Barker
Campground
Campground · 3.6 mi from the trail
California · Hiking · Granite Chief Wilderness · Near Sunnyside-Tahoe City
Hellhole
- 7.5 mi
- round trip
- 802 ft
- climb
- 6,122 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- May–Oct
- best months
Is Hellhole open right now?
Alert in the area
The Forest Service lists an alert for Tahoe National Forest.
Camping and Campfire Restrictions-Truckee and Sierraville Districts
Agency alert covering Tahoe National Forest · Order 17-25-05 · USFS · Tahoe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Tahoe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Hellhole is a hard hike of about 7.5 miles in the Granite Chief Wilderness, part of the Truckee Ranger District of Tahoe National Forest in California. The Forest Service manages the land, and the trail is a natural-surface out-and-back that climbs from about 5,646 feet to about 6,122 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Tahoe City show July highs around 78°F with lows near 46°F and only about one wet day in the month. Winter brings highs around 40°F and several snowy days a month from December through February. The trail sits close to other routes. The Powderhorn Trail and Bear Pen are both within a quarter mile, and Five Lakes Creek offers canoeing about 0.7 miles away. Upper Hell Hole Campground is about 4.4 miles off.
Around this trail
Add any of these when you start a tripSleep close Eat after If it rains
Places © OpenStreetMap contributors
More in Sunnyside-Tahoe CityLocal outfitters
- Alpenglow Expeditions7 mi away
Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.
Best time to go · May–Oct
Best time to visit Hellhole
Best months: May–October. 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
40° / 21°
11 wet · 7 snow
Feb
40° / 21°
10 wet · 7 snow
Mar
45° / 24°
10 wet · 7 snow
Apr
50° / 28°
8 wet · 4 snow
May
59° / 34°
7 wet · 1 snow
Jun
69° / 40°
3 wet
Jul
78° / 46°
1 wet
Aug
77° / 45°
2 wet
Sep
70° / 41°
2 wet
Oct
59° / 33°
4 wet · 1 snow
Nov
48° / 26°
7 wet · 3 snow
Dec
40° / 21°
10 wet · 6 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Tahoe City, CA, 8.6 mi away at 6,230 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
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