Course map, elevation profile & surface
Fly the course
Follow the route over 3D terrain, mile by mile.
Climbs
6 climbs · 4,403 ft totalbiggest firstElevation gain, measured two ways
| Source | Gain | vs lidar |
|---|---|---|
| Course file (GPX) | 5,322ft | +8% |
| USGS lidar, 1 m | 4,928ft | reference |
They differ because a GPS file picks up noise on every wiggle and often takes its heights from a coarse terrain model, while lidar maps the ground itself to about a metre. We sampled this route every 98 ft against USGS 3DEP and counted each rise of 10 ft or more, on Oct 23, 2026. The planner still uses the course file.
Aid stations as published on the course file
| Aid station | Mile | km |
|---|---|---|
| Start/Finish | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| A Redrock Hydration Station | 3.3 | 5.3 |
| A Loma Alta Aid Station | 8.0 | 13.0 |
| A Old Man Mountain Aid Station | 12.6 | 20.2 |
| A Santa Cruz Water Station | 16.1 | 26.0 |
| A Cow Camp Aid Station | 21.2 | 34.2 |
| A Boot Hill Water Station | 25.5 | 41.1 |
| A Horse Canyon Aid Station | 28.5 | 45.9 |
Badge colours match the markers on the map above — always confirm locations and cutoffs with the race organizer.
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Race almanac the sky on race day
Next race day Sat, Nov 14, 2026
First and last light are civil twilight, the sun 6° below the horizon. The moon is lit as at midnight after the start; headlamp hours count a typical finish from the start while the sun is below civil twilight. Worked out for the start line.
Reviews what runners who have been there say
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About this course
Pacific Trails California 50k covers 32.1 mi (51.7 km) with 5,322 ft of elevation gain through California, United States. That is about 166 ft per mile of climbing, and 5,322 ft of descent. The course tops out at 2,572 ft and bottoms out at 860 ft. The surface is 99% gravel. There are 7 aid stations on course; the longest stretch between aid is 5.1 mi. The profile has 6 sustained climbs; the biggest is the climb from mi 0.1, +1,722 ft over 6.2 mi at 5.2% on average (steepest stretch 16%). The interactive map above shows the full route with its elevation profile and aid stations, built from the course's GPS file.
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Course history
- Jun 19, 2026Added to the catalog
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