Santa Barbara Hikes Gibraltar Dam and the Mercury Mine
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Boulder, CO Leave No Trace Frountcountry program

Gibraltar Dam and the Mercury Mine.

NOTE: Due to the Zaca fire, you should check the Los Padres Forest Closure Orders page and the Zaca Fire Closure Area Map to make sure the hike you want to do is open.

Rating:
[out of 5]		 * * * *
For:Very long, exposed to the sun, some hills, if you go to the mine. Rates a 3 if you just go to the mine.
Sunbird Quicksilver Mine
The Sunbird Quicksilver Mine

Hiking to the Dam is mostly hiking along a fire road, but the views are worth it. The mine is an interesting historical curiosity. Before it was cleaned up, I imagined Twilight Zone episodes being filmed there. The mine sits perched above Gibraltar Reservoir, making it a pleasant, lakeside destination for lunch.

You will need an Adventure Pass to park your car in the area.

The hike to Red Rock is only about 1 mile or less, but you will get your feet wet sloshing through the creek.

The dam is a 7 mile round trip hike, and the mercury mine is a 10 mile round trip hike. You can bicycle these hikes, too.


Gibraltar Dam and the Mercury Mine Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: March 20, 2007, 11:35 pm
by: Tenzig

I just ran it with my gps and it clicked a 12 mile round trip from gate to dam. Perhaps the 7 mile listed above is the trail and not the fire road.
 

Posted: January 17, 2007, 3:45 pm
by: TheCuban1040

Walked the road up to the dam and took the trail back. (If you wanted to bike you could do so, just make sure you take the fire road and not the trail)The trail was definitely a much more interesting hike. There was actually inch thick ice covering parts of the river that was fun to play with.
 

Posted: November 15, 2005, 10:29 am
by: Anonymous

It is mentioned in the description of the hike that it is also bikable. If you would like to have a good ride, DO NOT BIKE THIS TRAIL. It is very frustrating as you are in river bed more time than not. The flys were also very thick in the area - an unpleasant added annoyance when you are hiking your bike.
 

Posted: April 22, 2005, 9:00 pm
by: Anonymous

Trail from Dam Road (damn road?) out to the mine is better than I remember it. We were surprised that nearly all of the old mine buildings are still there- what happened to the removal project a few years back?
I highly recommend boulder-hopping up Gidney Creek a half-mile to get to the most incredible jumble of enormous, mossy boulders with swirling water and subterranean waterfalls and pools I've seen anywhere in our backcountry. Or just anywhere. Travel gets VERY interesting, to say the least. (Chimney, wade, crawl, boulder moves, etc...) If you can find a way through them all, I'd like to hear how!
 

Posted: March 23, 2005, 7:29 pm
by: Diane

Post your update here.