AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

8.2 mi · ▲ 864 ft · 3 hr 10 min

Big Chief Trail (Middle) is an 8.2-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 864 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,926 – 7,533 ft8.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.24975, -120.19060
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

8.2 mi · ▲ 864 ft · 3 hr 10 min

Elevation 6,925–7,535 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 39.24975, -120.19060

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:03 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading W.
  2. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  3. 0.3 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Middle), heading E.
  4. 3.5 miTurn right onto Sawtooth Spur, heading SE.
  5. 50 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  6. 100 ftTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading N.
  7. 3.4 miTurn right, heading W.
  8. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
  9. 0.3 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/big-chief-trail-middle-out-back-13-km-c412

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:03 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California