Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are famous for their giant sequoia groves, tall mountains, deep canyons, roaring rivers, and spectacular hiking trails with views of the Great Western Divide’s jagged peaks. These two side-by-side national parks offer classic Sierra scenery without the infamous overcrowding that plagues Yosemite, their neighbor to the north. Tacked on to the border of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is Giant Sequoia National Monument, designated to increase protection for the last remaining giant sequoia groves in the world. On the east side of these parks, a bounty of trailheads lie at the end of almost every road leading west off U.S. 395. From Bishop to Big Pine to Independence to Lone Pine, each canyon road leads to a wilderness trailhead and a wealth of hiking opportunities.
11 LAKE THOMAS EDISON TO AGNEW MEADOWS (JMT/PCT)
18 RUWAU AND CHOCOLATE LAKES LOOP
23 MANZANITA AND AZALEA TRAILS
24 PANORAMIC POINT AND PARK RIDGE LOOKOUT
26 NORTH GROVE AND DEAD GIANT LOOP
32 HOTEL CREEK TRAIL TO CEDAR GROVE OVERLOOK
33 DON CECIL TRAIL TO LOOKOUT PEAK
48 HEATHER LAKE AND THE WATCHTOWER
54 HAZELWOOD AND HUCKLEBERRY LOOP
55 HIGH SIERRA TRAIL TO HAMILTON LAKE
56 HIGH SIERRA TRAIL AND EAGLE VIEW
57 CRESCENT MEADOW AND THARP’S LOG
61 MIDDLE FORK TRAIL TO PANTHER CREEK
65 HOCKETT TRAIL TO EAST FORK BRIDGE
67 FAREWELL GAP TRAIL TO ASPEN FLAT
85 JOHN JORDAN/HOSSACK MEADOW TRAIL
87 SUMMIT TRAIL TO SLATE MOUNTAIN
97 WHITNEY PORTAL NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL
100 WHITNEY PORTAL TO LAKE THOMAS EDISON (JMT/PCT)
106 NORTH FORK KERN RIVER TRAIL
109 JACKASS CREEK NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL
115 CANNELL MEADOW NATIONAL RECREATION TRAIL
4.2 mi one-way/2.0 hr
on the southeast shore of Eastman Lake east of Chowchilla
Let’s get one thing straight: You don’t want to hike here at midday in July. Got it? Good. But if it’s spring and the wildflowers are in bloom, you’d be wise to head out here to Eastman Lake, then hike the Lakeview Trail that leads along its south and east sides. Sure, a reservoir is a reservoir, but when the water level is high, the grasslands are green, and the flowers are blooming, this reservoir can seem like a little slice of paradise in the Central Valley. The Lakeview Trail leads a total of 4.2 miles one-way from the trailhead at the group campground to Raymond Bridge. Hike as little or as much of it as you please, watching for birds and identifying the wildflowers as you go. Bald eagle sightings are not uncommon. You probably won’t have a lot of human company on this trail; after all, most people come to Eastman Lake to fish, not hike. In addition to its trophy bass fishery, the lake also boasts populations of crappie, bluegill, and catfish. They even stock rainbow trout here in the winter when the temperature cools down.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. A $5 day-use fee is charged.
Maps: A free map of Eastman Lake is available at the visitors center. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Raymond.
Directions: From Merced, drive south on Highway 99 for 20 miles to Chowchilla. Take the Avenue 26 exit and head east for 17 miles. Turn north on County Road 29 and drive eight miles to the lake entrance. Turn right and drive to the parking area by Cordorniz Group Campground.
Contact: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Eastman Lake, Raymond, 559/689-3255.
0.5 mi/0.5 hr
on the northwest end of Bass Lake near Oakhurst
The Way of the Mono is an educational trail that teaches about the Mono Indians, who were the first people to live in the Bass Lake area. They inhabited the area for more than 1,000 years. The interpretive displays along the trail point out grinding holes in the rocks, where the Mono people pounded acorns into meal, and describe different methods they used to live through the area’s seasonal changes. In addition to a cultural history lesson, the trail also offers beautiful vistas of Bass Lake and its surroundings. Check out the view from the large granite outcrop of Bass Lake and surrounding peaks. This great loop hike takes only about 20 minutes to walk, but leaves you with a much greater understanding of the Bass Lake area.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free at the trailhead; parking in the day-use area is $3.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Bass Lake.
Directions: From Oakhurst, drive north on Highway 41 for four miles and then turn right on Road 222. Drive four miles and bear right to stay on Road 222. The signed trailhead parking area is across from Little Denver Church Day Use Area, between the Forks Resort and the California Land Management Office.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, North Fork, 559/877-2218, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
8.0 mi/4.0 hr
on the south end of Bass Lake near Oakhurst
The route to Goat Mountain Fire Lookout can be hiked from trailheads at either Forks Campground or Spring Cove Campground. This is a must-do hike for the legions of campers who spend their summer vacations at Bass Lake. Both trails intersect in about two miles, then join and form one path for the last two miles to the lookout. No matter how you do it, the grade is memorably steep, but also rewarding. As you climb up the trail, you have nearly nonstop views of Bass Lake and the forested valleys surrounding it. You’ll also be breathing hard. If you can talk someone into driving a second car to the other trailhead and campground, you can turn this into a pleasant semi-loop trip by hiking up one trail and down the other. Note: This trail has become increasingly popular with mountain bikers in the last few years. If you don’t like sharing the trail with them, plan your hike for a weekday, when you’re more likely to be out here by yourself. The fire lookout is perched at 4,675 feet in elevation, set on top of a 20-foot steel tower, and offers a 360-degree view.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free in the campgrounds, but $3 if you park in the day-use area.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Bass Lake.
