AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

9 mi · ▲ 871 ft · 3 hr 26 min

Big Chief Trail (Middle) is a 9-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 871 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,880 – 7,533 ft9.3 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.25217, -120.19457
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

9 mi · ▲ 871 ft · 3 hr 26 min

Elevation 6,879–7,535 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 39.25217, -120.19457

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 83°F / low 57° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
  2. 150 ftBear right, heading W.
  3. 0.2 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Lower), heading SW.
  4. 0.3 miTurn left, heading E.
  5. 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
  6. 0.3 miTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Middle), heading S.
  7. 3.4 miTurn right onto Sawtooth Spur, heading NE.
  8. 100 ftReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  9. 50 ftTurn left onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading E.
  10. 3.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
  11. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  12. 0.3 miTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Lower), heading NW.
  13. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  14. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  15. 50 ftArrive 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-15-km-9cdb

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

ClearTemperature 83°F57°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity26%
Hourly temperature
85°55°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Wed 82°56°
Thu 87°54°
Fri 88°54°
Sat 88°55°
Sun 86°54°
Mon 85°52°

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California