Clear Lake Loop Trail
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)- 3.7 mi
- round trip
- 328 ft
- climb
- 6,139 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Sep
- best months
Is Clear Lake Loop Trail open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Modoc National Forest.
Forest Fire Restrictions 2026 have been lifted as of 09/27/2026
Agency alert covering Modoc National Forest · Order 09-26-01 · USFS · Modoc National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Modoc National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
The Clear Lake Loop Trail is an easy, out-and-back hike of about 3.7 miles in the South Warner Wilderness, part of the Warner Mountain Ranger District of Modoc National Forest in California. The trail rises from a low point of about 5,828 feet to a high of about 6,139 feet, with a total elevation gain of about 328 feet. The route is on natural surface, and horses are allowed. Bikes are not. The trail is open year-round, and the Forest Service manages the land. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Jess Valley, which sits about 740 feet lower than the trail, show July highs around 84°F with only about two wet days, while winter highs stay in the low 40s. The Poison Flat Trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Mill Creek Falls Trail and Mill Creek Falls campground are each about 0.3 mile off. Soup Springs campground is about 2.3 miles away.
Best time to go · May–Sep
Best time to visit Clear Lake Loop Trail
Best months: May–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
43° / 21°
9 wet
Feb
45° / 21°
8 wet
Mar
50° / 24°
10 wet
Apr
55° / 27°
9 wet
May
64° / 34°
8 wet
Jun
74° / 40°
5 wet
Jul
84° / 47°
2 wet
Aug
83° / 46°
2 wet
Sep
77° / 39°
3 wet
Oct
65° / 31°
5 wet
Nov
51° / 25°
8 wet
Dec
42° / 20°
9 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Jess Valley, CA, 0.9 mi away at 5,400 ft. The station sits about 700 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. This station doesn't record snowfall. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Poison Flat Trail
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0.92-mile out-and-back trail in California with 323 ft elevation gain.
Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Poison Flat Trail
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Photo: Ken Lund from Reno, Nevada, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)Modoc Line Trail
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Mill Creek Falls Trail
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Pine Creek Trail
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Mill Creek North
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5.40-mile out-and-back trail in California with 2,004 ft elevation gain.
