Santa Barbara Hikes Snyder Trail/Knapp's Castle
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Snyder Trail/Knapp's Castle

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]		 * * * 1/2
For:Snyder is longer and uphill. Knapps castle deserves a 1, if you start from the top, because it is very short.
Knapp's Castle
Knapp's Castle - Photo by Ray Ford

Look out for kamikaze mountain bikers hell-bent for leather on Snyder trail. This trail attracts some of the worst ones.

Snyder trail is a nice hike on its own, or you can make a loop with the Freemont trail. The loop is a nice car shuttle hike if you have a group of people. If not you will wind up walking on Paradise road for about a mile and a half at the end. Freemont trail is a historical trail of sorts, being an old stagecoach route. Or so I've heard. You will also get to hike to an old ruined lodge called Knapp's Castle.

Knapp's Castle can be a short destination of its own on a warm summer night to watch the sunset if you start from East Camino Cielo Rd. instead. See the map and directions to the trailhead.

You will need an Adventure Pass to park your car for either hike.

Snyder trail on its own is a little over 7 miles.

Snyder-Freemont Loop is done as a car shuttle (which means two cars - one at the start and one at the finish) is about 8 miles. Add another 1.6 miles if you don't have that second car.

knapps

Snyder and Freemont Trail Updates

Update trail conditions

Posted: December 18, 2005, 2:10 pm
by: Anonymous

This was one of the best-maintained back country trails I've been on. Everything looked fairly freshly groomed. And there were more than a dozen mountain bikers taking advantage of it.
Not much signage, though. You sort of have to know where you're going or just hope you don't wander too far in the wrong direction.
 

Posted: July 16, 2005, 11:13 pm
by: Anonymous

Hiked up this trail from its lower trailhead with my 2 year old and 5 year old. Two year old lasted about 100 feet before she asked to be loaded into the carrier. Five year old HAD to see the "castle," so even after the first (relatively...to a 5-year-old) grueling mile, she was rarin' to go. Trail was in good condition, rutted in some areas, loose rocks and occassional marble-like gravel added to the challenge. The castle is clearly a party place that's getting trashed. LOTS of broken glass, casings, random trash. Too bad.
 

Posted: March 23, 2005, 7:31 pm
by: Diane

Post your update here.