Caples Lake–Red Cliffs, 3 sights is a 3.9-mile out-and-back near Kirkwood, CA. The route reaches Caples Lake at the turnaround, 1.9 miles in. It climbs 465 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi7,746 – 7,947 ft · steepest grade: 18%4.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 38.68376, -120.06477
Nearest town Kirkwood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Caples Lake–Red Cliffs, 3 sights
3.9 mi · ▲ 465 ft · 1 hr 32 min
Elevation 7,748–7,946 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 38.68376, -120.06477
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 78°F / low 48° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 350 ftBear left onto Whiskey, heading E.
- 450 ftSharp left onto Red Cliffs, heading N.
- 1.6 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftReach Caples Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 1.8 miSharp right onto Whiskey, heading S.
- 500 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 150 ftArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Weather
ClearTemperature 78°F48°
Precip0%Wind7 mphUV9Humidity26%
Hourly temperature
80°45°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue
78°55°
Wed
79°57°
Thu
83°57°
Fri
83°58°
Sat
83°58°
Sun
83°57°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~43 min). Leave by 7:08 PM for the 8:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:05 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Lower Corral–Red Cliffs, 5 sights 2.3 mi · ▲ 500 ft
- Red Cliffs–Robey Wolfe, 4 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 585 ft
- Caples Crest–Lower Corral Loop, 6 sights 2.8 mi · ▲ 817 ft
- Hole 'N Wall–Red Cliffs, 4 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 920 ft
- Hole 'N Wall–Red Cliffs, 5 sights 5 mi · ▲ 1,020 ft
- Emigrant Lake–Caples Crest, 4 sights 6.1 mi · ▲ 1,876 ft
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