Directions: From Oakhurst, drive north on Highway 41 for four miles and turn right on Road 222. Drive four miles and bear right to stay on Road 222. Continue along the western shore of Bass Lake for about five miles to Spring Cove Campground. The Spring Cove Trail begins on the east side of the campground entrance. If there is no parking there, you can park at Rocky Point Picnic Area ($3 fee). You can also hike to Goat Mountain Fire Lookout from Forks Campground, three miles north on Road 222.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, North Fork, 559/877-2218, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
4.8 mi/2.5 hr
on the northeast end of Bass Lake near Oakhurst
Most people hike Willow Creek Trail with one of two things in mind: fishing or swimming. You can’t blame them, since the moderately steep trail runs alongside Willow Creek and offers myriad quiet pools and fast, granite-lined cascades. The Forest Service requests that visitors don’t swim upstream of Angel Falls, a wide cascade that looks like angel wings, because the creek is used as a domestic water supply. Downstream swimming is allowed, but be wary of the slippery granite. At 2.4 miles from the trailhead, be sure to take the left spur for Devils Slide, at a junction where the main trail continues to its end (0.4 mile farther) at McLeod Flat Road. Devils Slide is a remarkable granite water slide, with large rounded indentations in the rock. A chain-link fence keeps hikers off the dangerously slick granite. From Devils Slide, head back to the main trail and retrace your steps downhill. Expect to see some great views of bright-blue Bass Lake on the return trip.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Bass Lake.
Directions: From Oakhurst, drive north on Highway 41 for four miles and turn right on Road 222. Drive four miles and bear left on Road 274. Drive one mile to the trailhead parking area, on the left side of the road, on the west side of the highway bridge over Willow Creek. Alternatively, you can park near Falls Beach Picnic Area on Road 222 by Bass Lake’s dam and access the trail via a connector route alongside Willow Creek.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, Bass Lake Ranger District, North Fork, 559/877-2218, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
7.8 mi/4.0 hr
near Millerton Lake
The Squaw Leap area, managed by the Bureau of Land Management, straddles the San Joaquin River upstream of Millerton Lake State Park. This pretty foothill country is best visited in winter or spring, primarily due to the cooler temperatures but also for a chance to see wildflowers. The well-built Six-Mile Loop Trail, which is actually 7.8 miles as described here, rolls through chaparral country. Ceanothus and manzanita line the hillsides; gray pines and blue oaks dot the landscape. The trail begins with a one-mile stretch that leads you down to the river and the start of the loop. A surprisingly well-built footbridge takes you across the river canyon, where you have fine views of whitewater cascades, both upstream and down. On the far side of the bridge, go left on River Trail for 0.7 mile, then bear right on Ridge Trail. At mileage marker 3, you have a fine view of the river canyon; this is the best place to stop for a snack. Ridge Trail brings you right back downhill to the bridge you crossed earlier; cross it again and head back to your car to finish out the trip.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Millerton Lake East.
Directions: From Fresno, drive 37 miles east on Highway 168 and turn left on Auberry Road. Drive through Auberry and turn left on Powerhouse Road. Drive 1.9 miles and turn left on Smalley Road at the sign for Squaw Leap Management Area. Park by the campground and signed trailhead.
Contact: Bureau of Land Management, Bakersfield Field Office, Bakersfield, 661/391-6000, www.ca.blm.gov/bakersfield.
10.6 mi/6.0 hr or 2 days
in the Kaiser Wilderness north of Huntington Lake near Lakeshore
While many visitors to Huntington Lake take the short strolls to Rancheria Falls or the Indian Pools on Big Creek, far fewer attempt the ascent of Kaiser Peak. Why? Because it’s a butt-kicking, 5.3-mile climb to the top, gaining 3,000 feet of elevation on the way to the 10,320-foot peak. Luckily, you get many excellent views of Huntington Lake on the way up, and at the halfway point, you can scramble up for a view and a rest on huge College Rock. Then it’s up, up, and up some more, for what seems like an eternity. Finally, you gain the rocky summit, and at last you know why you came. You’re wowed by incredible 360-degree views, which take in Mammoth Pool Reservoir, Huntington Lake, Shaver Lake, Mount Ritter, and Mount Goddard. Wow. Backpackers looking for more mileage can turn the hike into a 14-mile loop trip.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the High Sierra/Prather Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect year-round; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest or Kaiser Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Kaiser Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 through Clovis for 70 miles to Huntington Lake, turn left on Huntington Lake Road, and drive one mile. Look for the large sign for the horse stables and pack station, and turn right. Follow the pack station road (Deer Creek Road) for 0.5 mile to the hikers’ parking area. The trailhead is signed Kaiser Loop Trail.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
8.0-9.8 mi/6.0-7.0 hr or 2 days
in the Kaiser Wilderness north of Huntington Lake near Lakeshore
Trails into the Kaiser Wilderness always seem to come with a climb, and the route to Twin Lakes and George Lake is no exception. But if you’re willing to work your heart and lungs, your reward is a spectacular day hike or backpacking trip to three scenic alpine lakes. Along the way, you must ascend to Kaiser Ridge and cross over it through Potter Pass. You’re witness to wildflower-filled meadows, dense conifer forests, and a classic Sierra view from the pass. You can easily make out the jagged outline of the Minarets. It’s a great spot to stop and catch your breath. Then it’s downhill from the pass to the granite-lined Twin Lakes, at three miles out. Many people make this their destination, then turn around for a six-mile round-trip. If you do, make sure you visit the second Twin Lake, which is much prettier than the first. For those continuing onward, it’s uphill again to George Lake, 1.3 miles from Upper Twin Lake. The final push is definitely worth it. Trailhead elevation is 8,200 feet, Twin Lakes are at 8,800 feet, and George Lake is at 9,300 feet. Another good route to these lakes is from the trailhead near Sample Meadow Campground, farther north on Kaiser Pass Road. If you’re willing to drive farther, this trail has less of a climb.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the High Sierra/Prather Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect year-round; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest or Kaiser Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Kaiser Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 through Clovis for 70 miles to Huntington Lake; turn right on Kaiser Pass Road and drive 4.8 miles to a large parking area on the south side of the road. The trail begins across the road from the parking area. Look for a trail sign for Trail 24E03, Twin Lakes and Potter Pass. Park on the south side of the road; the trail begins on the north side of the road.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
1.5 mi/1.0 hr
off Highway 168 near Huntington Lake
When campers at Huntington Lake’s many campgrounds are looking for a place to cool off in the afternoon, Indian Pools is where they go. The hike is really a walk, suitable for all ages and abilities. You can stop almost anywhere you like along Big Creek, pick a pool, and wade in. The trailhead is a bit tricky to find; it’s all the way at the far end of the Sierra Summit Ski Area parking lot, near some mobile homes and trailers. Ignore the wide dirt road and instead look for the single-track trail signed for Indian Pools. It’s a smooth, dirt path that quickly meets up with Big Creek. Flowers bloom in profusion along the stream and the rocky areas of the trail. The official path ends 0.7 mile east of the trailhead, at a huge, clear pool that is big enough to jump into and swim across. A use trail continues farther upstream, marked by trail cairns. If you follow it, you can reach quieter, more private pools.
