Frog Lake–Lake Angela, 9 lakes is a 15.1-mile out-and-back in Frog Lake near Donner, CA. The route passes Chinese Catfish Pond, Lake Angela, Azalea Lake and Flora Lake before reaching Frog Lake at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 3,375 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 44/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi6,815 – 8,550 ft · steepest grade: 21%15.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31859, -120.31981
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Frog Lake–Lake Angela, 9 lakes
15.1 mi · ▲ 3,375 ft · 6 hr 43 min
Elevation 6,814–8,550 ft
Out & Back · Frog Lake
Trailhead: 39.31859, -120.31981
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NW.
- 250 ftSharp left, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 500 ftBear left onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miPass Chinese Catfish Pond.
- 50 ftPass Lake Angela.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.5 miPass Azalea Lake.
- 50 ftPass Flora Lake.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NW.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Summit Lake Trail, heading N.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Warren Lake Trail, heading E.
- 1.9 miTurn right onto Red Dot Trail, heading NW.
- 1.4 miSharp right onto Frog Lake Road, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 400 ftReach Frog Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 350 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Red Dot Trail, heading W.
- 1.4 miTurn left onto Warren Lake Trail, heading W.
- 1.9 miTurn right onto Summit Lake Trail, heading SE.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading S.
- 1.6 miBear right, heading W.
- 500 ftSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 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
87% dirt13% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.4 mi in (~182 min). Leave by 3:42 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:36 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 5 sights 7.8 mi · ▲ 1,210 ft
- Tunnel Rock–Snowshed, 5 cliffs 7.7 mi · ▲ 2,074 ft
- Frog Lake Overlook–Frog Lake Cliff, 8 lakes 11 mi · ▲ 2,132 ft
- Mount Disney–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights 9.4 mi · ▲ 2,079 ft
- Crows Nest–Snowshed, 7 cliffs 8.4 mi · ▲ 1,654 ft
- Beaver Pond–Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, 3 sights 4.2 mi · ▲ 894 ft
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