AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Donner Lake as seen from Donner Pass.jpg
Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 3.0
Donner Memorial State Park

Signal Hill–Snowshed, 8 lakes

10.5 mi · ▲ 2,525 ft · 4 hr 46 min

Signal Hill–Snowshed, 8 lakes is a 10.5-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Norden, CA. The route passes Lytton Lake, Signal Hill, Chinese Catfish Pond and 4 more before reaching Beaver Pond at the turnaround, 5.2 miles in. It climbs 2,525 ft, with sections as steep as 36% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 16/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi6,073 – 7,674 ft · steepest grade: 36%11.6 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31800, -120.35057
Nearest town Norden, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Signal Hill–Snowshed, 8 lakes

10.5 mi · ▲ 2,525 ft · 4 hr 46 min

Elevation 6,073–7,675 ft

Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park

Trailhead: 39.31800, -120.35057

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 81°F / low 55° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading N.
  2. 1.1 miSharp right, heading SW.
  3. 50 ftPass Lytton Lake.
  4. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NE.
  5. 400 ftBear right, heading E.
  6. 50 ftPass Signal Hill.
  7. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Ski Ranch Lane, heading NE.
  8. 450 ftBear left, heading SE.
  9. 0.3 miPass Chinese Catfish Pond.
  10. 50 ftPass Lake Angela.
  11. 50 ftSharp right onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading NE.
  12. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  13. 500 ftSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
  14. 0.2 miBear left, heading SW.
  15. 0.2 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
  16. 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
  17. 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
  18. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  19. 350 ftBear left, heading E.
  20. 50 ftPass Snowshed.
  21. 50 ftPass Snowshed North Face.
  22. 100 ftBear right, heading E.
  23. 0.4 miContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading N.
  24. 50 ftTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
  25. 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading N.
  26. 0.3 miTurn left onto Original Lincoln Highway Trail, heading E.
  27. 0.1 miBear right, heading E.
  28. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  29. 0.1 miSharp left, heading NE.
  30. 0.2 miPass Beaver Pond.
  31. 500 ftSharp right, heading E.
  32. 0.1 miPass Beaver Pond.
  33. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  34. 300 ftReach Signal Hill, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  35. 300 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  36. 0.2 miSharp left, heading NE.
  37. 0.3 miSharp right, heading W.
  38. 0.3 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading S.
  39. 0.3 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
  40. 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading N.
  41. 50 ftContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
  42. 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
  43. 50 ftBear left, heading W.
  44. 150 ftBear right, heading SW.
  45. 350 ftBear left, heading SW.
  46. 50 ftSharp left, heading SW.
  47. 0.1 miTurn right, heading N.
  48. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  49. 0.2 miSharp left, heading S.
  50. 500 ftBear left onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading SW.
  51. 0.2 miSharp left, heading NW.
  52. 0.3 miBear right onto Ski Ranch Lane, heading NE.
  53. 1 miBear left, heading W.
  54. 400 ftSharp right, heading SW.
  55. 0.4 miSharp left, heading NW.
  56. 0.8 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/mount-stephens-beaver-pond-out-back-5-lakes-8-km-ac41

Trail surface

94% dirt1% gravel1% paved4% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 81°F55°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV8Humidity23%
Hourly temperature
85°55°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue 81°61°
Wed 81°55°
Thu 85°55°
Fri 85°56°
Sat 86°56°
Sun 87°54°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 1.4 mi in (~51 min). Leave by 7:01 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:01 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 Norden, California