Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 8 sights is a 14.7-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, 7.1 miles in. It climbs 2,409 ft, with sections as steep as 16% grade. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi6,779 – 7,602 ft · steepest grade: 16%15.7 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Rowton Peak Trail 39.29456, -120.38100
Nearest town Soda Springs, CA
Directions
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Pacific Crest Viewpoint–Petroglyph Cliff, 8 sights
14.7 mi · ▲ 2,409 ft · 6 hr 6 min
Elevation 6,779–7,601 ft
Out & Back · Royal Gorge
Trailhead: Rowton Peak Trail · 39.29456, -120.38100
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
- Start on Switchback, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading NE.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Aster, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Nose Dive, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left onto Ana's Chute, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 300 ftBear right onto Nose Dive, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Bill Patterson, heading E.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading NE.
- 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 N.
- 0.8 miBear right onto Lake Mary Trail, heading N.
- 0.5 miPass Lake Mary.
- 0.3 miReach Pacific Crest Viewpoint, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.8 miBear left, heading NE.
- 0.7 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading S.
- 1.1 miSharp right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading N.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading SW.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Nose Dive, heading E.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
- 300 ftTurn right onto Ana's Chute, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Nose Dive, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 500 ftTurn right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Aster, heading W.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Claim Jumper, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Switchback, heading SW.
- 0.3 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
48% dirt6% gravel46% 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
82°55°
Thu
85°55°
Fri
86°56°
Sat
86°56°
Sun
87°54°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.1 mi in (~179 min). Leave by 4:54 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:24 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Rowton Peak Trail Trailhead
- Benches Viewpoint–Overload Loop, 3 sights 1.8 mi · ▲ 342 ft
- Serene Lakes–Reindeer, 3 sights 2.3 mi · ▲ 204 ft
- Switchback 3.4 mi · ▲ 284 ft
- Rowton–Aster Loop, 5 sights 3.7 mi · ▲ 759 ft
- Lyle's Lookout–Serene Lakes, 3 sights 4 mi · ▲ 405 ft
- Pine Marten via Switchback 4.8 mi · ▲ 388 ft
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