Big Chief Trail (Lower)
6 mi · ▲ 602 ft · 2 hr 18 min
Big Chief Trail (Lower) is a 6-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 602 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 54/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,359 – 6,985 ft6.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.24975, -120.19060
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Big Chief Trail (Lower)
6 mi · ▲ 602 ft · 2 hr 18 min
Elevation 6,359–6,985 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 39.24975, -120.19060
Weather Sep 20: Overcast, high 70°F / low 43° · precip 2% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Lower), heading N.
- 2.4 miBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 2.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.6 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
OvercastTemperature 70°F43°
Precip2%Wind8 mphUV6Humidity26%
Hourly temperature
70°40°
Sunrise 6:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 7:03 PM
Mon
72°49°
Tue
75°46°
Wed
75°45°
Thu
70°45°
Fri
69°42°
Sat
70°41°
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Pickupsticks–Watson Creek East Trail, 3 sights 15.8 mi · ▲ 1,990 ft
- Watson Creek Trail & Watson Lake Trail via Tahoe Rim Trail 14.7 mi · ▲ 2,198 ft
- Northstar Service Road 700 & Northstar Service Road 706 15.4 mi · ▲ 2,145 ft
- Watson Peak Viewpoint–Watson Lake, 5 sights 15.4 mi · ▲ 1,895 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 8.9 mi · ▲ 1,007 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 8.2 mi · ▲ 864 ft
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Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California