Playhouse Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 cliffs is a 6.9-mile out-and-back near Smoke Tree, CA. The route passes Chongo Boulder before reaching Playhouse Rock at the turnaround, 3.4 miles in. It climbs 271 ft. It scores 75/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi4,085 – 4,282 ft7.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 34.02509, -116.14165
Nearest town Smoke Tree, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Playhouse Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 cliffs
6.9 mi · ▲ 271 ft · 2 hr 26 min
Elevation 4,085–4,281 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 34.02509, -116.14165
Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 98°F / low 73° · precip 1% · wind 7 mph · sunrise 5:59 AM · sunset 7:44 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Wall Street Mill Trail, heading NW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading NW.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Trail, heading SW.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading SW.
- 300 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading W.
- 0.1 miPass Chongo Boulder.
- 0.8 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.5 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading SW.
- 0.6 miTurn left onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading SW.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 450 ftBear right onto Dairy Queen Right Approach, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftReach Playhouse Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading SE.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 450 ftTurn left, heading S.
- 450 ftTurn left onto Quail Springs Historic Trail, heading S.
- 500 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading N.
- 0.5 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading S.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 200 ftBear left, heading E.
- 300 ftBear left onto Barker Dam Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Wall Street Mill Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 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
56% dirt44% unspecified
Weather
ClearTemperature 98°F73°
Feels like78°Precip1%Wind7 mphUV9Humidity13%
Hourly temperature
100°70°
Sunrise 5:59 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:44 PM
Wed
96°69°
Thu
97°76°
Fri
98°80°
Sat
99°81°
Sun
95°78°
Mon
93°75°
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.2 mi in (~4 min). Leave by 7:20 PM for the 7:44 PM sunset. Back at your car by 8:03 PM — 8 min before dark. Car visible from the viewpoint
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Little Hunk - Northeast Face & Barker Dam Nature 1.9 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Poker Face & Barker Dam Nature 2 mi · ▲ 27 ft
- Snickers North Face & Barker Dam Nature 2.1 mi · ▲ 112 ft
- Mounds - Eff Eight–Mounds - Deep Throat, 3 cliffs 2.1 mi · ▲ 83 ft
- Little Hunk - West Face (Trespasser's Wall)–Barker Dam Nature, 3 sights 2.1 mi · ▲ 28 ft
- Wall Street Mill Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 53 ft
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Hikes near Smoke Tree, California