Little Chief–North Pass, 7 sights
13.4 mi · ▲ 1,553 ft · 5 hr 15 min
Little Chief–North Pass, 7 sights is a 13.4-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. The route passes Little Chief before reaching North Pass at the turnaround, 6.7 miles in. It climbs 1,553 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 43/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi6,168 – 7,130 ft · steepest grade: 22%14.2 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Springboard 39.31302, -120.18908
Nearest town Ponderosa Palisades, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Little Chief–North Pass, 7 sights
13.4 mi · ▲ 1,553 ft · 5 hr 15 min
Elevation 6,167–7,130 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Springboard · 39.31302, -120.18908
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Springboard, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 200 ftTurn left onto Sawtooth Trail, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn right onto Compass Skills Upper Loop, heading SE.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Happy Face, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Skidder, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Happy Face, heading S.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Skidder, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Bobbles, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left onto Skidder, heading S.
- 1.2 miTurn left onto Bobbles, heading SW.
- 0.4 miSharp left onto Boulder Dash, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Sawtooth Trail, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Bobbles, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Big Chief Trail (Lower), heading SW.
- 2.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 500 ftPass North Pass.
- 350 ftReach Little Chief, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 2.5 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Sawtooth Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Boulder Dash, heading E.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Bobbles, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Skidder, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Bobbles, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Skidder, heading NW.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Happy Face, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp right onto Skidder, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Happy Face, heading NW.
- 0.7 miSharp right, heading NW.
- 50 ftSharp left onto Compass Skills Upper Loop, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Springboard, heading NW.
- 0.1 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
Sunrise 6:04 AMSunset 8:11 PM
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Springboard Trailhead
- Crosscut Trail & Gentle Jeffery Trail via Sawtooth Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 106 ft
- Sawyer Trail & West Side Trail 2.8 mi · ▲ 269 ft
- Compass Skills Upper Loop–Happy Face, 3 sights 3.1 mi · ▲ 377 ft
- Bald Mountain–Bobbles, 6 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 577 ft
- Bobbles–Compass Skills Upper Loop, 7 sights 5.4 mi · ▲ 468 ft
- 2 Beavers & a Bear & Back-cut Trail via Northstar Service Road 700 11.2 mi · ▲ 1,792 ft
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