Reflections in Lake Alpine, Alpine County.jpg
Don DeBold · CC BY 2.0

Poison Canyon–Bee Gulch Trail, 6 sights is a 15.6-mile out-and-back near Cape Horn, CA. The route reaches Poison Canyon at the turnaround, 7.8 miles in. It climbs 3,331 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 20/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.

Elevation

0 mi7,359 – 8,593 ft · steepest grade: 19%15.7 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Emigrant Trail 38.50593, -119.94296
Nearest town Cape Horn, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Poison Canyon–Bee Gulch Trail, 6 sights

15.6 mi · ▲ 3,331 ft · 6 hr 52 min

Elevation 7,359–8,592 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Emigrant Trail · 38.50593, -119.94296

Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 77°F / low 54° · precip 0% · wind 6 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:09 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Emigrant Trail, heading SW.
  2. 1.8 miBear left onto Cape Horn Trail, heading SW.
  3. 1.4 miTurn right onto Highland Creek Trail, heading NW.
  4. 250 ftTurn right onto Three Creeks, heading NW.
  5. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading W.
  6. 2 miSharp left, heading W.
  7. 350 ftContinue straight onto Reba Road, heading S.
  8. 1.7 miReach Poison Canyon, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  9. 1.7 miSharp right onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading N.
  10. 2 miContinue straight onto Three Creeks, heading NE.
  11. 0.8 miTurn left onto Highland Creek Trail, heading S.
  12. 300 ftTurn left onto Cape Horn Trail, heading SE.
  13. 1.4 miBear right onto Emigrant Trail, heading E.
  14. 1.8 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

75% dirt25% unspecified

Weather

ClearTemperature 77°F54°
Precip0%Wind6 mphUV9Humidity29%
Hourly temperature
80°50°
Sunrise 6:04 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PM6 PMSunset 8:09 PM
Tue 78°58°
Wed 78°55°
Thu 82°55°
Fri 83°57°
Sat 83°57°
Sun 83°56°

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 6.5 mi in (~206 min). Leave by 4:23 PM for the 8:09 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:30 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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