Eldorado National Forest · California · Trail 16E44

Canyon Crossing

Canyon Crossing Trail is a 9.9 miles snow trail in Eldorado National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 4, highly developed. It is open to snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Eldorado 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 end38.6291, -120.2120 · Directions ↗
Other end38.5786, -120.1611 · 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 4 segments.

The trail

Length9.9 miles
Trail class4, highly developed
Typesnow trail
Surfacesnow
Typical grade12-20 percent
Typical tread width18-24 inches
Motor vehiclesOpen to at least one motorized use
AccessibilityNot evaluated
Trail numbers16E44
ForestEldorado National Forest (unit 0503)
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.

Allowed uses

SnowmobileAllowed 12/01 to 03/31 (month/day)
SnowshoeingAllowed year-round
Cross-country skiingAllowed 12/01 to 03/31 (month/day)

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.

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.

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. The recreation page link goes to the Forest Service site, which may redirect to the forest's recreation index.

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.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Canyon Crossing Trail?

9.9 miles, the sum of the 4 segments the Forest Service records under this name in Eldorado National Forest.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Canyon Crossing Trail?

snowmobile, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The trail is open to at least one motorized use. Some uses are seasonal. The allowed uses section lists the dates.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Canyon Crossing Trail start?

The line begins at 38.6291, -120.2120 and ends at 38.5786, -120.1611. 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 Canyon Crossing Trail in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Canyon Crossing Trail?

Silver Lake Campground East (3.5 mi), Bear River Group Campground (4.4 mi) and Silver Fork Campground (4.6 mi) are within five miles of the trail. Site counts and booking links are on Campsite Atlas.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Canyon Crossing 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 Canyon Crossing Trail?

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

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Canyon Crossing Trail?

Eldorado National Forest, Forest Service unit 0503. The trail is in California.

Source: Eldorado National Forest official page

Source

This page is built from 4 segments named CANYON CROSSING in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0503. 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.