Dinosaur Lake-Pig Pond Loop at Pacheco State Park

Last Sunday, I made my maiden voyage to Pachecho State Park, where I took a challenging but enjoyable 5.5-mile loop. I can definitely see myself returning to this park, especially in the spring when the wildflowers must be spectacular.

From the parking area, I actually walked along the entrance road back to Dinosaur Point Road, to get onto the Dinosaur Lake Trail. This trail parallels the road for a little bit and then crosses into the boundary of the park along a ridge. From here, you can see the shining blue waters of the San Luis Reservoir to the east. There are also lines of windmills in the part of Pacheco that is closed to the public. Although the single-track trail crosses Windmill Road, it is very well marked the whole way. Eventually, the trail peels away from the road and traverses a valley where you will discover Dinosaur Lake. I was surprised to see it full of water, when in early October.

I stopped here to have a little picnic, and I enjoyed watching turtles and water fowl splashing in the water. It was most pleasant. After lunch, I continued on my way, climbing steeply up back to the ridge. Eventually the trail moved west further into the interior of the park. The trail went down hill somewhat steeply, but the trail was well graded with switchbacks. It ended at the dry creek bed for Salt Creek. I suspect that there is water in the creek during the rainy season, but there was no bridge. It might be necessary to ford the creek during if you are visiting during the wet season.

From here, follow the signs for "Upper Canyon Loop Trail to Pig Pond Trail." Once you get on Pig Pond Trail, the trail is very well signed and easy to follow. This part of the hike is quite steep uphill, but in the late summer or fall, the sun is thankfully to your back. The trail was a little less picturesque on Pig Pond than it was on Dinosaur Lake.

There is a longer loop of 9.8 miles that looks very promising (but also very challenging because of all the up-and-down hiking). It starts in the same way as the trail I've outlined here, but then from the terminus of Dinosaur Lake Trail it takes Lower Canyon Loop to the South Boundary Loop and then returns to the parking lot via Spikes Peak Trail. I think that I will try that loop the next time I come to this park.

One of the nice things about my visit last week was that the park was almost entirely empty. I saw seven other people total, and five of them I only saw in the parking lot. On the trail itself, I only crossed paths with two other hikers. I was able to take my mask off and hike like normal, and it felt like pre-COVID times. It was glorious!

Other things to note are that there is no potable water at Pacheco, so bring in all the drinking water you need. Because of the elevation changes along the hike, you might need more than you think!