Summit Trail
Summit Trail is a 22.7 miles trail in Modoc National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 1, minimally developed. It is open to hiking and horse and pack stock. It enters South Warner Wilderness.
Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Modoc 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 | 41.4508, -120.2437 · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 41.1982, -120.1879 · 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 is recorded as 3 segments.
The trail
| Length | 22.7 miles |
| Trail class | 1, minimally developed |
| Type | land trail |
| Surface | native material |
| Typical grade | 8-10 percent |
| Motor vehicles | Closed to all motorized use year-round |
| Accessibility | Not evaluated |
| Trail numbers | 15E10-09 |
| Forest | Modoc National Forest (unit 0509) |
| 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
- South Warner Wilderness WildernessFS · about 97% 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
Open Facilities open as weather permits; usually early July to late October. · listed none When parking overnight or for extended periods at trailheads always secure all food, packaging and ice chests in the trunk of your vehicle. Do not park in front of gates or partially obstruct a fire road. Parking is limited for hikers and backpackers. | 0.1 mi |
Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.
Camping nearby
Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedAdin Airport Rx
39 mi from the trail midpoint
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.
Explore
Historic places nearby
Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Summit Trail?
22.7 miles, the sum of the 3 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Modoc National Forest.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Summit Trail?
hiking and horse and pack stock. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Where does the Summit Trail start?
The line begins at 41.4508, -120.2437 and ends at 41.1982, -120.1879. The nearest recorded trailhead is Pepperdine Trailhead, 0.1 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Is the Summit Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters South Warner Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Where can I camp near the Summit Trail?
Patterson Guard Station (0 mi), Pepperdine Campground (0.2 mi) and Pepperdine Equestrian Campground (0.2 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.
Source: Campsite Atlas
How developed is the Summit Trail?
Trail class 1, which the Forest Service describes as minimally 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 Summit Trail?
The typical grade is 8-10 percent.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Summit Trail?
Modoc National Forest, Forest Service unit 0509. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Summit Trail?
1 active incident within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-09-18, the nearest Adin Airport Rx at 39 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 3 segments named SUMMIT TRAIL in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0509. 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.