User Groups: Hikers and dogs. No horses or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Huntington Lake.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 through Clovis for 70 miles, past Shaver Lake. One mile before reaching Huntington Lake, turn right at the signed Sierra Summit Ski Area. Drive 0.5 mile to the far end of the ski area parking lot and look for the signed trailhead for Indian Pools. Occasionally the Sierra Summit parking lot is closed, and you must park on Highway 168 and walk the short distance into the ski area.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
2.0 mi/1.0 hr
off Highway 168 near Huntington Lake
At 7,760 feet in elevation in Sierra National Forest, the air is clean and fresh, butterflies flutter amid the wildflowers, and a 150-foot waterfall sparkles in the sunlight. Wanna go? It’s an easy trip, with the trailhead located close to popular Huntington Lake. The hike to Rancheria Falls is a well-graded one mile on a National Recreation Trail, suitable for hikers of all levels. The route leads through a fir forest with an understory of wildflowers and gooseberry, and it delivers you at Rancheria Falls’ base, where you watch the creek tumble over a 50-foot-wide rock ledge. On weekends the destination can be a little crowded, but you can pick a boulder downstream from the falls and call it your own. Then have a seat and watch the watery spectacle unfold.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, horses, and mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A Sierra National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Huntington Lake.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 through Clovis for 70 miles, past Shaver Lake. A half-mile before reaching Huntington Lake, take the right turnoff signed for Rancheria Falls (Road 8S31). Follow the dirt road for 1.3 miles to the signed trailhead, at a sharp curve in the road. Park off the road.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
7.0 mi/4.0 hr or 2 days
in Dinkey Lakes Wilderness off Highway 168 near Shaver Lake
We’ve never met anybody who doesn’t love the Dinkey Lakes. What’s not to love? The small wilderness area has dozens of lakes, and most are so easily accessible that you can see them in a day hike rather than packing along all your gear for an overnight stay. The trip begins with a stream crossing over Dinkey Creek, where you are immediately awed by the incredible array of colors in the rock streambed. Walk on level trail through a flower-filled forest, recross the creek, and start to climb. At 1.3 miles, you reach the junction for the start of the loop. Go right and meet Mystery Lake at 1.6 miles, Swede Lake at 2.3 miles, South Lake at 3.2 miles, and finally First Dinkey Lake at 3.8 miles. First Dinkey Lake is the most beautiful of them all. After taking in the scenery, continue on the loop, now heading westward back to the parking lot. One caveat: Don’t expect much solitude. The easy hiking here makes this area extremely popular. Note: The loop described here works as either a day hike or backpacking trip, but if you choose to backpack, you can explore much farther, taking the spurs off the end of the main loop, between South Lake and First Dinkey Lake, to Second Dinkey Lake, Island Lake, Rock Lake, and so on.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A wilderness permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the High Sierra/Prather Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect year-round; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A Dinkey Lakes Wilderness map is available from Tom Harrison Maps or the U.S. Forest Service. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Huntington Lake and Dogtooth Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 through Clovis for 50 miles to the town of Shaver Lake. Turn right on Dinkey Creek Road and drive nine miles. Turn left on Rock Creek Road/9S09, drive six miles, turn right on 9S10, and drive 4.7 miles. Turn right at the sign for Dinkey Lakes, on Road 9S62, and drive 2.2 miles to the trailhead. These last two miles are very rough road. Stay left at the fork to bypass the four-wheel-drive area and go straight to the trailhead.
Contact: Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra.
38.0 mi one-way/3 days
from Lake Thomas Edison north to Agnew Meadows
The world is not perfect, but the scene from Silver Pass comes close. At 10,900 feet, you scan a bare, high-granite landscape sprinkled with alpine lakes. Just north of the pass are five small lakes: Chief, Papoose, Warrior, Squaw, and Lake of the Lone Indian. This is the highlight on this 38-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail. The trip starts at Mono Creek, with a good resupply point at Edison Lake (7,650 feet), just two miles away. From the Mono Creek junction, you head north toward Silver Pass, climbing along Silver Pass Creek much of the way. Before you get to Silver Pass, there’s a stream crossing that can be dangerous in high-runoff conditions. Top Silver Pass at 10,900 feet, and enjoy a five-mile descent and then a quick ascent to Tully Hole (9,250 feet). Climbing north, you pass Deer Creek, Purple Lake, and Lake Virginia. You head up to Red Cones and then make a steady descent toward Devils Postpile National Monument. A good resupply point is at nearby Reds Meadows Pack Station.
To continue north on the John Muir Trail/Pacific Crest Trail (JMT/PCT), see the Agnew Meadows to Tuolumne Meadows (JMT/PCT) hike in the Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes chapter. If you are walking this trail in reverse, see the Whitney Portal to Lake Thomas Edison (JMT/PCT) hike in this chapter.
Note: For food drop information, call the Vermillion Valley Resort. It is open only in summer and fall.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A wilderness permit is required for traveling through various wilderness and special-use areas the trail traverses. Contact the Inyo National Forest or Sierra National Forest at the addresses below.
Maps: A John Muir Trail Map Pack is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Mammoth Mountain, Crystal Crag, Bloody Mountain, Graveyard Peak, Mount Ritter, and Coip Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive northeast on Highway 168 for about 68 miles to the Lakeshore Resort Area, at Huntington Lake. Turn northeast onto Kaiser Pass Road/Forest Service 4S01. Kaiser Pass Road becomes Edison Lake Road at Mono Hot Springs. Drive another five miles north, past the Vermillion Resort and Campground, and beyond to the parking area for backcountry hikers. The trail begins near the west end of the lake.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, Mammoth Ranger Station, Mammoth Lakes, 760/924-5500 or 760/873-2400 (permits), www.fs.usda.gov/inyo; Sierra National Forest, High Sierra Ranger District, Prather, 559/855-5360, www.fs.usda.gov/sierra; Vermillion Valley Resort, 559/855-6558 (food drop).
