Hellhole
Hellhole Trail is a 7.5-mile trail in Eldorado National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3, developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking. It enters Granite Chief Wilderness.
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 end | 39.0602° N, 120.4134° W · Directions ↗ |
| Other end | 39.0895° N, 120.3671° 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
| Length | 7.5 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 | 14E02 |
| Forest | Eldorado National Forest (unit 0503) |
| 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 |
| Mountain biking | Allowed |
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
- Granite Chief WildernessFS · about 1% 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.
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
- PrescribedMadrone Springs Underburn Rx
33 mi from the trail midpoint
- PrescribedFy27 Hemlock Rx
48 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.
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Reference
Questions people ask
How long is the Hellhole Trail?
The Forest Service records 7.5 miles under this name in Eldorado National Forest, the sum of 1 segment.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
What is allowed on the Hellhole 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 Hellhole Trail start?
The line begins at 39.0602° N, 120.4134° W and ends at 39.0895° N, 120.3671° 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 Hellhole Trail in a wilderness area?
Yes. It enters Granite Chief Wilderness. Wilderness rules ban bicycles and motor vehicles and often limit group size.
Source: Granite Chief Wilderness
Where can I camp near the Hellhole Trail?
Upper Hole Campground (under 0.1 mi), Hell Hole Campground (0.7 mi) and Big Meadows Campground (1.2 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 Hellhole 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 Hellhole Trail?
The typical grade is 12-20 percent. The typical tread is 18-24 inches wide.
Source: Forest Service trail layer
Who manages the Hellhole Trail?
Eldorado National Forest, Forest Service unit 0503. The trail is in California.
Is there a fire near the Hellhole Trail?
The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Madrone Springs Underburn Rx at 33 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.
Source: Fire nearby
Source
This page is built from 1 segment named Hellhole 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 November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.