First Footsteps
Mount Judah
A first taste of Sierra ridgeline wandering on the PCT and Mount Judah Loop.
Quest challenge 2/10 · First Adventure
Quest estimate for the described approach: endurance, altitude, and technical terrain combined. Conditions can change the difficulty. This is not an AllTrails or climbing grade.
Meet the mountain
The approach: Southbound PCT and Mount Judah Loop from Donner Pass
Summit finish: Mount Judah’s summit on the loop.
A satisfying Northern Sierra ridge outing that combines PCT walking, Donner history, and a mountain summit. Use the Mount Judah Loop from the Donner Pass PCT access. The linked PCTA itinerary extends farther toward Mount Lincoln; its mileage should not be mistaken for the shorter Judah loop. Rocky trail and seasonal snow make this more substantial than a short summit stroll.
Choose the loop on a map before leaving and identify its junctions.
A SUMMIT QUEST TALL TALE · FICTION
The loop committee
A squirrel committee tried to design a walk with no end so lunch would never be over. They invented a loop. The minutes of the meeting are mostly crumbs.
Explore the Field Guide’s peak legends →Before you set out
Every good quest starts with a little map time. Explore these route guides and check the latest updates before setting a date.
Sources reviewed 2026-09-08. Check the links for current conditions. The approach above explains our challenge rating; logging this peak does not assign that route to your outing.
PCTA Mount Judah guide ↗
Trail steward’s extended itinerary; distinguish its extra mileage from the basic loop.
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Check dates and route choices; reports do not replace current land-manager information.
Opens in a new tab“Find AllTrails routes” opens a Google search restricted to AllTrails trail pages, not a selected route. Completion is tracked in Summit Quest and does not sync with AllTrails.