12.4 mi/1-2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
Since the trailhead elevation in Pine Creek Canyon is only 7,400 feet, the best destinations must be gained with a serious climb. That includes Honeymoon Lake, 6.2 miles and a 3,200-foot ascent away. Luckily, you pass Upper and Lower Pine Lake along the route, and there’s enough spectacular scenery to keep you motivated as you huff and puff. An early morning start is highly recommended; this trail is exposed and usually very hot, especially in its lower reaches. The route begins by the pack station in the trees along Pine Creek, then joins a mining road that leads to the Brownstone Mine. The huge tungsten mine at 8,000 feet was active from 1918 until 1999, and many of the buildings remain. As you switchback up and out of the trees, you gain views of the Owens River Valley and the desertlike White Mountains. Above the mine, the road becomes an extremely rocky trail as it ascends more switchbacks to meet first Lower and then Upper Pine Lake, at 4.0 and 5.0 miles. The upper lake at 10,400 feet is reached by following the trail along the lower lake’s northwest shore. Less than a mile past the upper lake, leave the main trail that continues to Pine Creek Pass and take the right fork toward Granite Park and Italy Pass. Granite-bound Honeymoon Lake lies about 200 yards from the junction, set at 10,600 feet. This spot makes a great base camp for exploring the rocky wonderland of Granite Park.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of the Mono Divide High County is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Bishop and Tungsten Hills.
Directions: From Bishop, drive north on U.S. 395 for seven miles and turn left (west) on Pine Creek Road. Drive 9.5 miles to the trailhead parking area, near the pack station, on the left side of the road.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
6.0 mi/3.0 hr or 2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
The Sabrina Basin Trail leads to a series of gorgeous alpine lakes set below lofty, 13,000-foot granite peaks. Of these, one of the most popular and easiest to reach is scenic Blue Lake, a popular spot for photographers, trout anglers, and cold-water swimmers. If you catch the light just right, you can take pictures of Blue Lake with towering Mount Thompson and the Thompson Ridge mirrored on its surface. It’s a 1,250-foot climb to the lake (at 10,400 feet), but it’s spread out moderately over three miles. Mule packers frequently utilize this trail; if you see them, be sure to get out of their way. Start by hiking along the shore of Lake Sabrina, heading in and out of the shade of aspen trees, then switchback your way uphill to Blue Lake. You’ll want solid shoes for this rock-lined trail. If you get inspired to see more of this high-alpine scenery, you can bear left from Blue Lake to Donkey Lake and the Baboon Lakes (1.5 miles farther), both much smaller and more intimate than Blue Lake, or bear right and hike eastward to the Emerald Lakes and Dingleberry Lake (1.8 miles farther). Any of these are likely to have fewer visitors than Blue Lake.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson and Mount Darwin.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 18.5 miles to Lake Sabrina. Day-use parking is located near the end of the road, just before the boat launch area. Backpackers’ parking is located at a turnout near the road to North Lake, 0.5 mile before the end of the road.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
6.0 mi/3.0 hr or 2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
The only downer on the Lamarck Lakes Trail is that from the trailhead parking lot, you must walk 0.5 mile down a dirt road to get to the actual trailhead, which is located in North Lake Campground. Skirt the problem by camping at this pretty little campground, one of the best in the Bishop Creek canyon, then start walking right from your tent. The trailhead is found at the signboard near the walk-in campsites, and the path heads through the aspens and crosses Bishop Creek on a footbridge. You’ll climb steadily for one mile through a lodgepole pine forest, gaining 600 feet to the left fork for Grass Lake, a small and shallow lake in a wide meadow. Grass Lake is worth a brief glance, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the Lamarck Lakes, so you may want to save your energy. Staying on the main trail, you leave the trees behind and begin a much more brutal ascent, marked by very short switchbacks and thigh-pumping stair-steps. In another mile and 700 feet of gain, you’ll reach the Lower Lamarck Lake, set in a rock-lined granite basin. Look for Mount Emerson, Mount Lamarck, and the red-colored Piute Crags in the background. Many people make this lake their destination for the day, but it’s worth the extra effort to hike the final mile to Upper Lamarck Lake, which is more than double the size of the lower lake and a deep cobalt blue. (Follow the trail alongside the creek to get there.) Upper Lamarck Lake is known for its large trout, so pack along a rod and a fishing license. Those looking for an adventure can make their way from the Lower Lamarck Lake to the Wonder Lakes, set in the basin northwest of Lower Lamarck. Trailhead elevation for this hike is 9,300 feet, the lower lake is at 10,662 feet, and the upper lake is at 10,918 feet.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson and Mount Darwin.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 18 miles toward Lake Sabrina. Just before reaching the lake, turn right at the turnoff for North Lake. Drive 1.5 miles and turn right to park in the hiker parking lot by North Lake, near the pack station. Then walk 0.5 mile down the road to the trailhead, at the edge of North Lake Campground.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
10.4 mi/5.0 hr
in the John Muir Wilderness
The well graded trail to Piute Pass offers hikers and backpackers relatively easy access to the high country, plus the chance to stop at several lakes along the way to the 11,423-foot pass. Start by walking 0.5 mile from the trailhead parking area to North Lake Campground, then follow the trail by the walk-in sites marked for Piute Pass. A steep climb in the first mile will leave you panting. Fortunately, the route is shaded by lodgepole pines, and at the point where you leave the forest, the grade lessens. As you curve your way up the ridge, be sure to stop occasionally and look back at the incredibly deep valley below and the rust-colored Piute Crags towering above. You’re likely to say “wow” a bunch of times. A series of switchbacks take you to the spot where Loch Leven Lake is nestled in a rocky glacial bowl at 10,743 feet, set right alongside the trail. The trail continues another 1.2 miles to Piute Lake, now on an even easier grade. Anglers fish for brown and rainbow trout in the deep blue lake, set in grassy green tundra and surrounded by lingering patches of snow. The elevation is just shy of 11,000 feet, and on the far side of the lake you’ll notice a sturdy stone cabin, which is used for snow surveys in the winter. You now have only one mile and a couple hundred feet to go to reach the top of Piute Pass, so you might as well continue. At the top, look down on Summit Lake and start daydreaming about a future backpacking trip: The trail continues downhill into Humphreys Basin. Total elevation gain to the pass is 2,100 feet.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required for day use. A free wilderness permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson and Mount Darwin.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 18 miles toward Lake Sabrina. Just before reaching the lake, turn right at the turnoff for North Lake. Drive 1.5 miles and turn right to park in the hiker parking lot by North Lake, near the pack station. Walk 0.5 mile down the road to the trailhead, at the edge of North Lake Campground.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
