Pretzel Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 sights is a 9.5-mile out-and-back near Panorama Heights, CA. The route passes Pretzel Rock and Chongo Boulder. It climbs 381 ft. It scores 80/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Pretzel Rock–Chongo Boulder, 4 sights
9.5 mi · ▲ 381 ft · 3 hr 21 min
Elevation 4,062–4,281 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Hidden Valley Trail · 34.01222, -116.16803
Weather Aug 4: Clear, high 98°F / low 74° · precip 1% · wind 9 mph · sunrise 5:59 AM · sunset 7:44 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 150 ftTurn right, heading SW.
- 50 ftPass Pretzel Rock.
- 1.3 miBear right, heading NE.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 250 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.6 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading E.
- 0.4 miTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading E.
- 0.8 miPass Chongo Boulder.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading S.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading S.
- 150 ftBear left, heading SE.
- 350 ftBear left onto Barker Dam Trail, heading SE.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading E.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Wall Street Mill Trail, heading E.
- 50 ftReach Pretzel Rock, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Barker Dam Nature, heading E.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Barker Dam Trail, heading S.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading SW.
- 300 ftBear right, heading W.
- 150 ftTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Keys Ranch Road, heading W.
- 0.9 miTurn left, heading N.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading NW.
- 50 ftTurn right, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading W.
- 0.6 miBear right, heading W.
- 250 ftBear right, heading NW.
- 0.3 miBear left, heading SW.
- 1.3 miTurn left, heading SE.
- 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
Weather
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 4.6 mi in (~118 min). Leave by 5:26 PM for the 7:44 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:56 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 Hidden Valley Trail Trailhead
- Locomotion Rock–Sports Challenge Rock, 4 summits 1.1 mi · ▲ 87 ft
- Pretzel Rock & Playhouse Rock via Quail Springs Historic Trail 3.8 mi · ▲ 219 ft
- Sports Challenge Rock–Entrance boulder, 5 rocks 3.8 mi · ▲ 231 ft
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Hikes near Panorama Heights, California