Old Banner Toll Road

Definitely worth coming up here. Directions were straight forward on the GPS, the link on Unilocal.Once we came to the destination, we parked our car in the cul-​de-​sac and started our journey.
We (me, girl friend and dog) came dressed warm with about 3 bottles of water, and good thing we did because there was snow and ice on the trial. It’s a nice scenic gradual declined hike with alot of shiny rocks on the way which look like gold. The trail was uneven and rocky making me ponder how someone could pull a wagon up it.
Stop 1: came to gem stone mine, it’s pretty easy to miss it’s literally a hole in the mountain with wood bracing it together, about a mile down. Sketch factor was around ⁵⁄₇ epecially with no flashlight. So we let our dog lead and we followed equipped with our phone light. We left a note outside saying «if you read this, send help» just in case. It’s pretty roomy despite the small entrance it has almost like an Alice and wonderland feel and was in deeper than expected!
Stop 2: warlock mine. This mine was alot safer and looked more «traveled» if you pused out on the first mine definitely check this one out.
We were feeling pretty adventurous, so we went back up the hill a bit and took the other road on the fork which led us on a bizarre detour. We stumbled across a shanty/​cottage on the trail and had no choice but to cross through it, lucky enough it was inhabited by modern prospectors! They were wearing long johns and all. The two prospecters were very cool and gave us a quick lesson on prospecting and what type of gold they found, how to process it and so on. They were kind enough to show us the mines they were working on as well. Try to bring some canned food for these guys if you ever run into them.
Overall hiked around 2.5 miles up and down. Only drank about 1.5÷3 water bottles. Got some fresh air, learned a little history and had some apple crack pie.
*during the winter months the trail is shaded and there’s little to no sunlight on the hike. So dress warm.

This place is awesome. Read the review from 3÷14÷2015 for good directions. Bring lots of water.

This was such a unique adventure! So much to see and appreciate. We hiked it and didn’t see a soul on the way down or back up! Once you get the the bottom, there’s a cave you can climb into and explore. We brought a headlamp and flashlights … But were a little sketched out. I’d say do it at your own risk. Next time i may be braver and make it a bit further into the cave.
The hike back up is a steady incline, but not too difficult. Bring water, it can get hot out in Julian.
The directions listed in the other reviews got us there, no problem! It’s an awesome day if you’re feeling up to it!

This was legitimately the greatest hike/​adventure I have ever been on. You park in the cul de sac, walk past the private property sign and down the road until you get to a fork. Take a HARD left towards what looks like a valley and you will see the start of the trail. The trail is actually an old road that washed out back in the 70’s, but some of it is mere feet in width today, so tread with caution! Towards the beginning of the trail is the collapsed entrance to an old gold mine. If you crawl in it opens up into a big room, but it’s dark and scary so use caution. Save your Tomb Raider fantasies for the next mine you come across… Keep hiking on the trail until you see the Old Mill down the valley on your left. Again, when you get to a fork in the trail, instead of going straight, turn 180 degrees and hike down towards the Mill. Once you are facing the mill, look left and there is a little hill. Go on top of that hill and, with your back now to the mill, look towards the mountain – you will see the entrance to Warlock mine. It is about 10 feet off the ground, but you can easily climb up. Make sure you have a flashlight or camera so you don’t trip when you go inside. DEFINITELY GO INSIDE. There are three rooms that open up the deeper you go, and there might be more beyond that, but we didn’t have a flashlight so we didn’t want to risk it.
After you explore the area, there isn’t much more down there so head back and get some bombass apple pie from downtown Julian.
Seriously though, this hike was awesome, took about 3 – 4 hours round trip because we spent time exploring, and it’s actually unlike anything I have ever done before!

Very hard to find. Just past the private property signs and the last house. There is a plaque there that states Old Banner Toll Road. The people that live there try to deter the hikers.

My friend heard about some abandoned mine hike near Julian and after a quick google search I determined he must’ve been referring to the Old Banner Toll Road. This trail is a very short 2.9 mile out and back hike. It was surprisingly a bit challenging on the way back up but going down the trail was a breeze. I love the apparent history that is attached to this trail.
So I’m going to put my teacher hat on now for a bit and give you a quick history lesson. For those that never enjoyed history in school (like me) you can just skip this paragraph. A bunch of mines were established in Banner Canyon during the Gold Rush in 1870. A toll road was created to help those miners which you can now followed via the trail. Pretty cool right? Ok, teacher hat coming back off.
As you’re following this trail it’ll be hard to take your eyes off the ground, literally. The rocks are so shiny and sparkle beautifully against the sun. I took a small special metallic one that caught my eye home as a souvenir. When you do get a chance to look up however, you’ll be greeted by a really nice scenic view of the canyon. About a half-​mile into the hike you’ll see a little marker with a picture off to the side. It informs you about a fire back in 2002 that destroyed most of the wooden structures and the pictures shows what the Warlock Mine looked like before the fire. If you look straight ahead, you can see what is left of the mine — which isn’t much.
My friends and I actually hiked passed the private property sign warning against trespassing but it leads to no where so it’s best to just stick to the short hike. Just past the mine remains is a small opening for another mine. I didn’t go inside as it looked really small and rather sketchy, but if you’re feeling adventurous than by all means, I will vicariously live through you on that one.
As always, bring plenty of fluids to keep you hydrated and wear good shoes. There’s some slight shade coverage in the beginning part of the trail and there was a good breeze as you went lower into the canyon. I would actually recommend pants for this hike as the dead brush scratched up my legs pretty bad. Also, not sure if it changes with the seasons, but there were a TON of red ants out yesterday. My friend even had one hitch a ride on his leg hair all the way back to the car so yeah… pants.
To get there you’ll want to follow these directions taken from Afoot and Afield: Drive 1 mile east from Julian on the 78, and turn right at Whispering Pines Road. Immediately after, make a sharp right on Banner Road, then a quick left on Woodland Road. Follow Woodland Road 0.3 mile to its end at the cul-​de-​sac, where you can park.
Enjoy! :)