7.0 mi/4.0 hr or 2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
There’s so much excellent hiking in the South Fork Bishop Creek Canyon, it’s hard to choose where to go. Since so many backpackers opt for Bishop Pass Trail and its many lakes (see listing in this chapter), day hikers would do well to choose this trail to the Tyee Lakes instead. Just make sure that you are in the mood for hiking up, because you’ll do plenty of that, with a total 2,000-foot elevation gain to the highest lakes. From the bridge over Bishop Creek, your climb begins immediately as you tromp up a hillside covered with sagebrush and aspens, gradually making your way through a few dozen switchbacks. You get great views of the Bishop Creek Canyon as you climb, which is an especially beautiful sight when the aspens are putting on their autumn color show. The trail enters a lodgepole pine forest, and after two miles of climbing, the grade eases up, and you reach one of the smaller, lower Tyee Lakes at 2.3 miles. Another 0.5 mile of climbing brings you to the next small lake (called Tyee Lake number two). These first two lakes are small and pondlike, edged with grass, and not worth much more than a quick glance. But keep pushing onward, and in another 0.5 mile, you reach one of the larger Tyee Lakes (number three). The fourth and fifth lakes are only 0.25 mile farther and are separated by a small boulder field. The fifth lake is very small, but the fourth lake (elevation 11,015 feet) is large and beautiful. Backpackers usually set up their tent at the third lake and then day hike to the fourth and fifth lakes. Named for a brand of salmon eggs, the Tyee Lakes offer dependably good trout fishing and the chance to enjoy plenty of classic high Sierra scenery. Backpackers looking to make a semi-loop can arrange to have a car waiting at Lake Sabrina in Bishop Creek Canyon, then continue from the Tyee Lakes to George Lake and then Lake Sabrina.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 14 miles to the junction for South Lake. Go left and drive 4.5 miles on South Lake Road to the footbridge that crosses Bishop Creek. It is on the right, just before Willow Campground, and it is signed as Tyee Lakes and George Lake trailhead. Park alongside the road.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
6.6 mi/3.0 hr
in the John Muir Wilderness
Brown Lake and Green Lake are two excellent day-hiking destinations from the South Lake trailhead in Bishop Creek’s South Fork Canyon. With only a 1,500-foot climb, you can visit both lakes, maybe do a little fishing for rainbow trout, and be home in time for supper. Access the trail from the pack station trailhead, and follow a stock trail as it climbs along Bishop Creek through a conifer forest and joins the main Green Lake Trail at one mile. Bear left and level out to an alpine meadow at two miles, where you have a spectacular view of Mount Tom behind you. Soon you’ll meet Brown Lake’s outlet stream and the little lake itself (really a pond), at 2.5 miles and 10,750 feet. Pay a brief visit, then continue another 0.5 mile to much larger and prettier Green Lake, at 11,050 feet, surrounded by wildflowers and ancient-looking whitebark pines. Both lakes host an abundance of rainbow trout, who might just invite themselves to dinner.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 14 miles to the junction for South Lake. Go left and drive six miles on South Lake Road to Parchers Resort and pack station, on the left side of the road, just beyond Willow Campground.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
6.6 mi/3.5 hr or 2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
Lakes, lakes, lakes everywhere. That’s how it is on Bishop Pass Trail, where in the space of only five miles you can access Long Lake, Spearhead Lake, Saddlerock Lake, Bishop Lake, and so on. But if you prefer a loop trip to an out-and-back hike, Bishop Pass Trail provides another lake-filled option: a two-mile hike to Long Lake, then a circular route to Ruwau Lake, the Chocolate Lakes, and Bull Lake. It’s the kind of trip that fills your mind with precious memories of blue-sky Sierra scenery and gemlike, rock-lined lakes. Still, the trip is not for everyone; some of the trail is an indistinct route with steep, rocky sections that are not an official trail. Bring a good map with you.
The trail begins on the south side of the parking lot, and you head uphill along the eastern shore of South Lake. The views begin almost immediately, particularly of South Lake, Mount Thompson, and Mount Goode. Take the left fork at 0.75 mile, heading for Long Lake and Bishop Pass. Continue straight, ignoring all turnoffs as you hike up around the spectacular western shore of Long Lake, popular with anglers and backpackers. At 2.5 miles (before you reach the lake’s far end), instead of continuing straight to Saddlerock Lake and Bishop Pass, take the left fork for Ruwau Lake, a steep but short 0.5 mile away. Skirt the edge of Ruwau Lake for about 75 yards, then look for a use trail leading uphill to your left. Make a steep uphill climb for 0.5 mile to the ridgetop, where you’ll look down and see the Chocolate Lakes, set below Chocolate Peak. Make the steep descent to the lakes, picking your way along the rocky slope. Once you’re there, the hard part is over. You’ll find an easy-to-follow trail at the Chocolate Lakes, and then you’ll walk downhill for 0.5 mile to Bull Lake, which is big, round, and beautiful. From Bull Lake, you keep on hiking, and in less than 0.25 mile, you rejoin Bishop Pass Trail. Turn right and walk just under two miles back to the parking lot. Wow, what a day.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Bishop Pass map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Mount Thompson.
Directions: From Bishop on U.S. 395, turn west on Line Street/Highway 168 and drive 14 miles to the junction for South Lake. Go left and drive 7.5 miles on South Lake Road to the end of the road and the trailhead parking area. This parking is for day-use only. If you are backpacking, you must park 1.5 miles from the trailhead, east of Parchers Resort.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
in the John Muir Wilderness
If you’re camping or fishing in Big Pine Canyon, or maybe just wandering around exploring the area, there’s a great walk to take starting from the end of the road near Glacier Lodge. Since it’s just a day hike, you can park in the parking area right by the lodge and save yourself the long walk from the backpackers’ parking lot.
