Big Chief Trail (Middle) is a 10.2-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 1,493 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 79/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi6,716 – 7,533 ft · steepest grade: 17%10.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.24336, -120.18268
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Big Chief Trail (Middle)
10.2 mi · ▲ 1,493 ft · 4 hr 9 min
Elevation 6,718–7,535 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 39.24336, -120.18268
Weather Sep 21: Overcast, high 70°F / low 50° · precip 11% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:01 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Big Chief Trail (Middle), heading S.
- 2.6 miTurn left onto Sawtooth Spur, heading N.
- 250 ftContinue straight onto Northstar Service Road 700, heading N.
- 2.2 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 2.2 miContinue straight onto Sawtooth Spur, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading S.
- 2.6 miBear right, heading N.
- 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 surface
100% dirt
Weather
OvercastTemperature 70°F50°
Precip11%Wind5 mphUV6Humidity57%
Hourly temperature
70°50°
Sunrise 6:48 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 7:01 PM
Tue
67°48°
Wed
70°47°
Thu
71°45°
Fri
64°41°
Sat
67°40°
Sun
62°36°
Other ways to reach this destination
- 7.4 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 8.2 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 9 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 9.3 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 10 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 10.4 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 13.8 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 13.8 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
More from this trailhead
- Shivagiri Extension–Watson Creek Trail, 3 sights 13.4 mi · ▲ 2,166 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 9.7 mi · ▲ 1,462 ft
- Coaster–Northstar Service Road 900, 3 sights 15.9 mi · ▲ 2,725 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 6.4 mi · ▲ 849 ft
- Deer Creek Road–Fast Eddie's, 5 sights 14.5 mi · ▲ 3,166 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 5.8 mi · ▲ 705 ft
Get outside more
A wild hike near Ponderosa Palisades, emailed to you once a week.
Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California