AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Mokelumne Wilderness

Upper Blue Lake & Lower Charity Road via Forestdale Road

14.4 mi · ▲ 3,124 ft · 6 hr 22 min

Upper Blue Lake & Lower Charity Road via Forestdale Road is a 14.4-mile out-and-back in Mokelumne Wilderness near Shay Creek Summer Home Area, CA. The route reaches Upper Blue Lake at the turnaround, 7.1 miles in. It climbs 3,124 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade. It scores 85/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi7,517 – 8,878 ft · steepest grade: 23%14.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Lower Charity Road 38.67445, -119.91914
Nearest town Shay Creek Summer Home Area, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Upper Blue Lake & Lower Charity Road via Forestdale Road

14.4 mi · ▲ 3,124 ft · 6 hr 22 min

Elevation 7,516–8,879 ft

Out & Back · Mokelumne Wilderness

Trailhead: Lower Charity Road · 38.67445, -119.91914

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 79°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Lower Charity Road, heading NW.
  2. 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
  3. 0.5 miBear left, heading W.
  4. 50 ftBear left onto Forestdale Creek Trail, heading SW.
  5. 3.5 miSharp right onto Forestdale Road, heading SE.
  6. 0.5 miBear right, heading SE.
  7. 1.1 miSharp left onto Evergreen Trail, heading SW.
  8. 1.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  9. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
  10. 200 ftReach Upper Blue Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 200 ftTurn left, heading E.
  12. 1.6 miSharp right, heading NW.
  13. 1.1 miBear left, heading N.
  14. 350 ftContinue straight onto Forestdale Road, heading N.
  15. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
  16. 250 ftContinue straight onto Forestdale Creek Trail, heading NW.
  17. 3.4 miBear right, heading NE.
  18. 50 ftBear right, heading NE.
  19. 0.6 miTurn left onto Lower Charity Road, heading SE.
  20. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/forestdale-road-out-back-23-km-086f

Trail surface

41% dirt59% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 79°F52°
Precip0%Wind9 mphUV9Humidity24%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue 81°56°
Wed 81°57°
Thu 85°57°
Fri 85°58°
Sat 85°59°
Sun 85°57°

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Lower Charity Road Trailhead

Hikes near Shay Creek Summer Home Area, California