Mosquito Lake–MCCT Mosquito Lakes to Pacific Valley, 6 sights is an 11.5-mile out-and-back near Cape Horn, CA. The route reaches Mosquito Lake. It climbs 1,850 ft, with sections as steep as 23% grade. It scores 52/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi7,727 – 8,695 ft · steepest grade: 23%11.6 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Emigrant Trail 38.50593, -119.94296
Nearest town Cape Horn, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Mosquito Lake–MCCT Mosquito Lakes to Pacific Valley, 6 sights
11.5 mi · ▲ 1,850 ft · 4 hr 46 min
Elevation 7,728–8,696 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Emigrant Trail · 38.50593, -119.94296
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow, heading NE.
- 1.5 miPass Mosquito Lake.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Heiser Lake Trail, heading SE.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto MCCT Mosquito Lakes to Pacific Valley, heading E.
- 1.2 miBear right onto Pacific Valley Road, heading S.
- 0.7 miTurn left onto Marshall Canyon Jeep Trail, heading E.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Milk Ranch Meadow Trail, heading E.
- 0.5 miReach Mosquito Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Marshall Canyon Jeep Trail, heading NW.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Pacific Valley Road, heading W.
- 0.8 miBear left onto MCCT Mosquito Lakes to Pacific Valley, heading N.
- 1.2 miContinue straight onto Heiser Lake Trail, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow, heading NW.
- 1.5 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.3 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
27% dirt73% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.4 mi in (~171 min). Leave by 3:50 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:45 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Emigrant Trail Trailhead
- Bear Valley to Lake Alpine Trail–Cape Horn Trail, 4 sights 14.6 mi · ▲ 1,945 ft
- Cape Horn Trail–Emigrant Trail, 4 sights 11.6 mi · ▲ 1,537 ft
- Rock Lake–Duck Lake Bypass Trail, 3 sights 14.6 mi · ▲ 2,105 ft
- Summit Lake–Elephant Rock Lake, 6 sights 16.1 mi · ▲ 2,118 ft
- Cape Horn Trail & Emigrant Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 465 ft
- Poison Canyon–Bee Gulch Trail, 6 sights 15.6 mi · ▲ 3,331 ft
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