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May 04, 2024 — Reyes Peak is most commonly reached via the Reyes Peak Trail at the end of the graded Pine Mountain Road, and that trailhead can be accessed by driving this seasonal road. Coincidentally, we passed a pair of Forest Service employees inspecting the road, deciding they'd open it for the season today. They more-or-less let us know that if we'd just been lazy we could have waited for them to open the gate rather than hike all these miles. We were more interested in reaching this high-prominence summit via the Chorro Grande Trail regardless of the road's status, but we enjoyed their humor.
The Chorro Grande Trail begins to the south of Reyes Peak along CA-33 within the low-lying scrubby foothills. It ascends tamely at first, dipping into a seasonally flowing creek and undulating a bit. We noticed some white rock formations, similar vibes to the famous Piedra Blanca off of Rose Valley Road. The trail traveled through short spurts of meadow and then a forested oak grove where the primitive Oak Camp campsite is nestled next to a stream.
Past Oak Camp, the Chorro Grande Trail finally started making significant vertical progress. A ton of switchbacks took us up the slope and through chaparral, and eventually taller trees offered shade as we gained altitude. Along the way we passed another tiny campsite in a grassy small clearing, the Chorro Springs Campground. Water flowed behind this one as well. The rest of the trail was within the shade of the forest.
Eventually we reached Pine Mountain Road, marking the official end of the Chorro Grande Trail. We hiked the road east to its end at the official Reyes Peak Trailhead. This trail began as a short walk along an old road, where we were then confronted with multiple trail options. It took us a second to decide which one would lead to the high point, and we were surprised that the actual trail leading up was quite steep and not as well-defined as we thought it would be, though it was still easy to follow.
Reyes Peak's summit fortunately has a cluster of boulders that rise above the surrounding trees and allowed us to get expansive views. We couldn't see the Pacific Ocean due to the marine layer, but apparently you could under the right conditions. We considered continuing along the ridgeline to Haddock Mountain, but we decided to save that peak for another day and via another trail.
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