Watson Creek Trail via Sawmill Flat is a 4.6-mile out-and-back in Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit near Cedar Flat, CA. It climbs 891 ft, with sections as steep as 17% grade, and is mostly dirt. It scores 69/100 on the Ambleway Wildness scale: backcountry feel.
Elevation
0 mi6,526 – 7,445 ft · steepest grade: 17%4.9 mi
Getting there
Trailhead: Unnamed 39.21295, -120.09608
Nearest town Cedar Flat, CA
Directions
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Watson Creek Trail via Sawmill Flat
4.6 mi · ▲ 891 ft · 1 hr 59 min
Elevation 6,527–7,443 ft
Out & Back · Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit
Trailhead: 39.21295, -120.09608
Weather Sep 5: Light drizzle, high 55°F / low 43° · precip 35% · wind 8 mph · sunrise 6:33 AM · sunset 7:28 PM
- Start at the trailhead, heading NW.
- 0.5 miContinue straight onto Sawmill Flat, heading NW.
- 0.6 miContinue straight onto Watson Creek Road, heading N.
- 50 ftBear left onto Sawmill Flat, heading NW.
- 0.1 miSharp left onto Watson Creek Trail, heading N.
- 1.1 miReach Watson Creek Trail, then turn around and head back the way you came.
- 1.1 miSharp right onto Sawmill Flat, heading SE.
- 0.1 miBear right onto Watson Creek Road, heading SE.
- 50 ftContinue straight onto Sawmill Flat, heading SE.
- 1 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
97% dirt3% paved
Weather
Light drizzleTemperature 55°F43°
Feels like38°Precip35%Wind8 mphUV4Humidity67%
Rained 0.2″ 7 days ago
Hourly temperatureRain chance
55°40°
Sunrise 6:33 AM12 AM3 AM9 AM12 PM3 PMSunset 7:28 PM
Sat
60°42°
Sun
59°40°
Mon
64°39°
Tue
69°45°
Wed
70°50°
18%
Thu
71°53°
Other ways to reach this destination
- 3.3 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 3.9 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 4.4 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 4.5 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 4.6 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 5.9 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 6.2 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
- 6.4 mi · out & back · via Sawmill Flat
More from this trailhead
- Sawmill Flat 2.2 mi · ▲ 314 ft
- Dollar Creek Shared Use Path 2.5 mi · ▲ 195 ft
- Dollar Creek Shared Use Path 2.5 mi · ▲ 195 ft
- Sawmill Flat 2.5 mi · ▲ 314 ft
- Cedar Flat Trail–Old County Connector, 4 sights 4.7 mi · ▲ 809 ft
- Tahoe Rim Trail 5 mi · ▲ 920 ft
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