Union Reservoir–Elephant Rock Lake, 6 sights is a 16.1-mile out-and-back near Lake Alpine, CA. The route passes Elephant Rock Lake and Elephant Rock Lake before reaching Union Reservoir at the turnaround, 8 miles in. It climbs 1,872 ft, with sections as steep as 18% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 53/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,861 – 7,559 ft · steepest grade: 18%16.4 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Silvertip Campground Road 38.48161, -120.01782
Nearest town Lake Alpine, CA
Directions
AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com
Union Reservoir–Elephant Rock Lake, 6 sights
16.1 mi · ▲ 1,872 ft · 6 hr 18 min
Elevation 6,861–7,558 ft
Out & Back
Trailhead: Silvertip Campground Road · 38.48161, -120.01782
Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:47 AM · sunset 7:02 PM
Toilets at the trailhead · Drinking water at the trailhead · Parking lot at the trailhead
- Start on Silvertip Campground Road, heading S.
- 200 ftTurn left, heading SE.
- 0.1 miTurn left onto Osborne Ridge Trail Connector, heading E.
- 1.1 miBear right onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading SE.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Three Creeks, heading E.
- 0.8 miTurn left onto Highland Creek Trail, heading S.
- 0.9 miContinue straight onto Elephant Rock Trail, heading SE.
- 3 miPass Elephant Rock Lake.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Union Rock Lake Trail, heading S.
- 0.2 miPass Elephant Rock Lake.
- 50 ftBear left, heading SW.
- 100 ftBear right onto Lakeshore Trail, heading SW.
- 1.3 miReach Union Reservoir, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.3 miBear left, heading NE.
- 100 ftBear right onto Union Rock Lake Trail, heading E.
- 0.3 miTurn left onto Elephant Rock Trail, heading NE.
- 3 miContinue straight onto Highland Creek Trail, heading N.
- 0.9 miTurn right onto Three Creeks, heading SW.
- 0.8 miContinue straight onto Bee Gulch Trail, heading SW.
- 0.5 miBear left onto Osborne Ridge Trail Connector, heading N.
- 1.1 miTurn right onto Lake Alpine to Silver tip Path, heading SW.
- 0.1 miTurn left, heading W.
- 50 ftTurn right onto Silvertip Campground Road, 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
71% dirt1% paved1% gravel27% unspecified
Weather
Sunrise 6:47 AMSunset 7:02 PM
Sunset
The best sunset spot on this hike is 7.7 mi in (~206 min). Leave by 3:16 PM for the 7:02 PM sunset. Back at your car by 11:01 PM, after dark — bring a headlamp.
Good to know
- Toilets at the trailhead
- Drinking water at the trailhead
- Parking lot at the trailhead
Other ways to reach this destination
More from Silvertip Campground Road Trailhead
- Rock Lake–Duck Lake Bypass Trail, 4 sights 15.8 mi · ▲ 2,042 ft
- Mosquito Lake–Cape Horn Trail, 6 sights 15.4 mi · ▲ 1,945 ft
- Lake Alpine to Silver tip Path–Lower Woodchuck Trail, 3 sights 7.7 mi · ▲ 935 ft
- Granite Slab Trail & Lodgepole via Powerline 4.3 mi · ▲ 457 ft
- Frog Lake–Bee Gulch Trail, 4 sights 15.1 mi · ▲ 3,199 ft
- 207b–Bee Gulch Trail, 6 sights 11.4 mi · ▲ 2,317 ft
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