Originally opened in 1913 by the Forrest Service and with permission of the Franklin Family, for who the Franklin Trail in Carpinteria, California is named, as they are the ones who gave the public permission to use of their land for hiking and picnicking. But a big problem came in the 1970`s, when the ranchers of the surrounding properties were concerned about people and horses passing by, their shoes would drop contaminated soils that was fatal to their trees. The trail was closed for the next forty years. With the assistance of a lot of good volunteers and time, the trail is again open to the public for hiking, starting right in front of Carpinteria High School, winding past their track field and the now fenced off ranches still there, winding up switchbacks nearly seven and half miles, 12,000 K, to an elevation of nearly 3,700 ft, 1127.76 m. Along the way are benches to rest and enjoy the views below, including the Salt Marsh. And with all the rains in the past year, the fields are alive with color and burying the burnt trees from past fire seasons. Just a word of warning, you will not find any restrooms or drinking fountains along the way, so bringing your own water is an absolute must. The trail itself varies from a light dusty sand and clay to very hard rock, with railroad ties in some of the switchback added to make walking them easier. As enjoyed 17 July 2024.
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