Coaster–Northstar Service Road 900, 3 sights is a 15.9-mile out-and-back near Ponderosa Palisades, CA. It climbs 2,725 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Coaster–Northstar Service Road 900, 3 sights
15.9 mi · ▲ 2,725 ft · 6 hr 40 min
Elevation 6,718–7,535 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 39.24336, -120.18268
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:11 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 miBear right onto Northstar Service Road 900, heading N.
- 2.1 miSharp right onto Tell No Tales, heading SE.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 150 ftTurn right onto Boondocks, heading S.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Coaster, heading SE.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Boondocks, heading SE.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Coaster, heading NE.
- 250 ftReach Northstar Service Road 900, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 250 ftBear right onto Boondocks, heading SE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Coaster, heading W.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Boondocks, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 150 ftSharp right onto Tell No Tales, heading NW.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Northstar Service Road 900, heading NW.
- 2.1 miBear left onto Northstar Service Road 700, heading S.
- 2.2 miContinue straight onto Sawtooth Spur, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Big Chief Trail (Upper), heading SW.
- 2.6 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.2 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 6.5 mi in (~184 min). Leave by 4:47 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:34 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
- 7.4 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 8.1 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 9.3 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 8.6 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 13 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
- 11.9 mi · out & back · via Big Chief Trail (Middle)
More from this trailhead
- Little Chief & North Pass via Big Chief Trail (Middle) 3 mi · ▲ 460 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 5.8 mi · ▲ 705 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 6.4 mi · ▲ 849 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 7.1 mi · ▲ 688 ft
- Big Chief Trail (Middle) 7.1 mi · ▲ 770 ft
- Mount Watson Boulevard 9.5 mi · ▲ 2,442 ft
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Hikes near Ponderosa Palisades, California