Shackleford Trail #5542

Overview

The Shackleford Trail starts as a now-abandoned road until it reaches the wilderness boundary where it narrows down into a singletrack trail. It then climbs gently up the drainage (but not next to the creek) under the forest canopy. At 2.8 miles from the trailhead, you pass a junction with the Campbell Cutoff Trail #5543 and then, at 3.4 miles, a junction with the Back Meadows Trail #5549 (which takes you to the trail to Calf Lake). Another 0.1 miles farther along, you'll pass small, shallow, Log Lake to arrive at a junction with the Campbell Lake Trail #5541 at 4.0 miles.<br><br>Beyond the Campbell Lake Trail #5541 junction, the #5542 passes a boulder field, an unsigned junction with the now-abandoned Little Elk Lake Pass Trail #5536 (you can still follow this route to Little Elk Lake but it's almost all a cross-country adventure now), and at 5.5 miles from the trailhead, Summit Lake and a junction with the Bull Meadows Trail #5548. Summit is a popular campsite for backpackers and has a few good spots for swimming.<br><br>Past Summit Lake, the trail climbs more aggressively and, in 0.7 miles, reaches a great viewpoint and, shortly thereafter, ends at its junction with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

Trail Stats

Photos

Log Pond

Log Pond

One of the big meadows along the trail

One of the big meadows along the trail

Past Log Pond, the view opens up a bit

Past Log Pond, the view opens up a bit

Where the old road becomes a trail

Where the old road becomes a trail

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