Coldstream Trail & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Chickering American River Reserve near Alpine Meadows, CA. It climbs 4,159 ft, with sections as steep as 26% grade. It scores 90/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi6,254 – 8,632 ft · steepest grade: 26%15.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail 39.20030, -120.23701
Nearest town Alpine Meadows, CA
Directions
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Coldstream Trail & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail
15.7 mi · ▲ 4,159 ft · 7 hr 19 min
Elevation 6,255–8,633 ft
Out & Back · Chickering American River Reserve
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail · 39.20030, -120.23701
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Granite Chief Trail, heading NW.
- 3.5 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NW.
- 3.6 miBear right onto Coldstream Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn left onto Pole Creek OHV Trail, heading NE.
- 0.2 miReach Granite Chief Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Coldstream Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 3.6 miSharp left onto Granite Chief Trail, heading SE.
- 3.5 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
9% dirt91% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.6 mi in (~201 min). Leave by 3:22 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:53 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
- 1.9 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 1.9 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 1.9 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 2.1 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 2.3 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 2.6 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 2.8 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
- 2.9 mi · out & back · via Pacific Crest Trail
More from Granite Chief Trail Trailhead
- Tinker Knob & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 14.9 mi · ▲ 3,978 ft
- Polar Bear Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights 13.4 mi · ▲ 3,632 ft
- Shirley Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 5 sights 14.1 mi · ▲ 4,074 ft
- Washeshu Peak–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights 12.6 mi · ▲ 3,431 ft
- Granite Chief Trail–Siberai Basin Loop Trail, 4 sights 12.1 mi · ▲ 3,453 ft
- Granite Chief & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 10.7 mi · ▲ 3,046 ft
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Hikes near Alpine Meadows, California