Granite Chief & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail is a 10.7-mile out-and-back in Chickering American River Reserve near Alpine Meadows, CA. The route reaches Granite Chief at the turnaround, 5.3 miles in. It climbs 3,046 ft, with sections as steep as 33% grade. It scores 87/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi6,254 – 9,003 ft · steepest grade: 33%10.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail 39.20030, -120.23701
Nearest town Alpine Meadows, CA
Directions
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Granite Chief & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail
10.7 mi · ▲ 3,046 ft · 5 hr 5 min
Elevation 6,255–9,004 ft
Out & Back · Chickering American River Reserve
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail · 39.20030, -120.23701
Weather Sep 20: Overcast, high 72°F / low 46° · precip 2% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Granite Chief Trail, heading NW.
- 3.5 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 1.5 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.4 miReach Granite Chief, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.9 miContinue straight onto Granite Chief Trail, heading NE.
- 3.5 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Weather
OvercastTemperature 72°F46°
Precip2%Wind8 mphUV6Humidity30%
Hourly temperature
75°45°
Sunrise 6:48 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM9 PMSunset 7:03 PM
Mon
73°52°
Tue
76°49°
Wed
77°49°
Thu
72°49°
Fri
71°46°
Sat
72°45°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.2 mi in (~206 min). Leave by 3:16 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:27 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Granite Chief Trail Trailhead
- Coldstream Trail & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 15.7 mi · ▲ 4,159 ft
- Tinker Knob & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 14.9 mi · ▲ 3,978 ft
- Polar Bear Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights 13.4 mi · ▲ 3,632 ft
- Shirley Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 5 sights 14.1 mi · ▲ 4,074 ft
- Washeshu Peak–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights 12.6 mi · ▲ 3,431 ft
- Granite Chief Trail–Siberai Basin Loop Trail, 4 sights 12.1 mi · ▲ 3,453 ft
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Hikes near Alpine Meadows, California