Polar Bear Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights is a 13.4-mile out-and-back in Chickering American River Reserve near Alpine Meadows, CA. The route reaches Polar Bear Lake at the turnaround, 6.6 miles in. It climbs 3,632 ft, with sections as steep as 20% grade. It scores 88/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
0 mi6,254 – 8,695 ft · steepest grade: 20%14.1 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail 39.20030, -120.23701
Nearest town Alpine Meadows, CA
Directions
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Polar Bear Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights
13.4 mi · ▲ 3,632 ft · 6 hr 17 min
Elevation 6,255–8,695 ft
Out & Back · Chickering American River Reserve
Trailhead: Granite Chief Trail · 39.20030, -120.23701
Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 8:11 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 150 ftContinue straight onto Granite Chief Trail, heading NW.
- 3.5 miContinue straight onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading S.
- 1.5 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Western States Trail, heading SE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading S.
- 0.2 miSharp right, heading NE.
- 450 ftTurn right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Siberia Basin Loop Trail, heading S.
- 50 ftBear right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading SE.
- 500 ftBear left onto Western States Trail, heading E.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftReach Polar Bear Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 300 ftBear right, heading W.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading E.
- 500 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear left onto Siberia Basin Loop Trail, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading NW.
- 0.3 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 450 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto High Camp to Emigrant Ridge, heading NW.
- 500 ftContinue straight onto Western States Trail, heading N.
- 0.3 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.2 miTurn right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
- 1.5 miContinue straight onto Granite Chief Trail, heading SE.
- 3.4 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
16% dirt1% gravel83% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:05 AMSunset 8:11 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.3 mi in (~134 min). Leave by 5:37 PM for the 8:11 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:46 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Granite Chief Trail Trailhead
- Granite Chief Trail 3.1 mi · ▲ 764 ft
- Granite Chief & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 10.7 mi · ▲ 3,046 ft
- Granite Chief Trail–Siberai Basin Loop Trail, 4 sights 12.1 mi · ▲ 3,453 ft
- Washeshu Peak–Granite Chief Trail, 4 sights 12.6 mi · ▲ 3,431 ft
- Shirley Lake–Granite Chief Trail, 5 sights 14.1 mi · ▲ 4,074 ft
- Tinker Knob & Granite Chief Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 14.9 mi · ▲ 3,978 ft
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