Lake Margaret & Lake Margaret Trail is a 5-mile out-and-back near Kirkwood, CA. The route reaches Lake Margaret at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It climbs 458 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 39/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi7,491 – 7,717 ft5.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 38.70299, -120.07205
Nearest town Kirkwood, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lake Margaret & Lake Margaret Trail
5 mi · ▲ 458 ft · 1 hr 54 min
Elevation 7,489–7,718 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 38.70299, -120.07205
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.5 miTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Lake Margaret Trail, heading N.
- 1.5 miReach Lake Margaret, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.4 miBear right, heading SE.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
- 0.4 miArrive back at the trailhead.
Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.
Trail surface
100% dirt
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.2 mi in (~58 min). Leave by 5:45 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:20 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Lake Margaret Trail 2.3 mi · ▲ 205 ft
- Kirkwood Lake & Kirkwood Lake Loop 2 mi · ▲ 220 ft
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