Martis Valley Trail is a 5.5-mile out-and-back in Martis Creek Lake Recreation Area near Polaris, CA. It climbs 441 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi5,814 – 6,070 ft · steepest grade: 16%5.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.29364, -120.11629
Nearest town Polaris, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Martis Valley Trail
5.5 mi · ▲ 441 ft · 2 hr 3 min
Elevation 5,813–6,069 ft
Out & Back · Martis Creek Lake Recreation Area
Trailhead: 39.29364, -120.11629
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 100 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Martis Valley Trail, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.7 miTurn left, heading E.
- 1.1 miContinue straight onto Matt's Trail, heading NE.
- 0.3 miReach the turnaround, then head back the way you came.
- 1.5 miTurn right onto Sawmill Road, heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Martis Valley Trail, heading S.
- 450 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading S.
- 100 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 0.2 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
60% dirt20% paved20% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 2.3 mi in (~60 min). Leave by 5:43 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:19 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
- 2 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 3.1 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 4.2 mi · loop · via Martis Valley Trail
- 5 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 6 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 6.3 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 6.3 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
- 6.6 mi · out & back · via Martis Valley Trail
More from this trailhead
- Martis Valley Trail 6.1 mi · ▲ 138 ft
- Martis Valley Trail 3.3 mi · ▲ 85 ft
- Martis Valley Trail 3.5 mi · ▲ 81 ft
- Martis Valley Trail 3.4 mi · ▲ 81 ft
- Martis Valley Trail 5.6 mi · ▲ 482 ft
- Martis Valley Trail 5.6 mi · ▲ 482 ft
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