Cap Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 sights is a 14.9-mile out-and-back near Smoke Tree, CA. The route passes Chongo Boulder before reaching Cap Rock at the turnaround, 7.5 miles in. It climbs 446 ft. It scores 84/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,062 – 4,282 ft15.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 34.02509, -116.14165
Nearest town Smoke Tree, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Cap Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 sights
14.9 mi · ▲ 446 ft · 5 hr 11 min
Elevation 4,062–4,281 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 34.02509, -116.14165
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 98°F / low 78° · precip 0% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 5:58 AM · sunset 7:45 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Wall Street Mill Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading NW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading SW.
- 300 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miPass Chongo Boulder.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading SW.
- 300 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Old Lost Horse Road Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading S.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading S.
- 1.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 100 ftReach Cap Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 1.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading E.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
- 250 ftBear left, heading NW.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading E.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 300 ftBear left onto Barker Dam Trail, heading E.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading E.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Wall Street Mill Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 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 surface
25% dirt2% sand73% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 98°F78°
Feels like80°Precip0%Wind3 mphUV9Humidity14%
Hourly temperature
100°75°
Sunrise 5:58 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:45 PM
Tue
97°74°
Wed
94°67°
Thu
98°78°
Fri
99°80°
Sat
99°81°
Sun
94°78°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 7:21 PM for the 7:45 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:04 PM — 8 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Little Hunk - Northeast Face & Barker Dam Nature 1.9 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Poker Face & Barker Dam Nature 2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Snickers North Face & Barker Dam Nature 2.1 mi · ▲ 112 ft
- Mounds - Eff Eight–Mounds - Deep Throat, 3 cliffs 2.1 mi · ▲ 83 ft
- Little Hunk - West Face (Trespasser's Wall)–Barker Dam Nature, 3 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 28 ft
- Wall Street Mill Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 53 ft
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Hikes near Smoke Tree, California