Kirkwood Lake via Lake Margaret Trail is a 7.8-mile out-and-back near Kirkwood, CA. The route reaches Kirkwood Lake at the turnaround, 3.9 miles in. It climbs 699 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 16/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi7,579 – 8,035 ft8.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 38.70641, -120.03815
Nearest town Kirkwood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Kirkwood Lake via Lake Margaret Trail
7.8 mi · ▲ 699 ft · 2 hr 57 min
Elevation 7,580–8,036 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 38.70641, -120.03815
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Lake Margaret Trail, heading W.
- 100 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.4 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.4 miReach Kirkwood Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.7 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading S.
- 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
69% dirt31% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is right at the trailhead, so there is no walk out. Be there by 6:41 PM to have the sun's last 20 minutes of sky before it sets at 7:02 PM. Your car is right there — dark at 7:29 PM.
Other ways to reach this destination
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