Northern Sierra Trailheads
(Lake Tahoe, Sonora Pass, Tioga Pass)
Revised 19 Jan 2015 - please send updates to the webmaster
To get to the Northern Sierra, use these passes:
To save time, bypass these bottlenecks:
Northern Sierra Trailheads (click on any black label) and Junctions
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waypoint | trailhead | comments |
FRENCH SPRJCT | Adams Peak | winter trailheads near Loyalton/Chilcoot, NW of Reno |
COLMBO HIPARK SWRIDG PCTNTH | Sierra Buttes | trailheads near Sierra City, NW of Truckee |
YGPARK | Yuba Gap | a Sno-Park 17 miles west of Donner Summit |
DONERN DONERS | Donner Summit | Sno-Park where the PCT crosses I-80 N of Lake Tahoe |
DMPARK HSBEND | Coldstream Valley | winter and summer trailheads for Tinker Knob from Donner Memorial Park (NW of Lake Tahoe) |
ROSEPW ROSETH ROSEPE | Mt Rose (NE of Lake Tahoe) | winter snowplay and summer Mt Rose trailhead on the Mt Rose Hwy |
BLAKSP BLAKTH STANTH WARDTH | Twin Peak | Blackwood Sno-Park, Ward Creek and Blackwood Creek approaches to Twin Peak |
RUBCON SUGARP | Rubicon and Sugar Pine Point | Rubicon Trail staging area Sugar Pine Point all-year parking lot |
DLBLIS | D L Bliss | for Jakes and Rubicon, SW Lake Tahoe |
EAGLEC VIKING | Eagle Creek | Eagle Creek trail, Eagle Falls, Vikingsholm viewpoint, SW Lake Tahoe |
INSPIR | Inspiration Point | for Maggie Peaks, SW Lake Tahoe |
TALLTH TAYCTH GLENTH | Fallen Leaf Lake (SW Lake Tahoe) | all-year trailhead for Mt Tallac Taylor Creek Sno-Park Glen Alpine summer trailhead south of Fallen Leaf Lake |
MEYRTH | Meyers | summer-only access to Freel, Jobs, Jobs Sister from Meyers (between Luther Pass and South Lake Tahoe) |
ECHLAK ECHSUM | Echo Summit Sno-Parks (SW from Lake Tahoe) | backcountry winter Sno-Park at Echo Lake (aka Johnson Pass - immediately west of Echo Summit) day-use winter Sno-Park at Echo Summit |
LUTHER BIGMDW | Luther Pass (SE from Lake Tahoe) | Luther Pass and the Big Meadow trailhead for the Tahoe Rim Trail are summer-only parking areas! Both are signed strictly no parking in the winter. |
BURNLK HOPESP WILLOW HORSEJ | Hope Valley (south of Luther Pass) | free Hope Valley winter parking lot (ski/snowshoe to Freel, Jobs, Pickett, Hawkins) separate Hope Valley Sno-Park (snowmobile) Willow Creek no-vehicle trail to Horse Meadow Horse Meadow dirt road and snowmobile trail (all year access to Jobs and Freel) |
CARSON MEISSM | Carson Pass Sno-Parks | two winter Sno-Parks: at the pass and immediately west of the pass |
TRAGDY KITCAR | Silver Lake | parking at Tragedy Springs for access to Mokelumne parking at Kit Carson Resort Road for access to Thunder and Thimble (neither lot is a Sno-Park, both lots are free) |
IRONSP | Iron Mountain Sno-Park | two winter Sno-Parks: at the pass and immediately west of the pass |
W88104 E88104 | Jackson Bypass | This isn't a trailhead, it's a way to avoid traffic on the way to Carson Pass! |
SPCRTH ALPNTH | Ebbetts Pass Sno-Parks | two winter Sno-Parks: Spicer (in big trees) and Lake Alpine (where Hwy 4 is gated) |
H108SP | Hwy 108 Sno-Park | Hwy 108 is gated here in winter, 7.7 miles east of Strawberry |
CLARKF | Clark Fork | Clark Fork turnoff from Hwy 108, further west of Sonora Pass, for Disaster Peak |
KENMTH | Kennedy Meadow | Hwy 108 west of Sonora Pass, for Blackhawk Mtn (the northern one, not the other Kennedy Meadow in the Southern Sierra) |
STMARY SONPAS | Sonora Pass | Saint Mary's Pass for Stanislaus Peak (immediately west of Sonora Pass)
High point of Hwy 108, for the PCT and Stanislaus, Sonora, Leavitt peaks |
LEAVTH LEAVPS | Leavitt Meadow | East of Sonora Pass, hiker and pack station trailhead often used for Tower Peak |
PRESTW PRESTE | Old Priest Grade | This isn't a trailhead, it's a shortcut to Yosemite! |
CRANEF TGROVE | Crane Flat | Where Hwy 41 from Fresno ends at Hwy 120, Tuolumne Grove, filling station. |
CURRYV CORRAL BACKPP MIRROR HAPPYB | Yosemite Valley | trailheads and backpacker parking lot near Curry Village Four Mile Trail, Mirror Lake, Snow Creek, Happy Isles, Yosemite Falls, Camp 4 |
DISCOV BADGER MONMDW GLACPT | Glacier Point | trailheads and backpacker parking along the Glacier Point Road Badger Pass, Mono Meadows, Glacier Point |
WHITEW YOSTEN | White Wolf Yosemite Creek Ten Lakes | Campground plus access to Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne. |
PORCUF PORCUC | Porcupine Flat | Porcupine Flat and Porcupine Creek trailheads, 6-7 miles west of Tenaya Lake. |
SNOWFP OLMSTD TENAYA | Snow Flat Olmsted Point Tenaya Lake | Snow Flat parking area for the May Lake High Sierra Camp and Mt Hoffman. Olmstead Point is a great lookout point, not really a trailhead. Sunrise Creek, at the west end of Tenaya Lake for the Sunrise High Sierra Camp, Tenaya Peak, and Clouds Rest. |
CATHED LEMBRT TUOLUM DOGLAK | Tuolumne Meadows | Cathedral Lake trailhead for Cathedral Peak, Unicorn Peak, Echo Peaks, etc. The Lembert Dome Trailhead for the Pacific Crest Trail, Soda Springs, and Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp. The Tuolumne Meadows Permit Kiosk parking lot for backcountry permits. The Dog Lake Trail Backpacker Lot for Vogelsang, Lyell, etc. |
MONOTH | Dana Meadows Parker Pass Mono Pass | Dana Meadows south to Parker Pass and Mono Pass for Koip Peak, Mount Gibbs, etc. |
SADLAK | Saddlebag Lake | Saddlebag Lake for North Peak and Mount Conness. (Outside Yosemite National Park.) |
WARNFK | Warren Fork / Camp 9 | Warren Fork of Lee Vining Creek for climbing Mt Warren. Also a free walk-in campground and 'Camp 9' car camping. |
LEEGAT | Lee Vining Gate | Hwy 120 is gated somewhere near here in winter. |
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