Clear Creek Management Area 
| Length: | 0.0 miles |
| Difficulty: | Easier: 3 Harder: 7 |
| Trailhead Elev: | 2458 feet |
| Maximum Elev: | 5200 feet |
| Trailhead: | Lat: 36.40194 Lon: -121.00000 |
| Reader's Rating: |  (17 votes) |
| Nearby Trails: |
Trail Description
Located about 2.5 hours south of Hollister off Hwy. 25, the Clear Creek Management Area is BLM land that is open for OHV use (for now - there are some lawsuits going on trying to close it down because of the unique plant & animal life in the area). This area is very popular with motorcyclists, offering over 100 miles of trails to explore. I've found this to be a great day trip from San Jose, about 12 hours round trip with plenty of crawl time on the trails.
During the summer months, the area can be extremely hot and dusty. The majority of Clear Creek is an asbestos hazard area, so the best times to visit are fall and spring when the dust is not too bad and there's lots of mud to play in. Many roads and trails become impassable during the rainy season, so you may encounter locked gates in some areas - but there are usually alternate trails to bypass these, including an optional entry/exit point going through the New Idria Mines ghost town.
The trails are fairly well marked and maps are available at the BLM sign at the trailhead on Coalinga Rd. Markers will show either an "R" for road or "T" for trail with the trail number; "roads" are semi-improved dirt ranging from a 1 to 3 difficulty, depending on weather conditions. "Trails" can range from 3 - 7 difficulty or better, with many rocks and obstacles mixed in with very tight scratchy brush. There are countless places just off the main trails where you can explore and play in the rocks or mud (closed areas are well marked and fenced off). You can choose from a scenic if bumpy ride or get as extreme as you want. During the weekends you will be sharing the trails with a lot of motorcycles and occasionally another 4x4, so stay alert on blind corners and be prepared to yield.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and gas, as the nearest services are a long way off and any creeks or rivers are likely contaminated with mercury and other nastiness from all of the mines in the area. If exploring on foot, be very cautious of the hazards of the area: abandoned open mine shafts and equipment and rattlesnakes. Dry camping is available at any of the staging areas along Clear Creek Rd., or just off the trails if you find a nice spot.
You have two options to get to CCMA, the main entrance off Coalinga Rd. or via New Idria Mines off Panoche Rd.
Directions
From Hwy 101 south of San Jose & Gilroy, take Hwy 25 to Hollister. Hwy 25 exits Hollister at the south end of town, and here is a good place to gas up and ice down. Follow Hwy 25 south approximately 35 miles, past the Pinnacles National Monument. Take Coalinga Rd. on your left, and follow that about 12 or so miles until you see the BLM info board on your left. Pick up a map, make the water crossing through San Benito River, and you're ready to pick a trail.
Via New Idria:
As above, follow Hwy 25 south of Hollister but this time you will make a left on Panoche Rd. about 10-12 miles south of Hollister. Panoche Rd. connects with Hwy 25 at Paicines (don't blink or you'll miss it). Take Panoche Rd. for about an hour or so, past the Panoche Inn (yep, that was the town of Panoche!). The road will fork shortly thereafter, take New Idria Rd. bearing to your right. Another half hour will put you at the ghost town of New Idria, where you can see all the old mining buildings and equipment. Just the other side of New Idria, you begin up into the hills and the fun begins. This route will take you past the upper gate of Clear Creek Rd., which is usually closed during the wet season. If you continue on past this gate, you enter the San Benito Mountain Natural Area, which borders the CCMA and contains plants, wildlife, and minerals that are only found in this area. Following this road to the end takes you past Spanish Lake and into Fresno County until you reach a locked gate. Trails converging with this road will take you into the Clear Creek area and you can wind your way back down to Coalinga Rd. or go back out the way you came. This is the route I usually go; it takes a bit longer to hit dirt, but the drive through Panoche Valley and into New Idria is beautiful.
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For more detailed information about this area, visit www.picacho.org. This is a nice site that even has GPS coordinates of the many trailheads and connections.
(note: accompanying pics are from different runs)
During the summer months, the area can be extremely hot and dusty. The majority of Clear Creek is an asbestos hazard area, so the best times to visit are fall and spring when the dust is not too bad and there's lots of mud to play in. Many roads and trails become impassable during the rainy season, so you may encounter locked gates in some areas - but there are usually alternate trails to bypass these, including an optional entry/exit point going through the New Idria Mines ghost town.
The trails are fairly well marked and maps are available at the BLM sign at the trailhead on Coalinga Rd. Markers will show either an "R" for road or "T" for trail with the trail number; "roads" are semi-improved dirt ranging from a 1 to 3 difficulty, depending on weather conditions. "Trails" can range from 3 - 7 difficulty or better, with many rocks and obstacles mixed in with very tight scratchy brush. There are countless places just off the main trails where you can explore and play in the rocks or mud (closed areas are well marked and fenced off). You can choose from a scenic if bumpy ride or get as extreme as you want. During the weekends you will be sharing the trails with a lot of motorcycles and occasionally another 4x4, so stay alert on blind corners and be prepared to yield.
Be sure to bring plenty of water and gas, as the nearest services are a long way off and any creeks or rivers are likely contaminated with mercury and other nastiness from all of the mines in the area. If exploring on foot, be very cautious of the hazards of the area: abandoned open mine shafts and equipment and rattlesnakes. Dry camping is available at any of the staging areas along Clear Creek Rd., or just off the trails if you find a nice spot.
You have two options to get to CCMA, the main entrance off Coalinga Rd. or via New Idria Mines off Panoche Rd.
Directions
From Hwy 101 south of San Jose & Gilroy, take Hwy 25 to Hollister. Hwy 25 exits Hollister at the south end of town, and here is a good place to gas up and ice down. Follow Hwy 25 south approximately 35 miles, past the Pinnacles National Monument. Take Coalinga Rd. on your left, and follow that about 12 or so miles until you see the BLM info board on your left. Pick up a map, make the water crossing through San Benito River, and you're ready to pick a trail.
Via New Idria:
As above, follow Hwy 25 south of Hollister but this time you will make a left on Panoche Rd. about 10-12 miles south of Hollister. Panoche Rd. connects with Hwy 25 at Paicines (don't blink or you'll miss it). Take Panoche Rd. for about an hour or so, past the Panoche Inn (yep, that was the town of Panoche!). The road will fork shortly thereafter, take New Idria Rd. bearing to your right. Another half hour will put you at the ghost town of New Idria, where you can see all the old mining buildings and equipment. Just the other side of New Idria, you begin up into the hills and the fun begins. This route will take you past the upper gate of Clear Creek Rd., which is usually closed during the wet season. If you continue on past this gate, you enter the San Benito Mountain Natural Area, which borders the CCMA and contains plants, wildlife, and minerals that are only found in this area. Following this road to the end takes you past Spanish Lake and into Fresno County until you reach a locked gate. Trails converging with this road will take you into the Clear Creek area and you can wind your way back down to Coalinga Rd. or go back out the way you came. This is the route I usually go; it takes a bit longer to hit dirt, but the drive through Panoche Valley and into New Idria is beautiful.
------------------------------
For more detailed information about this area, visit www.picacho.org. This is a nice site that even has GPS coordinates of the many trailheads and connections.
(note: accompanying pics are from different runs)