Inspiration Point–Lake Alpine, 8 sights is an 11.9-mile out-and-back near Lake Alpine, CA. The route passes Poison Canyon and Lake Alpine before reaching Inspiration Point at the turnaround, 6 miles in. It climbs 3,110 ft, with sections as steep as 25% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 27/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi7,310 – 8,593 ft · steepest grade: 25%12.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 38.48522, -120.01952
Nearest town Lake Alpine, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Inspiration Point–Lake Alpine, 8 sights
11.9 mi · ▲ 3,110 ft · 5 hr 31 min
Elevation 7,310–8,592 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 38.48522, -120.01952
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 79°F / low 55° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Reba Road, heading N.
- 50 ftPass Poison Canyon.
- 1.7 miSharp right onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading E.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Three Creeks, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn right onto Silver Valley to Lakeshore Connector, heading S.
- 0.5 miPass Lake Alpine.
- 50 ftBear left onto Lakeshore Trail, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left onto Inspiration Point Trail, heading SW.
- 0.7 miReach Inspiration Point, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Lakeshore Trail, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Silver Valley to Lakeshore Connector, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Three Creeks, heading NE.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading SW.
- 2 miSharp left, heading NW.
- 350 ftContinue straight onto Reba Road, heading NW.
- 1.7 miBear right, heading SE.
- 450 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
97% dirt3% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 79°F55°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV9Humidity28%
Hourly temperature
80°55°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:10 PM
Tue
80°58°
Wed
80°56°
Thu
83°56°
Fri
84°57°
Sat
84°57°
Sun
84°57°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.7 mi in (~34 min). Leave by 7:16 PM for the 8:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:42 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 this trailhead
- Granite Slab Trail & Lodgepole via Powerline 4.3 mi · ▲ 457 ft
- Poison Canyon & Reba Road 4.4 mi · ▲ 1,304 ft
- Reba–Lodgepole, 5 sights 10.3 mi · ▲ 2,158 ft
- Bear Valley to Lake Alpine Trail–Bee Gulch Trail, 9 sights 12.9 mi · ▲ 2,453 ft
- Poison Canyon–Bear Valley to Lake Alpine Trail, 7 sights 13.5 mi · ▲ 2,752 ft
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Hikes near Lake Alpine, California