AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

McKinstry Lake & Wentworth Springs Road

16 mi · ▲ 1,887 ft · 6 hr 17 min

McKinstry Lake & Wentworth Springs Road is a 16-mile out-and-back near Gilberts, CA. The route reaches McKinstry Lake at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 1,887 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 96/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi5,371 – 7,038 ft16.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Wentworth Springs Road 38.98354, -120.37932
Nearest town Gilberts, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

McKinstry Lake & Wentworth Springs Road

16 mi · ▲ 1,887 ft · 6 hr 17 min

Elevation 5,372–7,037 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Wentworth Springs Road · 38.98354, -120.37932

Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 88°F / low 65° · precip 0% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 6:06 AM · sunset 8:11 PM

  1. Start on Wentworth Springs Road, heading NE.
  2. 3.6 miTurn left, heading N.
  3. 1.6 miTurn right, heading SE.
  4. 2.9 miReach McKinstry Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  5. 2.9 miTurn left, heading NW.
  6. 5.1 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/mckinstry-lake-mckinstry-lake-out-back-26-km

Trail surface

64% dirt36% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 88°F65°
Precip0%Wind7 mphUV8Humidity23%
Hourly temperature
90°65°
Sunrise 6:06 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:11 PM
Wed 87°64°
Thu 91°66°
Fri 92°67°
Sat 92°67°
Sun 91°66°
Mon 90°64°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.9 mi in (~149 min). Leave by 5:22 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:26 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

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