Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 7 sights is a 14-mile out-and-back in Royal Gorge near Soda Springs, CA. The route passes Donner Pass, Petroglyph Cliff and Pacific Crest Viewpoint before reaching Lake Mary at the turnaround, 7 miles in. It climbs 1,966 ft. It scores 16/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,779 – 7,602 ft14.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Summit Connection 39.31316, -120.38663
Nearest town Soda Springs, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 7 sights
14 mi · ▲ 1,966 ft · 5 hr 39 min
Elevation 6,779–7,601 ft
Out & Back · Royal Gorge
Trailhead: Summit Connection · 39.31316, -120.38663
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Summit Connection, heading SE.
- 0.3 miBear right onto Memorial Overland Emigrant Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left onto Summit Connection, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right, heading SE.
- 300 ftTurn left onto Timberline, heading SE.
- 1.4 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading W.
- 1.9 miPass Donner Pass.
- 50 ftPass Petroglyph Cliff.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading E.
- 0.2 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading W.
- 0.9 miPass Pacific Crest Viewpoint.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading S.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Lake Mary Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miPass Lake Mary.
- 350 ftReach Pacific Crest Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.5 miBear left, heading SE.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 1.1 miSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading E.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading NW.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Timberline, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
- 300 ftBear left onto Summit Connection, heading W.
- 150 ftBear right onto Memorial Overland Emigrant Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left onto Summit Connection, heading W.
- 0.2 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
40% dirt6% gravel54% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.2 mi in (~144 min). Leave by 4:20 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:37 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Summit Connection Trailhead
- Snowshed East Face–Snowshed, 7 cliffs 9 mi · ▲ 981 ft
- Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 5 sights 14 mi · ▲ 2,105 ft
- Mount Lincoln–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 9 sights 15.2 mi · ▲ 2,150 ft
- Mount Judah Viewpoint–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 7 sights 11.8 mi · ▲ 1,434 ft
- Tunnel Rock–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 cliffs 8.9 mi · ▲ 935 ft
- Point Mariah–Serene Lakes, 7 sights 8.3 mi · ▲ 1,082 ft
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