AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes
Reflections in Lake Alpine, Alpine County.jpg
Don DeBold · CC BY 2.0

Elephant Rock Lake–Elephant Rock Trail, 5 sights

13.3 mi · ▲ 1,671 ft · 5 hr 16 min

Elephant Rock Lake–Elephant Rock Trail, 5 sights is a 13.3-mile out-and-back near Lake Alpine, CA. The route reaches Elephant Rock Lake. It climbs 1,671 ft and is mostly dirt. It scores 48/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: green fringe.

Elevation

0 mi6,907 – 7,556 ft13.5 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Elephant Rock Trailhead 38.43983, -119.97583
Nearest town Lake Alpine, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Elephant Rock Lake–Elephant Rock Trail, 5 sights

13.3 mi · ▲ 1,671 ft · 5 hr 16 min

Elevation 6,905–7,556 ft

Out & Back

Trailhead: Elephant Rock Trailhead · 38.43983, -119.97583

Weather Aug 4: sunrise 6:05 AM · sunset 8:08 PM

Parking lot at the trailhead

  1. Start at the trailhead, heading NE.
  2. 50 ftPass Elephant Rock Lake.
  3. 100 ftBear right onto Union Rock Lake Trail, heading NE.
  4. 0.3 miTurn left onto Elephant Rock Trail, heading NW.
  5. 3 miContinue straight onto Highland Creek Trail, heading NW.
  6. 0.9 miTurn right onto Three Creeks, heading NW.
  7. 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading SW.
  8. 0.5 miBear left onto Osborne Ridge Trail Connector, heading NW.
  9. 1.1 miTurn right onto Lake Alpine to Silver tip Path, heading W.
  10. 350 ftReach Elephant Rock Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  11. 350 ftTurn left onto Osborne Ridge Trail Connector, heading NW.
  12. 1.1 miBear right onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading NE.
  13. 0.5 miContinue straight onto Three Creeks, heading NE.
  14. 0.8 miTurn left onto Highland Creek Trail, heading S.
  15. 0.9 miContinue straight onto Elephant Rock Trail, heading S.
  16. 3 miTurn right onto Union Rock Lake Trail, heading SE.
  17. 0.3 miBear left, heading S.
  18. 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 map, photos and weather for this hike: www.ambleway.com/hikes/summit-lake-elephant-rock-lake-out-back-3-lakes-24-km

Trail surface

82% dirt1% gravel17% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:05 AMSunset 8:08 PM

Good to know

  • Parking lot at the trailhead

More from Elephant Rock Trailhead Trailhead

Hikes near Lake Alpine, California