Waterfall in Russian Gulch State Park.jpg
Frank Schulenburg · CC BY-SA 4.0

Russian Gulch–East Trail, 5 sights is a 7.5-mile out-and-back in Russian Gulch State Park near Pine Grove, CA. The route reaches Russian Gulch. It climbs 1,149 ft, with sections as steep as 15% grade. It scores 61/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.

Elevation

0 mi3 – 564 ft · steepest grade: 15%7.9 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Beach Trail 39.32949, -123.80425
Nearest town Pine Grove, CA

Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Russian Gulch–East Trail, 5 sights

7.5 mi · ▲ 1,149 ft · 3 hr 4 min

Elevation 4–565 ft

Out & Back · Russian Gulch State Park

Trailhead: Beach Trail · 39.32949, -123.80425

Weather Sep 4: Partly cloudy, high 66°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 5 mph · sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:43 PM

Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start on Beach Trail, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass Russian Gulch.
  3. 0.1 miTurn right onto Russian Gulch State Park, heading SE.
  4. 300 ftContinue straight onto South Headlands Trail, heading SW.
  5. 200 ftSharp left onto South Trail, heading SW.
  6. 2.3 miBear left onto Falls Loop Trail, heading SE.
  7. 0.6 miContinue straight onto East Trail, heading E.
  8. 0.2 miTurn left, heading E.
  9. 0.3 miTurn right, heading N.
  10. 250 ftTurn right onto North Boundary Trail, heading N.
  11. 0.2 miReach Russian Gulch, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  12. 0.2 miTurn left, heading W.
  13. 250 ftTurn left onto East Trail, heading W.
  14. 0.2 miTurn right, heading S.
  15. 0.2 miContinue straight onto Falls Loop Trail, heading W.
  16. 0.6 miBear right onto Fern Canyon Trail, heading SW.
  17. 2.3 miSharp right onto South Headlands Trail, heading W.
  18. 200 ftContinue straight onto Russian Gulch State Park, heading NW.
  19. 250 ftTurn left onto Beach Trail, heading W.
  20. 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

58% dirt42% unspecified

Weather

Partly cloudyTemperature 66°F51°
Precip0%Wind5 mphUV7Humidity83%
Hourly temperature
70°50°
Sunrise 6:47 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:43 PM
Sat 61°53°
Sun 64°50°
Mon 79°47°
Tue 76°53°
Wed 73°51°
Thu 80°59° 16%

Sunset

The best sunset spot on this hike is 3.5 mi in (~107 min). Leave by 5:36 PM for the 7:43 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:33 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.

More sunset hikes nearby

Good to know

  • Toilets at the trailhead
  • Parking lot at the trailhead

Other ways to reach this destination

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