Donner Peak.jpg
Dana L. Brown · CC BY-SA 2.0

Mount Judah Viewpoint–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 3 viewpoints is a 3.7-mile out-and-back near Donner, CA. The route passes Pacific Crest Viewpoint before reaching Mount Judah Viewpoint at the turnaround, 1.8 miles in. It climbs 856 ft, with sections as steep as 26% grade. It scores 16/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi6,815 – 7,638 ft · steepest grade: 26%3.9 mi

Getting there

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

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Mount Judah Viewpoint–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 3 viewpoints

3.7 mi · ▲ 856 ft · 1 hr 40 min

Elevation 6,814–7,640 ft

Out & Back

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 SW.
  5. 50 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  6. 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
  7. 0.2 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
  8. 1 miPass Pacific Crest Viewpoint.
  9. 50 ftSharp left onto Mount Judah Loop, heading SW.
  10. 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
  11. 100 ftReach Mount Judah Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.3 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
  13. 1 miSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right, heading E.
  15. 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
  16. 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
  17. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  18. 450 ftArrive back at the trailhead.

Each distance is the walk from the previous step. Tap a step for a map of its junction.

Trail surface

46% dirt54% 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 1.7 mi in (~64 min). Leave by 6:49 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:11 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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