Crest Divide Road–Emigrant Trail, 3 sights is a 9.8-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Donner, CA. It climbs 2,086 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 67/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,900 – 7,832 ft · steepest grade: 16%10.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Sugarbowl Village Path 39.30562, -120.33344
Nearest town Donner, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Crest Divide Road–Emigrant Trail, 3 sights
9.8 mi · ▲ 2,086 ft · 4 hr 19 min
Elevation 6,901–7,830 ft
Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park
Trailhead: Sugarbowl Village Path · 39.30562, -120.33344
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.9 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading E.
- 2.2 miContinue straight onto Crest Divide Road, heading NE.
- 1 miReach Emigrant Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading E.
- 2.1 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading NW.
- 0.5 miBear right, heading W.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NW.
- 0.9 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 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
100% dirt
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.5 mi in (~22 min). Leave by 6:21 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:31 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp. Car visible from the viewpoint
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 Sugarbowl Village Path Trailhead
- Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Lake Angela, 9 lakes 12.7 mi · ▲ 1,843 ft
- Frog Lake Overlook–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 10 lakes 14.9 mi · ▲ 3,047 ft
- Tinker Knob–Mount Lincoln Viewpoint, 3 summits 13.6 mi · ▲ 3,253 ft
- Snowshed–Snowshed North Face, 6 cliffs 9.1 mi · ▲ 2,224 ft
- Tunnel Rock–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 3 cliffs 5.6 mi · ▲ 1,344 ft
- Lake Mary 2.6 mi · ▲ 467 ft
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