Mokelumne Wilderness
Managed by United States Forest Service
801 acres3.7 mi of trail
Carson Emigrant National Recreational TrailEmigrant Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Emigrant Lake Trailhead parking lot
Photo: Ian McKellar from Alameda, CA, USA · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Kirkwood
More than half of Kirkwood’s land is conserved: 96%
96% of Kirkwood’s land is conserved, about 2,686 acres. The biggest trail networks: Mokelumne Wilderness (3.7 mi). 509 acres are parks and preserves, 2,336 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
96%
2,686 acres · of 4.4 sq mi of land
Trails
19 mi
4.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
509 ac
2,336 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
3%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
8,665 ft
Two Sentinels
Lakes & rivers
2
2 boat launches
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Mokelumne Wilderness, with 3.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Who protects it
2,686 conserved acres
96% of Kirkwood’s land. Water is left out: Kirkwood has 4.4 square miles of land and 1.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Kirkwood’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
U.S. Forest Service2,636 ac
Regional agency524 ac
National Forest · 2,636 acLocal Other or Unknown · 524 ac
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eldorado National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 2,636 | Open |
| Caples Lake Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 524 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Kirkwood
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Kirkwood
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Kirkwood
Caples Lake Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Kirkwood
2 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Kirkwood
Two Sentinels8,665 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Kirkwood
Trails & water
18 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 4.0 miHorses · 1.9 miUnpaved · 5.0 mi
Emigrant Lake Trail2.9 mi
Red Cliffs2.4 mi
Carson Emigrant National Recreational Trail1.6 mi
Sentinels Trail1.1 mi
Kirkwood Lake Loop1.0 mi
Hole 'N Wall0.9 mi
Dangberg Trail0.8 mi
Solitude0.7 mi
Whiskey0.6 mi
Caples Crest0.5 mi
8 more trails
Forbidden Forest
0.5 miSnowkirk
0.4 miFunny Bunny
0.4 miThunder Mountain Loop
0.3 miWhiskey Alt
0.3 miScouts Route
0.2 miCutback
0.2 miWhiskey Shots
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
4Tennis
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Kirkwood Lake TractDistrict · listed 2009
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Kirkwood: June to August
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.7 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 13.2 | 14.3 | 14.9 | 14.6 | 13.7 | 12.4 | 11.1 | 10.0 | 9.5 |
| High (°F) | 40 | 40 | 43 | 47 | 54 | 64 | 72 | 71 | 66 | 56 | 46 | 39 |
| Rain (in) | 8.3 | 7.7 | 7.2 | 4.2 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 2.7 | 4.8 | 8.4 |
July is the driest month (0.3 in) and the warmest (highs of 72 °F). 8.4 inches fall in December, the wettest month. The climate in Kirkwood →
Questions about parks and trails in Kirkwood
Where can I hike in Kirkwood?
The longest trail networks: Mokelumne Wilderness, 3.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Kirkwood’s trails?
Mokelumne Wilderness doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Kirkwood?
92,293 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Kirkwood or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,875 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Kirkwood neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →