Lake Mary–Emigrant Trail, 5 sights is a 12.7-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Donner, CA. The route reaches Lake Mary. It climbs 2,465 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 67/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,267 – 7,832 ft · steepest grade: 19%13.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31465, -120.32985
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lake Mary–Emigrant Trail, 5 sights
12.7 mi · ▲ 2,465 ft · 5 hr 28 min
Elevation 6,267–7,830 ft
Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park
Trailhead: 39.31465, -120.32985
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 80°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Lake Mary.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Lake Mary Trail, heading SW.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading SE.
- 2.2 miTurn left onto Crest Divide Road, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto South View Road, heading E.
- 1.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Cold Stream Road, heading NE.
- 350 ftReach Lake Mary, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left onto South View Road, heading SW.
- 1.3 miContinue straight onto Crest Divide Road, heading W.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Emigrant Trail, heading NW.
- 2.2 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 0.7 miBear right onto Lake Mary Trail, heading N.
- 0.6 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
94% dirt6% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 80°F51°
Precip0%Wind10 mphUV8Humidity17%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue
81°59°
Wed
85°55°
Thu
85°54°
Fri
85°55°
Sat
85°56°
Sun
86°54°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.4 mi in (~46 min). Leave by 7:07 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:02 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
- Tunnel Rock–Petroglyph Cliff, 3 cliffs 1.2 mi · ▲ 264 ft
- Mount Judah Viewpoint–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 5 viewpoints 4.1 mi · ▲ 911 ft
- Bill Patterson 4.2 mi · ▲ 218 ft
- Donner Peak–Donner Peak Viewpoint, 5 sights 4.7 mi · ▲ 1,002 ft
- Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights 4.8 mi · ▲ 1,113 ft
- Bill Patterson 6.1 mi · ▲ 315 ft
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