California · Trail 4E01

Secret Canyon

Secret Canyon Trail is a 13.9-mile trail in Cleveland National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 2, moderately developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Pine Creek Wilderness.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Cleveland National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end32.8371° N, 116.5424° W · Directions ↗
Other end32.7540° N, 116.6469° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 3 segments.

The trail

Length13.9 miles
Trail class2, moderately developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade0-5 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers4E01
ForestCleveland National Forest (unit 0502)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Secret Canyon Trail50°60°70°80°January: 3.21 inches of precipitationFebruary: 3.65 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.73 inches of precipitationApril: 1.18 inches of precipitationMay: 0.57 inches of precipitationJune: 0.13 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.10 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.12 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.25 inches of precipitationOctober: 0.59 inches of precipitationNovember: 1.48 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.04 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 53.2°F averageFebruary: 53.3°F averageMarch: 55.8°F averageApril: 58.8°F averageMay: 62.6°F averageJune: 67.8°F averageJuly: 73.4°F averageAugust: 75.5°F averageSeptember: 73.1°F averageOctober: 66.2°F averageNovember: 59.1°F averageDecember: 52.3°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Alpine, 10 miles from the trail midpoint at 1,695 feet, station USC00040136 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 16 inches a year. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Wilderness

Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.

Trailheads

Pine Creek Trailhead
No season published
0.1 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Oak Woodlands Wcsl Rx

    under 1 mi from the trail midpoint

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Secret Canyon Trail?

The Forest Service records 13.9 miles under this name in Cleveland National Forest, the sum of 3 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Secret Canyon Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Secret Canyon Trail start?

The line begins at 32.8371° N, 116.5424° W and ends at 32.7540° N, 116.6469° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Pine Creek Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Secret Canyon Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Pine Creek Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Pine Creek Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Secret Canyon Trail?

No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. The camping section covers dispersed camping, which most National Forest land allows.

Source: Cleveland National Forest official page

How developed is the Secret Canyon Trail?

Trail class 2, which the Forest Service describes as moderately developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Secret Canyon Trail?

The typical grade is 0-5 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Secret Canyon Trail?

Cleveland National Forest, Forest Service unit 0502. The trail is in California.

Source: Cleveland National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Secret Canyon Trail?

The interagency feed shows 1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Oak Woodlands Wcsl Rx at under 1 mile. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 3 segments named Secret Canyon in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0502. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.