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Martis Creek Lake–East Martis Creek Trail, 3 sights is a 7.5-mile out-and-back in Waddle Ranch Preserve near Kingswood Estates, CA. The route reaches Martis Creek Lake at the turnaround, 3.8 miles in. It climbs 477 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 12/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi5,814 – 6,158 ft7.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Elizabethtown Meadows Trail 39.28706, -120.10392
Nearest town Kingswood Estates, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Martis Creek Lake–East Martis Creek Trail, 3 sights

7.5 mi · ▲ 477 ft · 2 hr 44 min

Elevation 5,813–6,157 ft

Out & Back · Waddle Ranch Preserve

Trailhead: Elizabethtown Meadows Trail · 39.28706, -120.10392

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM

Transit-accessible: stop 473 m from the trailhead · Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, heading E.
  2. 0.6 miBear right, heading NW.
  3. 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
  4. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  5. 500 ftBear right, heading NW.
  6. 1.1 miContinue straight onto East Martis Creek Trail, heading N.
  7. 0.5 miTurn left onto Sawmill Road, heading SW.
  8. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  9. 1.1 miBear left onto Matt's Trail, heading N.
  10. 400 ftReach Martis Creek Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 450 ftBear right, heading N.
  12. 1.1 miTurn left onto Sawmill Road, heading S.
  13. 0.1 miTurn right onto East Martis Creek Trail, heading SE.
  14. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Elizabethtown Meadows Trail, heading SE.
  15. 1 miSharp right, heading SE.
  16. 500 ftBear left, heading SE.
  17. 450 ftBear right, heading S.
  18. 50 ftBear left, heading S.
  19. 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
  20. 0.5 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

88% dirt12% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.7 mi in (~93 min). Leave by 5:09 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:00 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Transit-accessible: stop 473 m from the trailhead
  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from Elizabethtown Meadows Trail Trailhead