AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

8.9 mi · ▲ 1,007 ft · 3 hr 28 min

Big Chief Trail (Middle) is an 8.9-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 1,007 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,926 – 7,533 ft9.2 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)

8.9 mi · ▲ 1,007 ft · 3 hr 28 min

Elevation 6,925–7,535 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

  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 left onto Sawtooth Spur, heading NE.
  5. 250 ftContinue straight onto Northstar Service Road 700, heading N.
  6. 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  7. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Sawtooth Spur, heading NW.
  8. 250 ftTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading S.
  9. 3.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
  10. 0.3 miTurn right, heading NW.
  11. 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-14-km-d1fa

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

Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California