AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Achistaca trail - panoramio.jpg
Vadim Manuylov · CC BY-SA 3.0
Upper Stevens Creek County Park

Lookout Tower–Saratoga Gap, 5 sights

10.2 mi · ▲ 2,270 ft · 4 hr 32 min

Lookout Tower–Saratoga Gap, 5 sights is a 10.2-mile out-and-back in Upper Stevens Creek County Park near The Highlands, CA. The route passes Saratoga Gap before reaching Lookout Tower at the turnaround, 5.1 miles in. It climbs 2,270 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 33/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi1,073 – 2,894 ft · steepest grade: 21%10.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Charcoal Road 37.28027, -122.11965
Nearest town The Highlands, CA
Google Maps Apple Maps

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Lookout Tower–Saratoga Gap, 5 sights

10.2 mi · ▲ 2,270 ft · 4 hr 32 min

Elevation 1,074–2,894 ft

Out & Back · Upper Stevens Creek County Park

Trailhead: Charcoal Road · 37.28027, -122.11965

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:55 AM · sunset 7:10 PM

No dogs on part of this route

  1. Start on Charcoal Road, heading N.
  2. 2.3 miContinue straight onto Table Mountain Trail, heading S.
  3. 250 ftBear right onto Charcoal Road, heading S.
  4. 150 ftContinue straight onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading SW.
  5. 1.6 miPass Saratoga Gap.
  6. 350 ftTurn right, heading E.
  7. 50 ftTurn left onto Skyline Trail, heading SE.
  8. 1.1 miSharp right, heading SE.
  9. 0.1 miReach Lookout Tower, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  10. 1.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  11. 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  12. 50 ftContinue straight onto Saratoga Gap Trail, heading NW.
  13. 1.6 miContinue straight onto Charcoal Road, heading NW.
  14. 150 ftBear left onto Table Mountain Trail, heading N.
  15. 250 ftContinue straight onto Charcoal Road, heading NE.
  16. 2.1 miArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/table-mountain-saratoga-gap-out-back-11-km-c7e6

Trail surface

68% dirt32% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:55 AMSunset 7:10 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.6 mi in (~107 min). Leave by 5:03 PM for the 7:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:27 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • No dogs on part of this route

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Charcoal Road Trailhead

Hikes near The Highlands, California