German Ridge–Lake Angela, 3 lakes is a 5-mile out-and-back near Donner, CA. The route passes Chinese Catfish Pond and Lake Angela before reaching German Ridge at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It climbs 952 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 5/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,815 – 7,323 ft · steepest grade: 17%5.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31859, -120.31981
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
German Ridge–Lake Angela, 3 lakes
5 mi · ▲ 952 ft · 2 hr 9 min
Elevation 6,814–7,322 ft
Out & Back
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.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Ski Ranch Lane, heading SW.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.6 miReach German Ridge, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp right onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 500 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
91% dirt1% paved8% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.2 mi in (~71 min). Leave by 5:32 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:16 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–Lake Angela, 9 lakes 15.1 mi · ▲ 3,375 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
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