Lake Van Norden via Bill Patterson is a 7.8-mile out-and-back near Donner, CA. The route reaches Lake Van Norden at the turnaround, 3.9 miles in. It climbs 287 ft. It scores 11/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,759 – 7,015 ft8.3 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31681, -120.33058
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Lake Van Norden via Bill Patterson
7.8 mi · ▲ 287 ft · 2 hr 45 min
Elevation 6,758–7,015 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 39.31681, -120.33058
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 1.5 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading SE.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.9 miBear right, heading NW.
- 500 ftReach Lake Van Norden, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 0.9 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.9 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading E.
- 1.3 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
44% dirt56% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.4 mi in (~11 min). Leave by 6:32 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:30 PM — 0 min before dark.
Good to know
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Lake Mary–Emigrant Trail, 5 sights 12.7 mi · ▲ 2,465 ft
- Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 4 sights 10.7 mi · ▲ 2,386 ft
- Bill Patterson 6.8 mi · ▲ 258 ft
- Bill Patterson 6.1 mi · ▲ 315 ft
- Tinker Knob–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 6 sights 15.9 mi · ▲ 2,868 ft
- Andesite Peak–Lake Angela, 8 lakes 11.1 mi · ▲ 1,402 ft
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