Mill Canyon
- 11.2 mi
- round trip
- 1,655 ft
- climb
- 8,892 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Aug
- best months
Is Mill Canyon open right now?
Closure in the area
There's a closure order in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. It doesn't name Mill Canyon, so check the source for the area it covers.
Elephant Fire Closure
Agency closure covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-26-01-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Area, Road, and Trail Closures (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-25-04 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Year-Round Fire Restrictions (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-24-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Vehicle Snow Chain Requirements during Inclement Weather (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-23-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
Rainbow Canyon Flood Diversion Structure Closure (Spring Mountains National Recreation Area)
Agency alert covering Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest · Order 04-17-15-01 · USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest
As of · Source: USFS · Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.
Mill Canyon is a hard hike in the Bridgeport Ranger District of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in California, about 5.4 miles from the town of Walker. The trail is an out-and-back route of about 11 miles, with a one-way climb of roughly 1,655 feet from a low point of about 7,227 feet to a high of about 8,892 feet. The trail surface is natural, and bikes are allowed. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station at Bodie, which sits a few hundred feet lower than the trail's high point, show July and August highs around 78°F with lows in the mid-30s. Winter is cold, with highs near 41°F and lows around 8°F from December through February. Mill Canyon Road, a mountain biking route, starts just 0.1 mile away, and Lost Cannon Road (32212) is about 1.3 miles off. Climbers can head to 395 Boulder, about 1.9 miles away, and Bootleg Campground, about 2.3 miles away, offers a place to camp.
Best time to go · Jun–Aug
Best time to visit Mill Canyon
Best months: June–August. 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
41° / 8°
7 wet
Feb
41° / 9°
7 wet
Mar
45° / 13°
6 wet
Apr
51° / 19°
5 wet
May
61° / 25°
5 wet
Jun
71° / 32°
4 wet
Jul
78° / 36°
4 wet
Aug
78° / 34°
3 wet
Sep
71° / 28°
2 wet
Oct
61° / 20°
3 wet
Nov
49° / 12°
5 wet
Dec
41° / 8°
7 wet
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Bodie California St Historic P, CA, 29.9 mi away at 8,370 ft. The station sits about 500 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, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Lost Cannon Trail
~8 min drive
17.34-mile out-and-back trail in California with 4,042 ft elevation gain and loss.
Poore Lake
~11 min drive
Poore Lake is a 9.28-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,001 ft of elevation gain.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Driveway
~12 min drive
4.34-mile out-and-back trail in California with 80 ft of elevation gain.
Poore Lake Connector
~13 min drive
0.96-mile out-and-back trail with 171 ft gain in California
HIKE
Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail #2000
~17 min drive
46.78-mile out-and-back on the Pacific Crest Trail in California with 8,414 ft gain/loss
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Corral Valley
~12 min drive
11.72-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,428 ft elevation gain.
Photo: jfdervin, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Corral Valley
~12 min drive
Scenic 4-mile valley loop with steady climbing through grassland and oak woodland.
HIKE
ROCK TRAIL
~10 min drive
1.1-mile out-and-back trail in California with 530 ft gain and 6,336 ft max elevation.
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Flickr)Little Long Valley Route
~14 min drive
7.66-mile out-and-back trail in California with 1,004 ft gain.
Photo: Capt' Gorgeous, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Little Wolf Trail
~14 min drive
3.58-mile out-and-back hike in California with 1,208 ft gain and loss.
