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Epic cliff diving. Relaxing and fun place to just chill by the river. Amazing (and exhausting) adventure upriver that entails hiking, swimming, scrambling, and bouldering. Great swimming holes. Riverside backcountry camping opportunities.
This off-the-beaten-trail adventure has a little bit of everything for everyone, and is as challenging as you make it. Many just make it about a mile down to the river for a leisurely day of relaxing, swimming, sunbathing, and enjoying a few cold beverages. Others embark on a 7+ mile adventure up the river, which entails hiking, swimming, scrambling, and even some optional bouldering and cliff diving.
The best spots on the river are the colloquially referred to as the "Amphitheater" and "Narrows." The Amphitheater is about 2 miles from the parking lot and is a very deep swimming hole surrounded by steep cliffs (where many cliff dive from).
To reach Arroyo Seco from the San Francisco Bay Area, head south on Highway 101 and take the Arroyo Seco Road exit (just south of Soledad). Follow Arroyo Seco Road for about 35 minutes to reach the Arroyo Seco Gorge Parking Lot. Depending on the season, you will have to pay a $10 vehicle entry fee either at a National Forest ranger booth on the way or at the parking lot.
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Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Great spot and challenging to get up to the falls. Took me a while to find someone that knew where they were going, and it's not a hike you want to do on your own. Park in the farthest lot, head uphill on the fire road. Three miles in, take a right on Marble Peak Trail. It leads down to the river with a footbridge across Arroyo Seco. Then put on your water shoes, leave any gear that cannot get wet. Head up river. The first quarter mile you can stay out of the water, but then you're swimming. Canyon walls are steep and get narrow at times. About a mile up, there are ropes to help climb up over the falls. Be aware of the temps and time, it can get surprisingly cold when you're in and out of the water trying to make your way up and downstream.
Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Two friends and I picked this campground for our annual moms camp -Seven kids, three moms, two nights. It was an incredible experience. We stayed In the primitive site mid week and had the loop basically to ourselves. The yellow jackets were a huge problem. Bring a yellow jacket trap or make your own. It's impossible to cook and eat outside with them all over. We did hike all the way to the gorge with all the kids and the smaller ones in a stroller. It's a large flat old road that is relatively easy. Just bring enough food and water. Bring tubes for swimming and relaxing in the river. The day use swimming was also fantastic, the place does have more litter than you'd like to see - we were told it's a huge party spot on the weekends and gets super packed. Super fun easy drive. Would give it 5 stars if it weren't for the yellow jackets.
Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Stayed at the group site a few times now. Each time for a camping bachelor mini party, and never got complaints about being loud. The gorge is a must. Jumping off the cliff was a great way to cool off on a hot day.
Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Definitely recommend this spot. It's not the easiest place to get to from SF but so worth it. The camp hosts are awesome and even let us gather food for our fire instead of carrying it in. The hikes to the river gorge are incredible also the swinging bridge is so cool. If you have a dirt bike you can make it all the way to the coast though it's about 20+ miles.
Adventure at Arroyo Seco
Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!
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