AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Horseshoe lake - panoramio.jpg
Vadim Manuylov · CC BY-SA 3.0
Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Gerow's Waterfall–Horseshoe Viewpoint, 8 sights

8.9 mi · ▲ 1,395 ft · 3 hr 40 min

Gerow's Waterfall–Horseshoe Viewpoint, 8 sights is an 8.9-mile out-and-back in Long Ridge Open Space Preserve near Vista Verde, CA. The route passes Horseshoe Lake, Horseshoe Viewpoint, Bodhidharma Cave and Gerow's Waterfall before reaching Two Moon Lake at the turnaround, 4.4 miles in. It climbs 1,395 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade. It scores 7/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi2,008 – 2,412 ft · steepest grade: 30%9.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Horseshoe Loop Trail 37.30917, -122.17588
Nearest town Vista Verde, CA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Gerow's Waterfall–Horseshoe Viewpoint, 8 sights

8.9 mi · ▲ 1,395 ft · 3 hr 40 min

Elevation 2,009–2,412 ft

Out & Back · Long Ridge Open Space Preserve

Trailhead: Horseshoe Loop Trail · 37.30917, -122.17588

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 90°F / low 67° · precip 0% · wind 4 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:16 PM

No dogs on part of this route · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Horseshoe Loop Trail, heading SE.
  2. 50 ftPass Horseshoe Lake.
  3. 0.2 miPass Horseshoe Viewpoint.
  4. 400 ftContinue straight onto Tree Farm Trail, heading NE.
  5. 0.4 miTurn right, heading NE.
  6. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Chestnut Trail, heading SE.
  7. 1.6 miTurn right onto Peters Creek Trail, heading S.
  8. 450 ftTurn right onto Long Ridge Trail, heading SW.
  9. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Portola Heights Road, heading N.
  10. 100 ftContinue straight onto Long Ridge Trail, heading W.
  11. 150 ftBear left onto Portola Heights Road, heading SW.
  12. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Long Ridge Trail, heading S.
  13. 50 ftPass Bodhidharma Cave.
  14. 450 ftContinue straight onto Peters Creek Trail, heading S.
  15. 1 miPass Two Moon Lake.
  16. 0.1 miReach Gerow's Waterfall, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  17. 1.1 miContinue straight onto Long Ridge Trail, heading W.
  18. 450 ftContinue straight onto Portola Heights Road, heading NW.
  19. 0.1 miBear right onto Long Ridge Trail, heading N.
  20. 150 ftContinue straight onto Portola Heights Road, heading N.
  21. 100 ftContinue straight onto Long Ridge Trail, heading NW.
  22. 0.4 miTurn left onto Peters Creek Trail, heading SE.
  23. 450 ftTurn left onto Chestnut Trail, heading N.
  24. 1.6 miContinue straight onto Tree Farm Trail, heading SE.
  25. 0.2 miSharp left, heading NW.
  26. 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
  27. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Horseshoe Loop Trail, heading W.
  28. 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/gerows-waterfall-two-moon-lake-out-back-3-lakes-12-km-896f

Trail surface

14% dirt86% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 90°F67°
Precip0%Wind4 mphUV8Humidity32%
Hourly temperature
90°65°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:16 PM
Tue 84°63°
Wed 81°50°
Thu 89°49°
Fri 95°57°
Sat 93°52°
Sun 85°48°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.0 mi in (~89 min). Leave by 6:27 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:55 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • No dogs on part of this route
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Horseshoe Loop Trail Trailhead

Hikes near Vista Verde, California