California · Trail 18E07

Bummer/Wheats

Bummer/Wheats Trail is a 9-mile trail in Stanislaus National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Carson-Iceberg 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 end38.3444° N, 120.0007° W · Directions ↗
Other end38.3654° N, 119.9626° W · 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

Length9 miles
Trail class4, highly developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers18E07
ForestStanislaus National Forest (unit 0516)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement 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

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Bummer/Wheats Trail30°40°50°60°70°January: 10.57 inches of precipitation, 19.3 inches of snowFebruary: 9.82 inches of precipitation, 25.9 inches of snowMarch: 8.48 inches of precipitation, 19.2 inches of snowApril: 4.59 inches of precipitation, 11.4 inches of snowMay: 2.79 inches of precipitation, 2.2 inches of snowJune: 0.95 inches of precipitation, 0.1 inches of snowJuly: 0.11 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 0.06 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 0.39 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 2.93 inches of precipitation, 0.3 inches of snowNovember: 5.17 inches of precipitation, 7.7 inches of snowDecember: 9.65 inches of precipitation, 18.7 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 37.7°F averageFebruary: 37.9°F averageMarch: 40.3°F averageApril: 44.5°F averageMay: 52.1°F averageJune: 61.0°F averageJuly: 68.1°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 62.1°F averageOctober: 53.0°F averageNovember: 43.2°F averageDecember: 36.8°F average0 in10 in20 in30 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Calaveras Big Trees, 19 miles from the trail midpoint at 4,695 feet, station USC00041277 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 56 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 105 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 2,300 feet lower than the trail midpoint, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed year-round
Mountain bikingAllowed 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

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.

Trails nearby

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

  • Prescribed
    Fy27 Hemlock Rx

    13 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    Big Trees State Park Broadcast Burn Rx

    19 mi from the trail midpoint · 170 acres

  • Prescribed
    D51 Rx Pile Burning

    33 mi from the trail midpoint

  • Prescribed
    D54 Rx Pile Burning

    36 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

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

The Forest Service records 9 miles under this name in Stanislaus National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Bummer/Wheats Trail start?

The line begins at 38.3444° N, 120.0007° W and ends at 38.3654° N, 119.9626° W. 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 Bummer/Wheats Trail in a wilderness area?

Yes. It enters Carson-Iceberg Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.

Source: Carson-Iceberg Wilderness

Where can I camp near the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

Niagara Creek Campground (3 mi), Mill Creek Campground (3.3 mi) and Spicer Reservoir Group Campground (3.3 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 8 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

Trail class 4, which the Forest Service describes as highly 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 Bummer/Wheats Trail?

The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

Stanislaus National Forest, Forest Service unit 0516. The trail is in California.

Source: Stanislaus National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Bummer/Wheats Trail?

The interagency feed shows 4 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Fy27 Hemlock Rx at 13 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 1 segment named Bummer/Wheats 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.