Pope's Crack & Chongo Boulder via Keys Ranch Road is a 5-mile out-and-back near Panorama Heights, CA. The route passes Chongo Boulder before reaching Pope's Crack at the turnaround, 2.5 miles in. It is mostly level, with 162 ft of elevation gain. It scores 77/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Pope's Crack & Chongo Boulder via Keys Ranch Road
5 mi · ▲ 162 ft · 1 hr 45 min
Elevation 4,042–4,219 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: 34.04063, -116.18510
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:32 AM · sunset 6:46 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading E.
- 1 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading S.
- 1.2 miPass Chongo Boulder.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 200 ftBear left, heading NE.
- 300 ftBear left onto Barker Dam Trail, heading E.
- 450 ftSharp left, heading NE.
- 150 ftReach Pope's Crack, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading NW.
- 300 ftBear right, heading SW.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading SW.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading N.
- 1 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 0.9 mi in (~23 min). Leave by 6:03 PM for the 6:46 PM sunset. Back at your car by 7:22 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Big Pine Trail–Boy Scout Trail, 3 sights 13.3 mi · ▲ 681 ft
- Old Lost Horse Road Trail 13.6 mi · ▲ 432 ft
- Old Lost Horse Road Trail 9.3 mi · ▲ 404 ft
- Old Lost Horse Road Trail 9.5 mi · ▲ 407 ft
- Locomotion Rock–Sports Challenge Rock, 5 summits 9.3 mi · ▲ 520 ft
- Turtle Rock–The Hat, 3 rocks 8.2 mi · ▲ 379 ft
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Hikes near Panorama Heights, California