Granite Chief Wilderness

Five Lakes Creek Trail & Whiskey Creek Trail via Pacific Crest Trail

15.8 mi · ▲ 3,671 ft · 7 hr 6 min

Five Lakes Creek Trail & Whiskey Creek Trail via Pacific Crest Trail is a 15.8-mile out-and-back in Granite Chief Wilderness near Alpine Meadows, CA. It climbs 3,671 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade. It scores 90/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi6,542 – 8,422 ft · steepest grade: 24%16.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.14769, -120.21580
Nearest town Alpine Meadows, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Five Lakes Creek Trail & Whiskey Creek Trail via Pacific Crest Trail

15.8 mi · ▲ 3,671 ft · 7 hr 6 min

Elevation 6,541–8,424 ft

Out & Back · Granite Chief Wilderness

Trailhead: 39.14769, -120.21580

Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:01 PM

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 0.1 miSharp left, heading SW.
  3. 0.8 miTurn left, heading W.
  4. 0.3 miBear right, heading N.
  5. 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
  6. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  7. 0.5 miTurn right, heading W.
  8. 200 ftBear right, heading N.
  9. 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
  10. 0.3 miSharp left, heading NW.
  11. 0.6 miSharp left, heading SW.
  12. 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
  13. 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
  14. 250 ftContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
  15. 3.5 miContinue straight onto Whiskey Creek Trail, heading W.
  16. 0.4 miTurn left onto Five Lakes Creek Trail, heading SW.
  17. 1.2 miReach Whiskey Creek Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  18. 1.2 miTurn right onto Whiskey Creek Trail, heading N.
  19. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
  20. 3.6 miTurn right, heading S.
  21. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  22. 50 ftSharp right, heading S.
  23. 0.6 miSharp right, heading S.
  24. 0.3 miSharp right, heading NW.
  25. 50 ftBear left, heading NW.
  26. 250 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  27. 0.5 miTurn right, heading S.
  28. 0.2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  29. 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
  30. 0.3 miTurn right, heading E.
  31. 0.8 miSharp right, heading E.
  32. 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

48% dirt8% gravel44% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:01 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.1 mi in (~120 min). Leave by 4:41 PM for the 7:01 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:32 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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