Trails › United States of America › California › Sierra Nevada › Elephants Back

Pct: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass

On Elephants Back, Sierra Nevada

Trail5.4 km · 3.4 miBest Jun–Sep

Next nearby hike: Round Top Lake 1.7 mi · 2.7 kmExplore Elephants Back →

Eldorado National ForestEldorado National ForestBuck Pasture · Eldorado National ForestCamp Irene · Eldorado National ForestCarson Emigrant N.R.T. · Eldorado National ForestEmigrant Lake · Eldorado National ForestEvergreen · Eldorado National ForestGranite Lake · Eldorado National ForestGrouse Lake · Eldorado National ForestKirkwood Lake Loop · Eldorado National ForestLake Margaret · Eldorado National ForestMinkalo · Eldorado National ForestRound Top Lake · Eldorado National ForestSilver Lake - Horse Canyon · Eldorado National ForestSummit City · Eldorado National ForestThunder Mountain Loop · Eldorado National ForestHumboldt-Toiyabe National ForestBurnside Lake Trail 1 · Humboldt-Toiyabe National ForestCharity Valley · Humboldt-Toiyabe National ForestThornburg Canyon · Humboldt-Toiyabe National ForestHumboldt-Toiyabe National ForestEndStart5 kmN ↑

Pct: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass other trails nearby (tap a dot to open it)

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USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain) · OpenStreetMap · Basemap: OpenFreeMap (OpenMapTiles, © OSM contributors).

7-day forecast

Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0)

Best time to hike

Best months: Jun–Sep · highs 17–22 °C (63–72 °F)

  1. J-1°-11°277
  2. F0°-10°264
  3. M2°-8°245
  4. A4°-7°111
  5. M10°-3°78
  6. J17°2°41
  7. J22°6°17
  8. A21°5°20
  9. S17°2°46
  10. O11°-3°110
  11. N3°-8°211
  12. D-1°-11°244

Average high °C · low °C · precipitation mm per month. Highlighted: best months.

How we pick months

Best months are those where the 1981–2010 average daily high is 10–27 °C (50–81 °F), the average overnight low is 0 °C (32 °F) or warmer, and average precipitation is 200 mm (7.9 in) or less. Values are long-term monthly averages for the ~1 km cell at the trail point on the map, from CHELSA V2.1 climatologies (Karger et al., CC0), not a forecast. Higher or more exposed parts of a route can be colder, wetter or snowier.

About this trail

Pct: Sonora Pass - Carson Pass is a trail in Eldorado National Forest, California, United States of America, about 5.4 km (3.4 mi) in length. It is on Elephants Back in the Sierra Nevada. It lies about 28 km south of South Lake Tahoe.

Short summary written from the trail facts on this page.

Trail facts

Length
5.4 km · 3.4 mi (agency length field)
Source
USGS National Digital Trails (US public domain)
Managed by
US Forest Service
Data from
U.S. Forest Service
Designation
Pacific Crest
Mountain
Elephants Back (mountain, 2,920 m; GeoNames)
Mountain range
Sierra Nevada (Pacific Coast Ranges › North American Cordillera; GMBA)
Nearest town
28 km S of South Lake Tahoe (El Dorado County, California) · GeoNames
Park or forest
Eldorado National Forest
Connects to
Pacific Crest Trail (National Scenic Trail: Pacific Crest) (at its start or end)
Best months
Jun–Sep
Country
United States of America
Region
California
Continent
North America
Route centre
38.6833, -119.9835
How it’s scored

Hikers can rate difficulty from 1 to 10 (1 = flat, short, easy walk for anyone; 3 = gentle hills, a little effort; 5 = moderate climbs, some fitness needed; 7 = steep or long, solid fitness required; 10 = extremely strenuous or technical; long steep climbing; experienced hikers only). The community average is shown once at least 3 people have rated the trail; until then the official or computed score is used when we have one.

Nearest trails

distance from the trail centre

Round Top Lake

1.7 mi · 2.7 km · Eldorado National Forest

Summit City

2.5 mi · 4.0 km · Eldorado National Forest

Evergreen

3.0 mi · 4.9 km · Eldorado National Forest

Emigrant Lake

3.2 mi · 5.1 km · Eldorado National Forest

Crater Lake Trail

3.6 mi · 5.9 km · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest

Camp Irene

3.9 mi · 6.3 km · Eldorado National Forest

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