Jug Handle Beach & Pygmy Forest Reserve Loop via Ecological Staircase Trail is a 6.8-mile out-and-back in Jug Handle State Natural Reserve near Caspar, CA. The route reaches Jug Handle Beach. It climbs 389 ft. It scores 30/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi75 – 430 ft6.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.37878, -123.81585
Nearest town Caspar, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Jug Handle Beach & Pygmy Forest Reserve Loop via Ecological Staircase Trail
6.8 mi · ▲ 389 ft · 2 hr 28 min
Elevation 76–429 ft
Out & Back · Jug Handle State Natural Reserve
Trailhead: 39.37878, -123.81585
Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 65°F / low 52° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:43 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Jug Handle Beach.
- 500 ftBear left onto Ecological Staircase Trail, heading E.
- 1.2 miBear left, heading NE.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Pygmy Forest Reserve Loop, heading N.
- 1.7 miReach Jug Handle Beach, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.7 miContinue straight onto Ecological Staircase Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SW.
- 1.2 miBear right, heading SW.
- 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
13% dirt87% unspecified
Weather
Partly cloudyTemperature 65°F52°
Precip0%Wind7 mphUV7Humidity85%
Hourly temperature
65°50°
Sunrise 6:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:43 PM
Sat
61°52°
Sun
59°51°
Mon
59°54°
Tue
59°57°
Wed
59°57°
Thu
61°59°
17%
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 7:23 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:43 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 8:11 PM.
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