Granite Chief–Lake Cushing, 5 sights
8.8 mi · ▲ 3,275 ft · 4 hr 34 min
Granite Chief–Lake Cushing, 5 sights is an 8.8-mile out-and-back in Granite Chief Wilderness near Alpine Meadows, CA. The route passes Lake Cushing before reaching Granite Chief at the turnaround, 4.4 miles in. It climbs 3,275 ft, with sections as steep as 32% grade. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Granite Chief–Lake Cushing, 5 sights
8.8 mi · ▲ 3,275 ft · 4 hr 34 min
Elevation 6,218–9,004 ft
Out & Back · Granite Chief Wilderness
Trailhead: World Cup Trail · 39.19545, -120.23181
Weather Sep 22: Mostly clear, high 72°F / low 49° · precip 2% · wind 3 mph · sunrise 6:49 AM · sunset 7:00 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on World Cup Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miPass Lake Cushing.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Thunder Mountain Trail, heading SW.
- 0.7 miBear right, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.7 miSharp left, heading N.
- 500 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 500 ftBear right, heading W.
- 300 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading W.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto Western States Trail, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miReach Granite Chief, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Western States Trail, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 300 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 500 ftBear left, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 350 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Thunder Mountain Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading E.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left, heading E.
- 0.7 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading E.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading S.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto World Cup Trail, heading SE.
- 300 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.5 mi in (~143 min). Leave by 4:16 PM for the 7:00 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:39 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from World Cup Trail Trailhead
- Bear Trap Connector–Cinder Cone Spur, 8 sights 14.3 mi · ▲ 3,102 ft
- Olympic Valley Bike Trail–Olympic Valley-Western States Connector, 4 sights 9.3 mi · ▲ 1,487 ft
- Western States Trail & World Cup Trail 4.9 mi · ▲ 1,129 ft
- Thunder Mountain Trail–Western States Trail, 3 sights 6.4 mi · ▲ 2,192 ft
- Lake Cushing–Western States Trail Loop, 3 sights 2.6 mi · ▲ 801 ft
- Snow King Road & World Cup Trail Loop via Western States Trail 3.7 mi · ▲ 1,343 ft
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