Snowshed–Snowshed North Face, 9 sights is a 14-mile out-and-back in Royal Gorge near Soda Springs, CA. The route passes Serene Lakes, Donner Pass, Petroglyph Cliff and 2 more. It climbs 1,970 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 23/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Snowshed–Snowshed North Face, 9 sights
14 mi · ▲ 1,970 ft · 5 hr 39 min
Elevation 6,632–7,197 ft
Out & Back · Royal Gorge
Trailhead: 39.31343, -120.38980
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 81°F / low 53° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
- 200 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 400 ftTurn right onto Reindeer, heading E.
- 1 miPass Serene Lakes.
- 200 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading NE.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Tiny Tim, heading NE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right onto Rowton Peak Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftBear left onto Switchback, heading SE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper, heading NE.
- 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading E.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Aster, heading NE.
- 50 ftBear right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Nose Dive, heading E.
- 250 ftBear left onto Ana's Chute, heading NE.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 300 ftBear right onto Nose Dive, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Bill Patterson, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading N.
- 1.9 miPass Donner Pass.
- 50 ftPass Petroglyph Cliff.
- 400 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Snowshed.
- 50 ftPass Snowshed North Face.
- 250 ftBear left, heading E.
- 150 ftBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
- 0.4 miReach Snowshed, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left, heading N.
- 150 ftBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading E.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Nose Dive, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading SW.
- 300 ftTurn right onto Ana's Chute, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Nose Dive, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Aster, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Claim Jumper, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Switchback, heading SW.
- 0.4 miBear right onto Rowton Peak Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left onto Switchback, heading W.
- 100 ftContinue straight onto Tiny Tim, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading SW.
- 300 ftContinue straight onto Reindeer, heading SW.
- 1.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 250 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn left, 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.1 mi in (~3 min). Leave by 7:50 PM for the 8:13 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:31 PM — 11 min before dark.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Memorial Overland Emigrant Trail 3.2 mi · ▲ 280 ft
- Hewlett Rim Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 405 ft
- Reindeer & Walter and Esther Hewlett Royal Gorge Rim Trail 4 mi · ▲ 310 ft
- Reindeer 4.1 mi · ▲ 498 ft
- Bill & Flora's Point–Serene Lakes, 3 sights 4.5 mi · ▲ 401 ft
- Memorial Overland Emigrant Trail 4.5 mi · ▲ 591 ft
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Hikes near Soda Springs, California