Five Lakes Trail–Thunder Mountain Trail, 4 sights
15.8 mi · ▲ 4,390 ft · 7 hr 28 min
Five Lakes Trail–Thunder Mountain Trail, 4 sights is a 15.8-mile out-and-back in Granite Chief Wilderness near Alpine Meadows, CA. It climbs 4,390 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade. It scores 93/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Five Lakes Trail–Thunder Mountain Trail, 4 sights
15.8 mi · ▲ 4,390 ft · 7 hr 28 min
Elevation 6,395–8,695 ft
Out & Back · Granite Chief Wilderness
Trailhead: 39.19319, -120.23945
Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 85°F / low 50° · precip 0% · wind 1 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:12 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 100 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Thunder Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.7 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 500 ftBear right, heading W.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading W.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto Western States Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading N.
- 3.1 miContinue straight onto Whiskey Creek Trail, heading E.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading E.
- 0.9 miBear left onto Five Lakes Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miReach Thunder Mountain Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading N.
- 0.9 miContinue straight onto Whiskey Creek Trail, heading SW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
- 3.1 miSharp right onto Western States Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 300 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 500 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading E.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Thunder Mountain Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading S.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.4 mi in (~148 min). Leave by 5:24 PM for the 8:12 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:50 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Lake Cushing–Western States Trail Loop, 3 sights 1.9 mi · ▲ 547 ft
- Thunder Mountain Trail 2.9 mi · ▲ 1,037 ft
- Lake Cushing–Thunder Mountain Trail Loop, 3 sights 3.8 mi · ▲ 1,265 ft
- Polar Bear Lake–Thunder Mountain Trail, 3 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 1,640 ft
- Thunder Mountain Trail 4.6 mi · ▲ 1,639 ft
- Old Tram Road Trail 4.7 mi · ▲ 1,446 ft
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