Miles & Elevations

The Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Carson Gap to Lake Alpine Campsite: 26.28 miles

Backpacking Miles

Mokelumne Wilderness in the El Dorado National Forest

Our view South from the Carson Gap overlooks our upcoming route options. Towering to our South is the Round Top - Sisters Massif upon which our so-far unified Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trail routes now diverge. The Pacific Crest Trail bends East to avoid most of Round Top while the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail climbs right up this mountain to pass just below Round Top's distinctive peak on our way around the Western flank of The Sisters to drop into Summit City Creek far below its Southern flank.

Maps

The first of the three trail junctions up to Round Top is just few feet South of the Carson Gap.

Behind us, Topo Map to the North: Echo Summit to Carson Pass, Meiss backpacking Map

In front of us, Topo Map to the South: Carson Pass Region backpacking Map

Further South down the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: Carson Gap to Lake Alpine backpacking Map

South end of this Section of Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: Lake Alpine backpacking Map

Location                         Elevation           Mileage

Start: Carson Gap                   8800                      0

                                           -440                       .51

Highway 88                           8360                   .51

                                           -160                       .46

Paved Road                           8200                   .97

                                            +40                       .63

Route 1> Woods Lake footbridge  8240          1.60

                                            +80                        .19

Route 2 > Lost Cabin Mine Trail Jnct 8320        1.79

Note that both the Woods Lake footbridge and Lost Cabin Mine routes up to Round Top are accessed via the paved road to Woods Lake.

The Lost Cabin Mine route is the quickest and shortest way up to Round Top and therefore the steepest. The footbridge route is gentler and longer, while the trail out of Carson Pass is the longest and least steep.

Route 1 to Round Top Lake:

The Footbridge Route to the Round Lake Junction

The mileages measured on this route options to Round Top Lake are counted from the Carson Gap.

The distances below are measured from the Carson Gap, and measure the distances to Round Top if you cross the footbridge. This route up to Round Top continues from the footbridge Southeast towards Winnemucca Lake, where it turns West up to Round Top.

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Woods Lake footbridge/Woods Lake Campground

                                                   8240                 1.60

End of Forest                            xxxx                  xxxx

(Woods Footbridge to Winnemucca Junction)    +740                         1.42

Winnamucca Lake Junction    8980                   3.02

                                            +380                          .88

Round Top Lake Junction       9360                   3.90

Route 2 to Round Top Lake:

The Lost Cabin Mine Route to the Round Lake Junction

The mileages below are measured from the Carson Gap to Round Top if you follow the Lost Cabin Mine trail.

This route heads West through the top of the Car Campground next to Woods Lake to connect with the Lost Cabin Mine Jeep Road, which narrows to a trail, which tracks South up to the top of Round Top.

El Dorado National Forest PDF map of the trail through the campground to the Lost Cabin Mine trail.

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Lost Cabin Mine Trail Jnct    8320                 1.79

                                           +80                         .31

Lost Cabin Mine                     8400                  2.1

Rock Cabin past Old Car and Trap 8680          2.24

                                           +680                     1.16

Round Top Lake Junction     9360                 3.40

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Continuing South from the Round Lake Junction on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Round Top Lake Junction is the new mileage Zero Point

This guide measures mileage South from our exit from Lake Tahoe Basin at the Carson Gap.

As there are three routes from the Carson Gap up to the trail junction at Round Top Lake, you either have walked 3.9 miles from the Gap to Round Lake via the footbridge route, 3.4 miles via the Lost Cabin Mine route, or 4.57 miles from the Carson Gap to Round Top via Carson Pass and the Winnemucca Lake trail junction.

To simplify measuring trail mileages further South the Round Topo Lake trail junction where these 3 routes all converge is the new zero-point for measuring distances to the Bee Gulch Trailhead located on Highway 4 at the East side of Lake Alpine.

Round Top Lake Junction      9360                      0

                                                                 -1196                          2.3

Fourth of July Lake                 8164                    2.3

                                          -724                  1.31

Summit City Creek Junction   7440                    3.61

                                           ***                           ***

Boy Scout Camp                                 ***                           ***              

(Summit City Junction to Horse Canyon)      -560                           2.43

Horse Canyon                           6880                    6.04

                                           -160                            .8

Telephone Gulch                       6720                    6.84

                                                                ***                            ***

Rock Zone                                              ***                           ***   

(Telephone Gulch to Upper Ford)            -160                        1.71

Upper Ford                                 6560                   8.55

                                            -440                        1.32

Water/Nice campsite                6120                   9.87

                                              ***                            ***

Water                                                        ***                            ***            

(Campsite to Lower Ford)                 -580                         1.19

Lower Ford Summit City           5540                  11.06

Ducked Path to Forest                     ***                             ***  

(Lower ford to forest)                                       -20                             .32

Unblazed forest                          5520                   11.38

                                                 -40                             .71

Forest to Munson Jnct               5480                   12.09

                                            +160                             .47

Munson Meadow Junction         5640                   12.56

                                             -360                              .57

Camp Irene                                 5280                    13.13

                                          +3440                             5.24

top of Mt Reba                            8720                    18.37

                                             -280                              .87

Bee Gulch Junction                     8440                    19.24

                                               -2254                            1.4

Trail Jnct above Lodge              6186                    20.64

                                                1134                             .51

Hwy 4 Bee Gulch Trailhead       7320                    21.15

                                                 +40                              .34

Al's hidden Camp                        7360                    21.49

21.49 miles is measured from the Round Top Lake Junction to my campsite behind (East, up Silver Creek) the backpacker's camp on the East Side of Lake Alpine.

Total from Carson Gap to Lake Alpine on Lost Cabin Route: 24.89

Total from Carson Gap to Lake Alpine on the Footbridge Route: 25.39

Total from Carson Gap to Lake Alpine through Carson Pass up to Round Top Lake Junction via Winnamucca Lake: 26.28

North miles and elevations: Echo Summit to Carson Gap

South miles and elevations: Lake Alpine to Saint Marys Pass

Have you comments, questions, or experiences about this section of the trail?

Note: The Ups and Downs of the Tahoe to Yosemite, and every other High Sierra Trail

This trail guide, like the High Sierras, divides itself into ups and downs. Your miles are generally done either going up to the top of the mountain, or you are coming down from the mountaintop into the valley that separates you from the next mountain. This means that the mileages and elevations between the peaks and the valleys is going to be important in determining how many miles you can reasonably expect to cover that day. This will be instrumental in planning where you are going to camp every night, and ultimately this information will determine how many days it will take you to cover a given distance. This in turn establishes your proper food load.

Remember this important rule: Every descent route holds many mini-ascents, and every ascent has many mini-descents within its route. Your mileage will very rarely just go up, or just go down. You are going endlessly up and down.

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Section: CARSON GAP TO LAKE ALPINE