Lost Horse Mountain via California Riding and Hiking Trail is a 14.9-mile out-and-back near Pinto Wye, CA. The route reaches Lost Horse Mountain at the turnaround, 7.5 miles in. It climbs 1,990 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade. It scores 94/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Lost Horse Mountain via California Riding and Hiking Trail
14.9 mi · ▲ 1,990 ft · 5 hr 58 min
Elevation 3,964–5,305 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: California Riding and Hiking Trail · 33.98533, -116.08226
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 97°F / low 79° · precip 0% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on California Riding and Hiking Trail, heading SW.
- 3 miSharp left, heading SE.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left, heading W.
- 250 ftBear left, heading W.
- 1.5 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading SW.
- 450 ftContinue straight onto Lost Horse Mine Spur, heading SE.
- 300 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn left onto Lost Horse Mine Loop Trail, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.2 miReach Lost Horse Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading S.
- 300 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Lost Horse Mine Spur, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 1.5 miBear right, heading E.
- 250 ftBear right, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k Trail, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear right, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
- 1 miSharp right onto California Riding and Hiking Trail, heading NW.
- 2.9 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.5 mi in (~213 min). Leave by 3:51 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:17 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from California Riding and Hiking Trail Trailhead
- California Riding and Hiking Trail 6.6 mi · ▲ 218 ft
- Split Rock–Desert Queen Mine Road, 5 sights 10.6 mi · ▲ 1,113 ft
- California Riding and Hiking Trail 11.1 mi · ▲ 528 ft
- Geology Tour Road 11.3 mi · ▲ 212 ft
- Paac Kü̱vü̱hü̱’k–Surprise Tank Loop, 3 lakes 12.2 mi · ▲ 1,107 ft
- Face Rock–Desert Queen Mine Road, 6 sights 12.9 mi · ▲ 1,333 ft
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