Quirk Creek

This canyon features lovely flowstone formations, five short but pleasant rappels, and relatively easy approach and exit hikes. The sometimes obstructed creekwalking makes this a less appealing trip than the nearby Kirk Creek, but it’s still worth a visit. In low flows this canyon is suitable for beginners.

Park at the base of Nacimiento-Fergusson road. When the road reopens (sometime early 2024) the climb will be shuttleable, but in the meantime it’s open to hikers. Hike up the road until it crosses a running stream (third drainage fork option: 36.0013667,-121.4747276), then head down off the road into the drainage. This third drainage was running in low-flow condition, but in high-flow conditions other drainage forks may be running with water and in no-flow conditions this fork may be dry. The recommended drop-in drainage is the highest on the hill of the three possible entry forks and has a small fence made of barbed wire and green posts on the other side of the road. Dropping in one of the previous (first or middle) drainages is also an option and we think would add an additional ~25’ rappel, but appeared to be more tangled with vegetation than the main drainage.

Pass the animal skeletons and the washed-in car parts before reaching the technical section. Redwood trees growing in the canyon provide plentiful anchoring options. R4 was reached by a downclimb in the stream which is straightforward in low flow but might pose challenges of getting swept over the edge in higher flow. R4 is through a spout that could also pose risks in high flow. All raps were fiddlesticked or double-stranded, so don’t expect any webbing pre-placed. If you can do so safely, please consider using ghosting techniques to keep the canyon pristine.