AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
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Onion Creek Experimental Forest

Mount Disney–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights

9.4 mi · ▲ 2,079 ft · 4 hr 10 min

Mount Disney–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights is a 9.4-mile out-and-back in Onion Creek Experimental Forest near Donner, CA. The route passes Donner Pass and Petroglyph Cliff before reaching Mount Disney at the turnaround, 4.7 miles in. It climbs 2,079 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi6,779 – 7,933 ft · steepest grade: 24%10.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31859, -120.31981
Nearest town Donner, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mount Disney–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights

9.4 mi · ▲ 2,079 ft · 4 hr 10 min

Elevation 6,779–7,933 ft

Out & Back · Onion Creek Experimental Forest

Trailhead: 39.31859, -120.31981

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 81°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading S.
  2. 0.1 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NW.
  3. 250 ftSharp left, heading S.
  4. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  5. 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
  6. 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
  7. 50 ftPass Donner Pass.
  8. 50 ftPass Petroglyph Cliff.
  9. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading W.
  10. 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
  11. 0.6 miTurn right, heading S.
  12. 150 ftContinue straight onto Nose Dive, heading SW.
  13. 0.3 miBear left, heading W.
  14. 300 ftTurn right onto Ana's Chute, heading W.
  15. 0.2 miBear right onto Nose Dive, heading SE.
  16. 0.1 miTurn left onto Razorback, heading W.
  17. 0.4 miTurn left, heading SE.
  18. 0.4 miBear left, heading E.
  19. 0.1 miTurn right onto Overland Trail, heading E.
  20. 450 ftBear right, heading SE.
  21. 0.2 miReach Mount Disney, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  22. 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
  23. 500 ftBear right, heading E.
  24. 300 ftTurn left, heading S.
  25. 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
  26. 0.4 miTurn right onto Razorback, heading NW.
  27. 0.4 miTurn right onto Nose Dive, heading W.
  28. 0.1 miBear left onto Ana's Chute, heading W.
  29. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  30. 300 ftBear right onto Nose Dive, heading NW.
  31. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
  32. 200 ftTurn right, heading NW.
  33. 0.6 miSharp right, heading E.
  34. 2 miTurn right, heading NE.
  35. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  36. 50 ftTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NE.
  37. 0.1 miTurn left, heading NE.
  38. 250 ftArrive 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/mount-disney-donner-pass-out-back-15-km-07f1

Trail surface

34% dirt10% gravel56% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 81°F51°
Precip0%Wind9 mphUV8Humidity22%
Hourly temperature
85°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue 82°60°
Wed 82°55°
Thu 85°55°
Fri 86°56°
Sat 86°56°
Sun 87°54°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.6 mi in (~106 min). Leave by 6:06 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:06 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

More from this trailhead

Hikes near Donner, California