmon Challis National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness
Existing trails
Section 6: Whitewater Ranch to Red River Hot Springs Resort
Payette National Forest
Existing trails
National Forest dirt roads
Section 7: Red River Hot Springs Resort to Warm Springs TH
Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Existing trails
Public Roads
Section 8: Warm Springs TH to Hoodoo Pass
Clearwater National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
National Forest dirt roads
Existing trails
Section 9: Hoodoo Pass to Mullan
St Joe National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Stateline Trail
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Section 10: Mullan to Clark Fork
Coeur D’Alene National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Public Roads
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Section 11: Clark Fork to Samuels
Kootenai National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Public Roads
Existing trails
Forest Service dirt roads
Section 12: Samuels to Canada
Kaniksu National Forest
The Idaho Centennial Trail
Public Roads
Existing trails
Priest Lake State Park
In Summary:
Please be aware that closed roads along this trail can still have service and motocross traffic on them. I wish these segments were hiker only, but hey, that's the Law of the Land. Regardless, I hope you enjoy the discovery process of getting to know this trail, and have a safe journey while you're out there on it. Do so most freely by avoiding private property and camping away from roads.
Stay tuned for updates regarding new trail segments which could remove some of these road miles and private property frontage areas. Until then, don't wait up.
Go celebrate your freedom...with a hike!