Bee Gulch Trail–Cape Horn Trail, 5 sights is a 15.6-mile out-and-back near Cape Horn, CA. It climbs 2,704 ft, with sections as steep as 22% grade. It scores 19/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
0 mi7,359 – 8,662 ft · steepest grade: 22%15.8 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Sandy Meadow Trailhead 38.51516, -119.92817
Nearest town Cape Horn, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Bee Gulch Trail–Cape Horn Trail, 5 sights
15.6 mi · ▲ 2,704 ft · 6 hr 33 min
Elevation 7,359–8,663 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Sandy Meadow Trailhead · 38.51516, -119.92817
Weather Sep 21: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:00 PM
Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading S.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow, heading SW.
- 0.4 miTurn right, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Emigrant Trail, heading SW.
- 1.8 miBear left onto Cape Horn Trail, heading SW.
- 1.4 miTurn right onto Highland Creek Trail, heading W.
- 250 ftTurn right onto Three Creeks, heading W.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading SW.
- 2 miSharp left, heading W.
- 350 ftSharp right, heading S.
- 0.4 miBear right, heading NW.
- 300 ftReach Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 300 ftBear left, heading N.
- 0.4 miSharp left, heading S.
- 2 miContinue straight onto Three Creeks, heading NE.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Highland Creek Trail, heading S.
- 250 ftTurn left onto Cape Horn Trail, heading SE.
- 1.4 miBear right onto Emigrant Trail, heading E.
- 2.1 miTurn left onto Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow, heading SE.
- 0.9 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
59% dirt41% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:00 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.2 mi in (~220 min). Leave by 3:00 PM for the 7:00 PM sunset. Back at your car by 10:41 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Sandy Meadow Trailhead Trailhead
- Duck Lake Bypass Trail–Emigrant Trail, 3 sights 12.2 mi · ▲ 1,508 ft
- Mosquito Lake–MCCT Mosquito Lakes to Pacific Valley, 5 sights 10 mi · ▲ 1,608 ft
- Heiser Lake–Mosquito Lake, 5 sights 7 mi · ▲ 1,410 ft
- Mosquito Lake & Mosquito Lakes to Stanislaus Meadow 3.1 mi · ▲ 400 ft
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Hikes near Cape Horn, California