SCHNEIDER CAMP TRAILS - GETTING THERE

To drive to Schneider Camp, drive three miles west from the Carson Pass Information Station on Highway 88 to the CalTrans Maintenance Station road.

CALTRANS MAINTENANCE STATION ROAD From the Carson Pass Information Station, drive west about 3 miles on Highway 88 to the paved road on the right side of the highway. It should be identified with a road sign indicating the road leads into the CalTrans Maintenance Station (sometimes the sign is not there). Turn onto this road and drive to the station.
THE STATION When you get to the gate and stop sign at the Maintenance Station, turn left and drive along side of the gray building you can see to the left center of the photo (there will be an open shed on your left). The road is paved to just past the building. From there the road is a bladed county road that is sometimes maintained.
Continue driving up the bladed gravel road to the horse trailer turnaround area. You will see to your left a loop road that returns to the road you are on. There are also informal camping sites along this road. Often the area will be congested with horse trailers. You will see an old coral to your right as you approach this location.
TURNAROUND FOR HORSE TRAILERS From the Carson Pass Information Station, drive west about 3 miles on Highway 88 to the paved road on the right side of the highway. It should be identified with a road sign indicating the road leads into the CalTrans Maintenance Station (sometimes the sign is not there). Turn onto this road and drive to the station.
Continue driving past the horse trailer turnaround area for an additional 0.4 miles to the end of the road and the Schneider Camp parking area and trailheads. The road after the horse turnaround area becomes very rough and rocky. If you are driving a low clearance vehicle, you should park here and walk to the end of the road. When you reach the end of the road at Schneider Camp, you have a choice of which trail to take. One trail, starting on the north side of the parking area goes north and then east around Little Round Top Mountain to a junction with the PCT. Another trail goes east to Meiss Ridge and Meiss Country. The third trail, the 4-WD track shown above, goes to Kyburz. Do not let the appearance of the 4-WD track near the parking area fool you; it gets much worse.
THE TRAIL HEADS The trail going north past Little Round Top Mountain is shown at the edge of the parking area in the left center of this photo; the trail going east toward Meiss Ridge is shown in the center heading roughly to the right. The road you followed to get to this parking area comes in from the right of the parking area.
You're here, so now make a choice and enjoy your hike and, if you are early enough in the season, the wild flowers. As you will see when you go there, the flowers primarily grow along the trail heading to Meiss Ridge. You will see the reason for this as you note the small creek that the trail more or less follows down from the ridge. Want to see what those wildflowers look like? If so, have a look at the Schneider Camp Flowers page.