AMBLEWAY Wildest hikes

Mokelumne Wilderness

Upper Blue Lake & Forestdale Creek Trail via Forestdale Road

15.9 mi · ▲ 2,941 ft · 6 hr 46 min

Upper Blue Lake & Forestdale Creek Trail via Forestdale Road is a 15.9-mile out-and-back in Mokelumne Wilderness near Sorensens, CA. The route reaches Upper Blue Lake at the turnaround, 7.9 miles in. It climbs 2,941 ft, with sections as steep as 19% grade. It scores 83/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: genuinely wild.

Elevation

0 mi7,441 – 8,878 ft · steepest grade: 19%16.1 mi

Getting there

Trailhead: Blue Lakes Connector E 38.69774, -119.93081
Nearest town Sorensens, CA
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Directions

AMBLEWAYwww.ambleway.com

Upper Blue Lake & Forestdale Creek Trail via Forestdale Road

15.9 mi · ▲ 2,941 ft · 6 hr 46 min

Elevation 7,442–8,878 ft

Out & Back · Mokelumne Wilderness

Trailhead: Blue Lakes Connector E · 38.69774, -119.93081

Weather Sep 20: sunrise 6:46 AM · sunset 7:02 PM

  1. Start on Blue Lakes Connector E, heading W.
  2. 300 ftTurn left onto Hope Valley Campground Road, heading S.
  3. 0.6 miContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur J, heading SE.
  4. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur K, heading SE.
  5. 100 ftContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur J, heading SE.
  6. 0.1 miTurn right onto Forestdale Creek Trail, heading S.
  7. 3.8 miSharp right onto Forestdale Road, heading S.
  8. 0.5 miBear right, heading S.
  9. 1.1 miSharp left onto Evergreen Trail, heading W.
  10. 1.2 miTurn right, heading SE.
  11. 0.4 miTurn right, heading SE.
  12. 250 ftReach Upper Blue Lake, then turn around and head back the way you came.
  13. 200 ftTurn left, heading E.
  14. 1.6 miSharp right, heading NW.
  15. 1.1 miBear left, heading NE.
  16. 300 ftContinue straight onto Forestdale Road, heading N.
  17. 0.4 miSharp left, heading N.
  18. 250 ftContinue straight onto Forestdale Creek Trail, heading NE.
  19. 3.8 miTurn left, heading NW.
  20. 50 ftContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur J, heading NW.
  21. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur K, heading N.
  22. 100 ftContinue straight onto Connector Road Spur J, heading N.
  23. 0.1 miContinue straight onto Hope Valley Campground Road, heading N.
  24. 0.6 miTurn right onto Blue Lakes Connector E, heading NW.
  25. 100 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/forestdale-creek-trail-out-back

Trail surface

32% dirt68% unspecified

Weather

Sunrise 6:46 AMSunset 7:02 PM

Other ways to reach this destination

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