Head west from the trailhead on the wide road, passing some private cabins, and in seconds you cross a bridge over First Falls, a noisy, 200-foot-long whitewater cascade. Bear right onto a narrower trail and start switchbacking uphill, paralleling the cascade. As you climb, you get awesome views into Big Pine Canyon’s South Fork. At the top of the falls, cross another bridge over the creek and take a hard left onto a dirt road, staying along the creek. Now it’s a flat stroll into the north fork of Big Pine Canyon. Your goal is Second Falls, a larger, more impressive cascade than First Falls; it’s less than a mile away and clearly visible from the trail. Since the route is set along the canyon bottom, you get many interesting vistas along the way, from the tall surrounding canyon walls to occasional lodgepole pines and many mountain wildflowers. When the trail starts to climb out of the canyon, take the left spur cutoff to head closer to the waterfall, or just pick a big rock to sit on and admire the scenery.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required for day use. Parking and access are free.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Palisades map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Coyote Flat.
Directions: From Bishop, drive 15 miles south on U.S. 395 to Big Pine. Turn right (west) on Crocker Street, which becomes Glacier Lodge Road, and drive 10.5 miles to Glacier Lodge and the Big Pine Canyon trailhead, at the end of the road. Day hikers may park in the day-use area near the lodge, but backpackers must park 0.5 mile east, on Glacier Lodge Road, in the backpackers’ parking lot.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
9.6 mi/6.0 hr or 2 days
in the John Muir Wilderness
The trail to First and Second Lakes in Big Pine Canyon follows the same route as the trail to First and Second Falls, above, but then continues onward, climbing up and over Second Falls on the well-graded trail to Cienaga Mirth, at three miles out. Off to the left of the trail you’ll see a magnificent stone cabin (now sometimes used as a backcountry ranger residence) built by movie star Lon Chaney. Wildflowers are excellent at the swampy, spring-fed mirth. You reach First Lake at 4.5 miles, and Second Lake is just a few hundred yards farther. By Second Lake, you’ve climbed to over 10,000 feet, and the lake water is a stunning glacial blue-green. Those who wish to see more lakes can continue on a loop past Second Lake to Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Black Lakes, making a long, 14-mile day. Fifth Lake, just off the loop by a third of a mile, is the most scenic. You’ll see hardy mountaineer-types with climbing equipment turning left beyond Third Lake. They’re hiking a full nine miles one-way to the edge of Palisade Glacier, the southernmost glacier in the Sierra. Considering it has a 5,000-foot elevation gain, the route to the glacier is not for everybody.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free wilderness permit is required year-round for overnight stays and is available from the Bishop/White Mountain Ranger Station. Quotas are in effect from May 1 to November 1; permits are available in advance for a $5 reservation fee per person.
Maps: A John Muir Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A Palisades map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Coyote Flat and Split Mountain.
Directions: From Bishop, drive 15 miles south on U.S. 395 to Big Pine. Turn right (west) on Crocker Street, which becomes Glacier Lodge Road, and drive 10.5 miles to Glacier Lodge and the Big Pine Canyon trailhead, at the end of the road. Day hikers may park in the day-use area near the lodge, but backpackers must park 0.5 mile east, on Glacier Lodge Road, in the backpackers’ parking lot.
Contact: Inyo National Forest, White Mountain Ranger Station, Bishop, 760/873-2500, www.fs.usda.gov/inyo.
1.0 mi/0.5 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Normally it would be hard for us to get excited about a trail called the Big Stump Trail. In fact, this sort of thing could be quite depressing. But Big Stump Trail, at the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park, is a pleasant nature walk and provides an excellent history lesson as well. The size of the mammoth trees—oops, make that stumps—just blows you away. Most of the big trees were cut for timber in the 1880s, and you’ll see the remains of logging activities. Be sure to pick up an interpretive brochure at the Kings Canyon Visitors Center or at the trailhead. The trail is a short loop that circles a meadow. A few mature sequoias still thrive along the route, including one in the first 50 feet from the parking lot. The path’s highlights include the Burnt Monarch, a shell of a giant sequoia that has been ravaged by fire but still stands, and the Mark Twain Stump. The latter belonged to a 26-foot-wide tree that took two men 13 days to cut down.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Hume.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. The trail begins 0.5 mile past the entrance station, at the Big Stump Picnic Area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The Sunset Trail leaves Sunset Campground (elevation 6,590 feet) and heads gently downhill for 2.25 miles to Ella Falls, a pretty 40-foot cascade on Sequoia Creek. At 1.5 miles down the trail, you reach a junction with South Boundary Trail and can take a short side-trip to the left to Viola Falls, which isn’t much of a waterfall but is a memorably scenic spot on granite-sculpted Sequoia Creek. Most people just mosey down the trail, enjoying the big pines and firs and the flowering western azaleas, and maybe stealing a kiss on one of the wooden footbridges. If you like, you can follow the trail for its entire 2.5-mile length to Sequoia Lake. Although the lake is privately owned, hikers are allowed to walk along its edge. While you’re enjoying the lake, don’t forget that the return trip is all uphill with a 1,300-foot elevation gain, so save some water and energy.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Hume and General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive 1.5 miles to Grant Grove Village, and park in the large parking lot near the visitors center. Cross the road and walk on the paved trail toward Sunset Campground’s amphitheater. Continue heading left through the camp to site No. 118, where the trail begins.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
3.3 mi/2.0 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
This hike is a good exercise route for vacationers staying in Grant Grove Village or in the nearby campgrounds. It climbs 800 feet, which gives your heart and lungs a workout, and it’s pretty every step of the way. From the edge of the dirt service road by the tent cabins, Manzanita Trail climbs a dry slope uphill to Park Ridge. Near the top, you’ll parallel the dirt road that leads to the Park Ridge Fire Lookout. Then Manzanita Trail meets up with Azalea Trail, and you’ll descend on a much shadier, moister slope. The azaleas bloom bright white with prolific, showy blossoms in June and July. Azalea Trail ends at Wilsonia, a private community within the national park, so just retrace your steps to return back to your car.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Hume.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive 1.5 miles to Grant Grove Village and park in the large parking lot near the visitors center. Walk on the service road near the tent cabins to reach the start of the Manzanita Trail.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
4.7 mi/3.0 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Start your trip by taking the 300-yard paved walk from the parking area to Panoramic Point, which delivers what its name implies. An interpretive display names the many peaks and valleys you can see, including the big pointy one, which is Mount Goddard at 13,560 feet. From Panoramic Point, take the dirt Park Ridge Trail that leads to the right along the ridge. Your views continue as you contour along the ridgeline, climbing gently uphill. The trail intersects a dirt road, which you follow for about 50 yards; then bear left onto the trail again. You’ll intersect this dirt road once more about 100 yards before the Park Ridge Fire Lookout. Follow the road to the lookout tower, and check out the nifty outdoor shower at its base. If someone is stationed in the tower and gives you permission to come up, do so and sign the visitors register. (The lookout person rarely gets visitors on cloudy days, but he or she gets a lot of company when it’s sunny and you can see for miles around.) The lookout is operated by volunteers during the fire season, which is usually May to October. For your return trip, you can walk down the trail back to Panoramic Point or take the shorter fire road, which also leads back to the parking lot. Views are far better along the trail than on the fire road.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Hume.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive 1.5 miles to Grant Grove Village and turn right by the visitors center and store. Follow the road past the cabins, and just before the John Muir Lodge, turn right on the road signed for Panoramic Point. It’s 2.3 miles from the visitors center to Panoramic Point.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
0.6 mi/0.5 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
This paved loop through a giant sequoia grove allows visitors a look at the General Grant Tree, the second-largest tree in the world. Estimated to be 1,800 to 2,000 years old, the General Grant is 267 feet tall and 107 feet in circumference at its base. Every year since 1926, the City of Sanger has held a Christmas celebration around its base, and so the tree is known as “the Nation’s Christmas Tree.” Its neighbors include the Fallen Monarch, a hollow downed tree that is so wide, it was once used as a park employee camp. Also nearby is a group of big sequoias named after various U.S. states. It may seem a little campy, but there are many excellent photo opportunities in the grove. A bonus: Most, but not all, of this trail is accessible to wheelchair users.
