Thunder Mountain–Caples Crest, 7 sights
15.7 mi · ▲ 4,323 ft · 7 hr 24 min
Thunder Mountain–Caples Crest, 7 sights is a 15.7-mile out-and-back in Mokelumne Wilderness near Kirkwood, CA. The route reaches Thunder Mountain at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 4,323 ft, with sections as steep as 30% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 82/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.
Elevation
Getting there
Directions
Thunder Mountain–Caples Crest, 7 sights
15.7 mi · ▲ 4,323 ft · 7 hr 24 min
Elevation 7,800–9,550 ft
Out & Back · Mokelumne Wilderness
Trailhead: 38.68430, -120.06522
Weather Aug 3: Clear, high 78°F / low 48° · precip 0% · wind 10 mph · sunrise 6:04 AM · sunset 8:10 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start at the trailhead, heading SE.
- 200 ftBear right, heading S.
- 350 ftBear left onto Whiskey, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Whiskey Alt, heading E.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Whiskey, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Caples Crest, heading E.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Whiskey Shots, heading NE.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Caples Crest, heading E.
- 0.7 miTurn right onto Carson Emigrant National Recreational Trail, heading S.
- 2.4 miTurn right onto Silver Lake-Horse Canyon Trail, heading NW.
- 2.2 miTurn right onto Thunder Mountain Loop, heading NW.
- 1.4 miContinue straight onto Thunder Mountain Spur Trail, heading W.
- 0.3 miReach Thunder Mountain, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 400 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 0.2 miContinue straight onto Thunder Mountain Loop, heading NE.
- 1.4 miTurn left onto Silver Lake-Horse Canyon Trail, heading SW.
- 2.2 miTurn left onto Carson Emigrant National Recreational Trail, heading SE.
- 2.4 miTurn left, heading NE.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Caples Crest, heading N.
- 0.4 miContinue straight onto Whiskey Shots, heading NW.
- 0.3 miContinue straight onto Caples Crest, heading NW.
- 50 ftBear left onto Whiskey, heading NW.
- 0.2 miTurn left onto Whiskey Alt, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Whiskey, heading W.
- 0.3 miBear right, heading W.
- 350 ftBear left, heading W.
- 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 3.2 mi in (~136 min). Leave by 5:34 PM for the 8:10 PM sunset. Back at your car by 9:53 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 this trailhead
- Lower Corral–Red Cliffs, 5 sights 2.3 mi · ▲ 500 ft
- Red Cliffs–Robey Wolfe, 4 sights 2.7 mi · ▲ 585 ft
- Caples Crest–Lower Corral Loop, 6 sights 2.8 mi · ▲ 817 ft
- Caples Lake–Red Cliffs, 3 sights 3.9 mi · ▲ 465 ft
- Hole 'N Wall–Red Cliffs, 4 sights 4.4 mi · ▲ 920 ft
- Hole 'N Wall–Red Cliffs, 5 sights 5 mi · ▲ 1,020 ft
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