Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 5 sights is a 7.8-mile out-and-back in Royal Gorge near Donner, CA. The route passes Donner Pass and Petroglyph Cliff. It climbs 1,210 ft, with sections as steep as 28% grade. It scores 14/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 5 sights
7.8 mi · ▲ 1,210 ft · 3 hr 12 min
Elevation 6,779–7,197 ft
Out & Back · Royal Gorge
Trailhead: 39.31859, -120.31981
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:48 AM · sunset 7:03 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading NW.
- 250 ftSharp left, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftPass Donner Pass.
- 50 ftPass Petroglyph Cliff.
- 0.1 miContinue straight onto Tunnel #6, heading W.
- 1.9 miSharp left onto Bill Patterson, heading W.
- 0.6 miTurn right, heading S.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Nose Dive, heading SW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading W.
- 300 ftTurn right onto Ana's Chute, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear right onto Nose Dive, heading SE.
- 250 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 500 ftTurn right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear left onto Aster, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading SW.
- 0.2 miReach Petroglyph Cliff, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Aster, heading W.
- 50 ftBear right onto Claim Jumper Bike Route, heading SW.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 500 ftTurn left onto Nose Dive, heading E.
- 250 ftBear left onto Ana's Chute, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading N.
- 300 ftBear right onto Nose Dive, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Bill Patterson, heading NW.
- 200 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.6 miSharp right, heading NW.
- 2 miTurn right, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading E.
- 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
- 150 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 1.2 mi in (~38 min). Leave by 6:06 PM for the 7:03 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:52 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Tunnel Rock–Snowshed, 5 cliffs 7.7 mi · ▲ 2,074 ft
- Frog Lake–Lake Angela, 9 lakes 15.1 mi · ▲ 3,375 ft
- Frog Lake Overlook–Frog Lake Cliff, 8 lakes 11 mi · ▲ 2,132 ft
- Mount Disney–Petroglyph Cliff, 5 sights 9.4 mi · ▲ 2,079 ft
- Crows Nest–Snowshed, 7 cliffs 8.4 mi · ▲ 1,654 ft
- Beaver Pond–Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, 3 sights 4.2 mi · ▲ 894 ft
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