User Groups: Hikers. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. Partial wheelchair accessibility.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Hume and General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive one mile, passing Grant Grove Village, to the left turnoff for General Grant Tree. Turn left and follow the access road for 0.75 mile to the parking lot.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
For people who want a little more hiking than what the General Grant Tree Trail (see listing in this chapter) provides, the combined North Grove and Dead Giant Loop Trails are the answer. The walk begins at the oversized vehicle parking at the General Grant Tree parking lot. Past the gate, follow an old dirt road that leads downhill through a mixed forest of sequoia, sugar pine, white fir, and dogwood. Don’t expect to see dense groves of sequoias here; the big trees are few and far between. However, the forest is pleasant, quiet, and shady.
Stay to the right at the first junction to follow the posted North Grove Loop Trail. At the bottom of the hill, you’ll pass an obscure junction with an old wagon road that was used to take logged sequoias to the mill. Continue to a more obvious junction at one mile out. Turn right and walk 0.25 mile downhill to Lion Meadow. Turn right on a single-track trail and circle around the meadow, heading for the Dead Giant. This sequoia, like some others in the park, is a nearly hollow, dead tree that somehow keeps standing. From the Dead Giant, it’s a short tromp to the Sequoia Lake Overlook, a tranquil high point where you can have a snack and enjoy the view of the large, private lake in Sequoia National Forest. From the overlook, backtrack a few yards and turn right to finish out the loop, returning uphill on the wide dirt road. There is a 400-foot gain on the return.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Hume and General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive two miles, passing Grant Grove Village, to the left turnoff for General Grant Tree. Turn left and follow the access road for one mile to the parking lot. The North Grove Loop starts from the far end of the lower parking lot.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
0.5 mi/0.5 hr
in Giant Sequoia National Monument north of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Before the loggers extracted their toll, the Converse Basin once sheltered one of the largest and finest groves of giant sequoias in the world. Where the giants once stood, second-growth sequoias have now taken hold. This short and easy stroll takes you through a regenerated mixed forest to the Chicago Stump, a massive stump that belonged to one of the largest trees in the area. The General Noble tree was cut down in 1893, and the lower portion of the tree was reassembled and exhibited at the Chicago World’s Fair. People couldn’t believe the tree’s massive size—they called it the “California Hoax.” The stump remaining in this meadow is at least 10 feet high and over 25 feet wide. In addition to its historical interest, this easy trail provides a pleasant, peaceful change from the hustle and bustle of the neighboring national parks.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and dogs. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Hume.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive approximately 4.5 miles, passing Grant Grove Village, and turn left at the sign for Forest Road 13S03. Drive two miles, turn right on Road 13S65, and continue 0.1 mile to the Chicago Stump trailhead.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
2.5 mi/1.0 hr
in Giant Sequoia National Monument north of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The drive in to the Boole Tree trailhead is worth the trip by itself. You pass through a beautiful, ghostly meadow filled with giant sequoia stumps. It’s an otherworldly sight that may stay engrained in your memory for a long time. The Boole Tree hike is a loop, and it’s a good idea to take the right side of the loop first, making the ascent more gradual. You climb 500 feet to the top of a ridge, then descend the other side, reaching the Boole Tree in one mile. (It’s just off the main loop, accessible via a short, obvious spur.) At 269 feet tall and with a diameter of 35 feet, the Boole Tree is the largest tree in any of the national forests, and it’s the sixth largest tree in the world. It is one of a very few giant sequoias left standing in the Converse Basin grove, as the rest were clear-cut in the late 1800s. Although some people go see the Boole Tree and then turn around, it’s better to finish out the loop. You’ll be rewarded with a stellar view of Spanish Mountain and the Kings River Canyon.
User Groups: Hikers, horses, and dogs. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Hume.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive approximately six miles, passing Grant Grove Village. Turn left at the sign for Forest Road 13S55, Boole Tree, Converse Basin, and Stump Meadow. Drive 2.6 miles, and park in the wide parking pullout.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
4.0 mi/2.25 hr
in Giant Sequoia National Monument west of the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The Yucca Point Trail is an upside-down hike—the kind where you go down on the way in (so easy) and up on the way back (not so easy). The path descends from Highway 180 to the Kings River, dropping 1,200 feet along the way. As long as you don’t climb uphill at high noon, the hike back is not as bad as it looks from the top. The trail is well graded; the only hardship is that the terrain is all chaparral, so there’s almost no shade, just the occasional tall yucca plant. The path is mostly used by anglers heading down to the wild trout section of the Kings River, but hikers enjoy the excellent views it provides. In spring, Tenmile Creek’s waterfall is a rushing torrent, and wildflower fans will find dozens of interesting species growing alongside this trail. In summer, the trail is hot and dry, but the payoff is the river’s cool, emerald green pools.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle for access to this section of Sequoia National Forest, payable at any of the entrance stations to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The fee is good for seven days in both the national forest and the national parks.
