This Hotspot ascends Indians Road for almost 2 miles, through a dramatic rock canyon from 1800' (550m) to 2200' (670m), to a summit that crosses a watershed and then descends into the pine forests of the Memorial Park area in Los Padres National Forest. The curving paved road climbs on the east side of a deep canyon, with spectacular views westward to monumental rock formations and scattered Ponderosa Pines in the distance to peaks over 4000' (1200m) elevation. Ascending into these elevations on a paved road is quite rare in Monterey County, and provides comparatively easy access to a montane avifauna, although it is 100 miles (3 hours) from the Monterey Peninsula [access details in "About this location," below]. The views can be breath-taking; the wildflower show at roadside can be spectacular in spring; and the crisp, mountain air can be refreshing. 

The Hotspot below this Hotspot is the oak savanna within the Wagon Caves vicinity, and both this and that lower elevation Hotspot are within The Indians. Most local birders visit during April, in hopes of a good migration day for passerines, or in May-June for montane breeders.

One enters this Hotspot about 3 miles west of the Los Padres National Forest boundary where the road narrows, runs downhill and crosses a stream on a narrow one-lane bridge, and then immediately crosses a cattle guard. At that point, you'll have your first views of the rocky gorge to your left as you ascend Indians road. Within a half-mile you'll see an historic cabin with stone chimney -- there are privately owned in-holdings in this and Memorial Park areas -- that are now accessible to the public. All the birding in this Hotspot is along the road, as the gorge to your left with Carrizo Creek at the bottom is deep and treacherous, and the mostly grassy and rocky cliffs to your right rise steeply to a ridgeline. If you drive the road, you'll be in and out of this Hotspot much too quickly. It is best to stop every quarter-mile in pull-outs to the right, and essentially walk the less-and-two-miles to the summit in short walks. There are two small pull-outs on the left side at the summit, where Indians Road curves right and quickly downhill into the pines of Memorial Park. 

As the habitats in the Wagon Caves hotspot (oak savanna) on your way up, and around Memorial Park (pine forest) over the watershed summit, are so different than Upper Indians Road (this Hotspot), please do not combine eBird lists of these three different habitats into a single checklist. Although the distances are short along the Indians Road, there are dramatic differences in the avifauna. 

You may hear Mountain Quail calls as soon as you cross the one-way bridge that begins this Hotspot, and may hear them across the rocky gorge to your left all the way to the summit, but it would be exceptionally lucky to see any. There are also California Quail in the Hotspot, mostly down towards the river gorge below, but they can be see easily at roadside, while Mountain Quail tend to avoid the grassy areas through which the road travels. Up to your right, on the rocky ridges above, Rufous-crowned Sparrow and Rock Wren are resident -- but again, the sparrows are shy and more often heard than seen; in spring, though, both the sparrow and Rock Wren may sit atop boulders at ridgeline. Raptors, vultures, and ravens are common, and even a California Condor is possible. The mostly barren areas on your right are covered in flowering plants and bushes in spring, and attract hummingbirds: Anna's is the common species, but Costa's may be annual in small numbers, while Rufous, Black-chinned, and Calliope are potential migrants seasonally (all rather rare).

Migrants in roadside oaks, pines, and burned trees may include Empidonax flycatchers (all quite rare except Pacific-slope), Cassin's Vireo, most of the western warblers, Black-headed Grosbeak (also nests), Western Tanager (a few may nest), and Lazuli Bunting (good numbers remain to breed here). Breeding montane species in summer include Olive-sided Flycatcher, Western Wood-Pewee, and Black-throated Gray Warbler. Canyon Wren is resident in the high boulders across the gorge; they are heard singing in spring and summer; House and Bewick's Wren are common breeders. Violet-green Swallow breeds here, but Purple Martin and Vaux's Swift are mostly migrants here. 

The Hotspots of upper Indians Road and the Wagon Caves are within a larger area in the Monterey County portion of this National Forest which locals call The Indians. This area lies below the Ponderosa Pine forests of Memorial Park vicinity.

The Indians, and Memorial Park beyond, are remote areas reached via Del Venturi Road in Fort Hunter Liggett in southwester Monterey County. Fort Hunter Liggett is an Army and National Guard training area with many limitations, including rules that forbid leaving the public roads. Around the Fort's cantonment area, follow the signs to Del Venturi Road with access to Memorial Park. One drives on a paved road through miles of gorgeous Valley Oak savanna, and crosses the north fork on the San Antonio River in a 'wet' crossing on concrete twice, before reaching the well sign-posted border of Los Padres National Forest. [Rarely, in some springs after exceptional winter rains, Del Venturi Road will be closed at the river crossings by high water flow, and tourist are re-routed up Mission Creek and Milipitas Roads, which are wide dirt roads, to detour back to Del Venturi Road above those water crossings.] Once you reach the National Forest you can stop and bird as much as you like -- one may get a feeling of freedom of reaching that border, as you were not permitted to step outside your car when within Fort Hunter Liggett.

Back in the 2oth century, one could also access Memorial Park and Indians Road via a narrow, winding, rough dirt and gravel road following the Arroyo Seco River upstream into Los Padres National Forest. That road still exists, but it has been closed to vehicular traffic for some decades, but can be used to hikers and bicyclists.