AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

9.8 mi · ▲ 1,015 ft · 3 hr 46 min

Big Chief Trail (Middle) is a 9.8-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 1,015 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,880 – 7,533 ft10.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.25217, -120.19457
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Big Chief Trail (Middle)

9.8 mi · ▲ 1,015 ft · 3 hr 46 min

Elevation 6,879–7,535 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: 39.25217, -120.19457

Weather Aug 4: 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 left onto Sawtooth Spur, heading NE.
  8. 250 ftContinue straight onto Northstar Service Road 700, heading NE.
  9. 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
  10. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Sawtooth Spur, heading NW.
  11. 250 ftTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading NW.
  12. 3.5 miTurn right, heading SW.
  13. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  14. 0.3 miTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Lower), heading SW.
  15. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  16. 0.2 miBear left, heading NE.
  17. 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-16-km-be83

Trail surface

100% dirt

Weather

Sunrise 6:04 AMSunset 8:11 PM

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California