Horseshoe Lake–Chestnut Trail, 6 sights is a 6.1-mile out-and-back in Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve near Vista Verde, CA. The route reaches Horseshoe Lake at the turnaround, 3.1 miles in. It climbs 928 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 4/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi2,021 – 2,323 ft · steepest grade: 16%6.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Grizzly Flat Trail North 37.29061, -122.15464
Nearest town Vista Verde, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Horseshoe Lake–Chestnut Trail, 6 sights
6.1 mi · ▲ 928 ft · 2 hr 30 min
Elevation 2,022–2,322 ft
Out & Back · Skyline Ridge Open Space Preserve
Trailhead: Grizzly Flat Trail North · 37.29061, -122.15464
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 92°F / low 65° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:16 AM · sunset 8:16 PM
No dogs on part of this route · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Grizzly Flat Trail North, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Grizzly Flat Trail South, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Chestnut Trail, heading N.
- 1.6 miContinue straight onto Tree Farm Trail, heading NW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Horseshoe Loop Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 miReach Horseshoe Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.7 miSharp right onto Tree Farm Trail, heading SE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Chestnut Trail, heading SE.
- 1.6 miTurn left onto Peters Creek Trail, heading SE.
- 0.4 miTurn left onto Grizzly Flat Trail South, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Grizzly Flat Trail North, heading W.
- 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
7% dirt93% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 92°F65°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV8Humidity43%
Hourly temperature
95°65°
Sunrise 6:16 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:16 PM
Tue
87°64°
Wed
87°54°
Thu
93°51°
Fri
97°55°
Sat
97°57°
Sun
97°53°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.5 mi in (~40 min). Leave by 7:15 PM for the 8:16 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:13 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- No dogs on part of this route
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Grizzly Flat Trail North Trailhead
- Wallace Stegner Bench–Grizzly Flat Trail North, 6 sights 3.3 mi · ▲ 683 ft
- Gerow's Waterfall–Two Moon Lake, 7 sights 4.3 mi · ▲ 676 ft
- Canyon Trail–Grizzly Flat Trail North, 4 sights 5.8 mi · ▲ 1,354 ft
- Diablo Way–Grizzly Flat Trail North, 6 sights 7.9 mi · ▲ 2,125 ft
- Wallace Stegner Bench–Two Moon Lake, 8 sights 8.2 mi · ▲ 1,710 ft
- Grizzly Flat Trail North–Grizzly Flat Trail South, 5 sights 8.3 mi · ▲ 1,780 ft
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