Mount Lincoln–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 9 sights is a 15.2-mile out-and-back in Royal Gorge near Soda Springs, CA. The route passes Donner Pass, Petroglyph Cliff, Pacific Crest Viewpoint and Mount Lincoln Viewpoint before reaching Mount Lincoln at the turnaround, 7.6 miles in. It climbs 2,150 ft, with sections as steep as 24% grade. It scores 28/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.
Elevation
0 mi6,779 – 8,363 ft · steepest grade: 24%16.0 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Summit Connection 39.31316, -120.38663
Nearest town Soda Springs, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Mount Lincoln–Pacific Crest Viewpoint, 9 sights
15.2 mi · ▲ 2,150 ft · 6 hr 9 min
Elevation 6,779–8,364 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 miContinue straight onto Mount Judah Loop, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 0.7 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Mount Lincoln Viewpoint.
- 300 ftBear left onto Mount Lincoln Road, heading SE.
- 500 ftReach Mount Lincoln, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 500 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.3 miSharp left onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading E.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Mount Judah Loop, heading NE.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading NW.
- 1.1 miSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading W.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading SE.
- 1 miContinue straight onto Timberline, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading W.
- 350 ftBear left onto Summit Connection, heading W.
- 100 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
27% dirt6% gravel67% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:48 AMSunset 7:03 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 5.2 mi in (~146 min). Leave by 4:18 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:38 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
- Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 7 sights 14 mi · ▲ 1,966 ft
- Snowshed East Face–Snowshed, 7 cliffs 9 mi · ▲ 981 ft
- Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 5 sights 14 mi · ▲ 2,105 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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