California Zephyr - November 2021 - Sarah Stierch 12.jpg
Missvain · CC BY 4.0

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

0 mi6,631 – 7,195 ft · steepest grade: 17%15.4 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Unnamed 39.31343, -120.38980
Nearest town Soda Springs, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

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

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading SW.
  2. 0.2 miTurn right, heading W.
  3. 200 ftBear left, heading SW.
  4. 0.4 miBear left, heading SW.
  5. 0.2 miBear right, heading S.
  6. 150 ftBear left, heading SW.
  7. 250 ftTurn left, heading S.
  8. 400 ftTurn right onto Reindeer, heading E.
  9. 1 miPass Serene Lakes.
  10. 200 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading NE.
  11. 300 ftContinue straight onto Tiny Tim, heading NE.
  12. 50 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading E.
  13. 150 ftBear right onto Rowton Peak Trail, heading E.
  14. 50 ftBear left onto Switchback, heading SE.
  15. 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper, heading NE.
  16. 0.4 miBear left onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading E.
  17. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Aster, heading NE.
  18. 50 ftBear right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading NE.
  19. 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
  20. 0.1 miTurn left onto Nose Dive, heading E.
  21. 250 ftBear left onto Ana's Chute, heading NE.
  22. 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
  23. 300 ftBear right onto Nose Dive, heading E.
  24. 0.3 miContinue straight onto Bill Patterson, heading NW.
  25. 200 ftTurn right, heading N.
  26. 0.6 miSharp right, heading N.
  27. 1.9 miPass Donner Pass.
  28. 50 ftPass Petroglyph Cliff.
  29. 400 ftTurn right, heading E.
  30. 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
  31. 50 ftBear right, heading E.
  32. 50 ftPass Snowshed.
  33. 50 ftPass Snowshed North Face.
  34. 250 ftBear left, heading E.
  35. 150 ftBear right, heading E.
  36. 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
  37. 0.4 miReach Snowshed, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  38. 0.4 miTurn left, heading N.
  39. 50 ftBear left, heading N.
  40. 150 ftBear right, heading N.
  41. 350 ftBear left, heading NE.
  42. 50 ftTurn right, heading NE.
  43. 50 ftTurn left, heading NE.
  44. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading E.
  45. 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
  46. 0.6 miTurn right, heading W.
  47. 150 ftContinue straight onto Nose Dive, heading W.
  48. 0.3 miBear left, heading SW.
  49. 300 ftTurn right onto Ana's Chute, heading SW.
  50. 0.2 miBear right onto Nose Dive, heading S.
  51. 200 ftTurn right, heading SE.
  52. 0.1 miTurn right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading S.
  53. 0.2 miBear left onto Aster, heading SW.
  54. 50 ftContinue straight onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading SW.
  55. 0.2 miBear right onto Claim Jumper, heading S.
  56. 0.4 miBear right onto Switchback, heading SW.
  57. 0.4 miBear right onto Rowton Peak Trail, heading W.
  58. 50 ftBear left onto Switchback, heading W.
  59. 100 ftContinue straight onto Tiny Tim, heading SW.
  60. 50 ftContinue straight onto Switchback, heading SW.
  61. 300 ftContinue straight onto Reindeer, heading SW.
  62. 1.1 miTurn left, heading W.
  63. 350 ftTurn right, heading S.
  64. 250 ftBear right, heading SW.
  65. 150 ftBear left, heading SW.
  66. 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
  67. 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
  68. 200 ftTurn left, heading NW.
  69. 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

65% dirt7% gravel28% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 81°F53°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV8Humidity22%
Hourly temperature
85°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:13 PM
Tue 81°59°
Wed 81°55°
Thu 85°55°
Fri 85°56°
Sat 86°56°
Sun 87°54°

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.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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