Mayfair Ranch Trail

Dogs No Dogs

Features River/Creek · Views · Wildflowers · Wildlife

Mayfair Ranch Trail is a beautiful trail through the grass and wooded hills that are typical of much of the "wilderness" countryside in this area of central California.

Mayfair Ranch Trail starts from the Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve parking lot on Casa Loma Road. A large trailhead sign marks the trailhead. Stay to the right here to follow Mayfair Ranch Trail. Almost immediately, the trail crosses Casa Loma Road and begins to switchback up a wooded hillside. As the trail climbs, the views to the south, through the trees get better and better. Grass and wooded hills can be seen, and then the Santa Cruz Mountains come into view in the distance.

About .4 miles from its trailhead, Mayfair Ranch Trail then circles to the left to climb along the north side of a ridge, thus losing the views to the south, but now enjoying views of the Rancho Canada del Oro grass and wooded hills to the north, through the trees of this wooded section.

After about another .4 miles (.8 miles from the its trailhead), the Mayfair Ranch Trail reaches the ridge top, and continuing to climb, follows this ridge top for the next .8 miles. As the trail climbs, it emerges from the woods into grassy terrain. The views are great in all directions.

Mayfair Ranch Trail then descends the north side of this ridge, down to the stream at the bottom of Baldy Ryan Canyon, reaching the stream about 2.4 miles from its trailhead. As the trail descends, it re-enters the woods. Upon reaching the stream, the trail veers right and follows this wooded stream that is to the left of the trail. Eventually, the trail crosses this stream on a sturdy bridge, and ends at a trail junction with Longwall Canyon Trail.

Deer. Wooded, primarily oak with some manzanita and other trees, and grassy hills. Spring wildflowers.