Fisherman's Camp Trail

So, last week, when I introduced you to the secluded watering hole called Tenaja Falls, I saw some other trails on the trailhead map that definitely looked like they were worth checking out. The place I wanted to explore, Fisherman’s Camp, is about two miles south of Tenaja Falls. I didn’t remember ever seeing a trailhead on the way to the falls, though, so we set out to find the trailhead that would take us there.

On the way down the road we came to this random opening that looked like a short one-car dirt driveway. It didn’t look like it was for anything, so of course we had to check it out. As we walked into a shaded oak canopy with lush vegetation on the ground and an obscure-looking dirt path leading out into the hills, I thought, “This trail looks cool enough to explore, so we’re checking it out.” As it turned out it was the Fisherman’s Camp trail we were looking for, which was pretty awesome.

The trail takes you on an easy trip up and around three hills, each bringing a view of new valleys and canyons with miles of untouched wilderness as far as your eye can see. It was like being transported back to the 1800s. I seriously felt like cowboys and Indians could jump out and shoot me with a bow and arrow at any time.

The chaparral-covered hills erupt out of the ground as the earth violently collides with itself across the fault lines. The sensation that this area gives you is pretty interesting. The landscape gives you an almost spiritual feeling, I guess like you would get from an ancient Indian burial ground or something. It just demands respect for some reason and you don’t feel like talking. And it was interesting because more then one person made that comment to me (having a spiritual awareness) and neither person could be considered religious by any stretch.

Except for a few footprints, the trail was completely undisturbed; there was no litter anywhere, no broken branches – basically nothing to remind you that humans had been there. There were, however, lots of different animal tracks (and droppings, if you’re into that sort of thing) and it was just narrow enough to let you forget you were on a trail, yet it wasn’t difficult to walk through.

When you get toward the end of the 1.7-mile trail you see this lush green vegetation snaking through the bottom of the chaparral valley with the dried riverbed rocks beneath the canopy. By the time we got there it was nearing sunset and we still needed to hike the 1.7 miles back, so we didn’t get to explore this spot very much, but it looked like a seriously cool place to bring a few friends out and camp for the weekend.

The area was fairly wide open like it had been a large rushing river at one point. There were also white hand-painted stakes marking the trails and the distances to the next spot, which made us feel un-lost, so thank you to the ranger who put those in the ground. How to get there

Take Clinton Keith south 10.9 miles from the freeway overpass. Turn right on Tenaja Road and take that for 4.2 miles, then take a right on Cleveland Forest Road for 3.8 miles. Within a mile you will reach the South Tenaja trailhead. (You can hike the 3.5 miles to Fisherman’s Camp but I haven’t checked out that trail yet, so I will bring the details on that in the coming weeks.)

After you have driven Cleveland Forest Road for 3.8 miles you come to a corner that has a single dirt driveway. It seems like it doesn’t go anywhere but the trail is back there. You need a forest adventure tax/pass (don’t get me started) to park there.

Rules

Foot traffic only; no mechanized vehicle of any sort. Mountain bikes are allowed north of the Ortega Highway. The group size limit is 15 heartbeats (human and animal).

If you’re going to stay overnight you need a wilderness overnight permit from the Corona ranger station. It doesn’t cost anything; I guess it’s for safety, but you can request one by fax or e-mail and can call (951) 736-1811 for more information.