Snowshed–Snowshed North Face, 5 cliffs is a 4.7-mile out-and-back in Donner Memorial State Park near Donner, CA. The route passes Snowshed and Snowshed North Face before reaching Beaver Pond at the turnaround, 2.3 miles in. It climbs 1,190 ft, with sections as steep as 21% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 1/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: paved and peopled.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Snowshed–Snowshed North Face, 5 cliffs
4.7 mi · ▲ 1,190 ft · 2 hr 10 min
Elevation 6,109–7,177 ft
Out & Back · Donner Memorial State Park
Trailhead: 39.31710, -120.32830
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 80°F / low 51° · precip 0% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:13 PM
Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading SW.
- 0.1 miSharp right onto Pacific Crest Trail, heading SW.
- 0.2 miBear left, heading S.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading SE.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 50 ftSharp right, heading E.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 350 ftBear left, heading E.
- 100 ftPass Snowshed.
- 50 ftBear right, heading E.
- 50 ftPass Snowshed North Face.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading N.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Original Lincoln Highway Trail, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right, heading SE.
- 50 ftTurn left, heading E.
- 0.1 miSharp left, heading E.
- 0.2 miPass Beaver Pond.
- 400 ftReach Snowshed, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 0.3 miSharp right, heading S.
- 0.3 miTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading SE.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading SW.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road Winter Route, heading SW.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Dutch Flat Donner Lake Wagon Road, heading W.
- 0.4 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftBear left, heading W.
- 150 ftBear right, heading N.
- 350 ftBear left, heading N.
- 50 ftSharp left, heading N.
- 0.1 miTurn right, heading S.
- 0.2 miBear right, heading SW.
- 0.2 miSharp left, heading S.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Donner Summit Lakes Trail, heading W.
- 0.2 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
Good to know
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from this trailhead
- Tunnel Rock–Petroglyph Cliff, 3 cliffs 1.2 mi · ▲ 264 ft
- Mount Stephens–Lake Angela, 3 lakes 1.3 mi · ▲ 150 ft
- Goldilocks Wall–Lake Angela, 3 lakes 1.8 mi · ▲ 261 ft
- Petroglyph Cliff–Donner Pass, 3 cliffs 1.9 mi · ▲ 314 ft
- Tunnel Rock & Donner Summit Lakes Trail via Pacific Crest Trail 2.2 mi · ▲ 491 ft
- German Ridge via Ski Ranch Lane 2.2 mi · ▲ 328 ft
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