Lunch Meadow
Lunch Meadow Trail is a 6.9 miles trail in Stanislaus National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters Emigrant Wilderness and Yosemite Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Stanislaus National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.
Map
One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.
| One end | 38.2177, -119.6814 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 38.1701, -119.6008 · Directions ↗ |
The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start.
The trail
| Length | 6.9 miles |
| Trail class | 3, developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 12-20 percent |
| Typical tread width | 18-24 inches |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 21E04 |
| Forest | Stanislaus National Forest (unit 0516) |
| States | California |
| Detail published | management level, with uses |
Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.
Weather by month
Allowed uses
| Hiking | Allowed year-round |
| Horse and pack stock | Allowed year-round |
A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.
Wilderness
- Emigrant Wilderness WildernessFS · about 89% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
- Yosemite Wilderness WildernessNPS · about 11% of the line is insideWilderness Connect ↗
Inside a designated wilderness, bicycles and motor vehicles are prohibited by law regardless of the trail record, and permits or group limits may apply.
Trailheads
The Forest Service recreation layer records no trailhead within a third of a mile of this trail's line. Many trails start from a road pullout or another trail with no trailhead record. The forest's recreation pages list the trailheads it does publish.
Camping nearby
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
Fire nearby
- WildfireDome
44 mi from the trail midpoint · 1,177 acres · 10% contained
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Park units nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Lunch Meadow Trail?
6.9 miles, the sum of the 1 segment the Forest Service records under this name in Stanislaus National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Lunch Meadow Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Lunch Meadow Trail start?
The line begins at 38.2177, -119.6814 and ends at 38.1701, -119.6008. No Forest Service trailhead is recorded within a third of a mile of it. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Lunch Meadow Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Emigrant Wilderness and Yosemite Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Emigrant Wilderness Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Lunch Meadow Trail?
No federal campground is recorded within five miles of the trail. Dispersed camping is allowed on most National Forest land outside posted closures. The forest office has the current rules.
How developed is the Lunch Meadow Trail?
Trail class 3, which the Forest Service describes as developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
How steep and how wide is the Lunch Meadow Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Lunch Meadow Trail?
Stanislaus National Forest, Forest Service unit 0516. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Lunch Meadow Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Dome at 44 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named LUNCH MEADOW in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0516. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed September 17, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.