Maps: A Sequoia National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Wren Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive another 16 miles on Highway 180, past Grant Grove and Kings Canyon Lodge, to the Yucca Point trailhead, on the left. Park in the pullouts alongside Highway 180.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
3.0 mi/1.5 hr
in Giant Sequoia National Monument west of the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
You have to pay a fee to tour Boyden Cave, one of many limestone caverns in the vicinity of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, and the parking lot is always busy with carloads and busloads of people waiting to take the tour. (The cave was closed for four years after the 2015 Rough Fire, but it’s been reopened.) Filled with stalagmites, stalactites, and beautiful flowstone formations, the cave is a showstopper and definitely worth a visit. But while you’re there, you can also take this stellar hike instead and get million-dollar views of Kings Canyon for free. From the cave gift shop, walk up the paved path and take the left fork near the entrance to the cave (you’ll need to go under the rope that borders the trail to the cave). The trail has a metal bar across it, but the Forest Service says it’s perfectly legal to hike it; they just don’t want to encourage casual looky-loos because the trail is unmaintained with very steep drop-offs. Once on the trail, in no time you’ll climb a little higher and see a sweeping panorama of Highway 180 and the fast-flowing Kings River below. In one mile, Boulder Creek cascades down the hillside. The path ends when it reaches creekside at 1.5 miles. (A faint path continues, but it’s badly overgrown.) Note: Poison oak is prolific along this trail, so it might be a good idea to wear long pants and long sleeves.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 per vehicle entrance fee for access to this section of Sequoia National Forest, payable at any of the entrance stations to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. The fee is good for seven days in both the national forest and the national parks.
Maps: A Sequoia National Forest map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Wren Peak.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon. Drive 22 miles on Highway 180, passing Grant Grove and Kings Canyon Lodge, to the parking area for Boyden Cave, on the right side of the road.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
11.6 mi/6.0 hr or 2 days
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Up, up, and up. If you’re willing to climb 3,200 feet over the course of 5.5 miles, your reward is pristine Frypan Meadow, at 7,800 feet in elevation. In early summer, the meadow is green and littered with wildflowers, creating a glorious vision after the hot, sunny climb. But there’s no way to see it without first putting in some effort on the Lewis Creek Trail. The good news is that if the first mile or so proves to be too demanding, or too hot if you don’t start first thing in the morning, you can always take the right fork at 1.6 miles and head back downhill on Hotel Creek Trail, making a seven-mile loop out of the trip. If you push onward on Lewis Creek Trail, you cross lovely Comb Creek (at 3.2 miles), then Lewis Creek one mile farther. Many day hikers make the Lewis Creek crossing their destination; its pools make fine swimming holes. Backpackers continue another 1.5 miles to Frypan Meadow. If you have your wilderness permit, campsites are available there.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the wilderness permit station at Roads End or the Kings Canyon Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Cedar Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Drive 31 miles on Highway 180 to the Lewis Creek Trail parking area, on the north side of the road, before you reach Cedar Grove Village.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The destination on this trip is a stunning overlook of Kings Canyon, the deepest canyon in the continental United States with a plunge of 8,200 feet at its deepest point. In truth, the canyon vistas are continual for most of the hike, so if you don’t make it to the overlook, you’ll still get an eyeful. The Hotel Creek Trail consists of dozens of switchbacks over open, sunny slopes, climbing 1,200 feet over two miles to a trail junction with Overlook Trail. Turn left to head to the overlook, which peers down on Cedar Grove and the length of Kings Canyon. Some of the best views are of Monarch Divide’s high peaks to the north. We hope you came with picnic supplies. For a five-mile round-trip, retrace your steps back to Cedar Grove. If you want to walk farther, you can continue from the overlook junction for another 1.5 miles and turn left, hiking downhill on Lewis Creek Trail and making a seven-mile loop out of the trip. This stretch of Lewis Creek Trail is lined with sweet-smelling ceanothus. Unfortunately, the final 1.2 miles of the loop parallels a park road. Along the way, the trail overlooks a level area next to the South Fork Kings River where wildlife can often be spotted among the meadows and shrubs.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Cedar Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Drive 31.5 miles on Highway 180 to Cedar Grove Village. Turn left at the sign for the visitors center and Cedar Grove Lodge. Continue on the main road past the lodge for 0.25 mile and turn right. The Hotel Creek trailhead is on the left after a few hundred feet.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
12.0 mi/7.0 hr
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Lookout Peak, at 8,531 feet in elevation, is a summit worth ascending, even though it’s an all-day trip with a 3,900-foot elevation gain. From the top, you get an unforgettable Sierra view, with Cedar Grove far below you and peaks and ridges all around. In addition, just a few hundred yards from the summit is Summit Meadow, filled with summer wildflowers. The key is to carry plenty of water and plan on an early-morning start to beat the heat. You can filter water from Sheep Creek, one mile in. Luckily, there’s a decent amount of shade in the first few miles. Even though this trailhead is located right by the Cedar Grove campgrounds, few people hike all the way to the peak, so you have a chance at peace and quiet along the trail. The only downer on this hike is that when you near the summit, you see that other people have driven their cars on an alternate route to Lookout Peak (from the Big Meadows area of Giant Sequoia National Monument), and they are gaining the summit after only a 0.25-mile hike. Hey, at least you earned it.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Cedar Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Drive 31.5 miles on Highway 180 and take the right fork for Cedar Grove. The Don Cecil trailhead is on the right side of the road, just beyond the turnoff for Cedar Grove Village and the visitors center. If you reach Canyon View and Moraine Campgrounds, you’ve gone too far.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
0.4 mi/0.25 hr
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
It’s an easy stroll to Roaring River Falls, a pretty waterfall that drops through a narrow gorge into the South Fork Kings River. It’s the only waterfall in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks that is partially accessible via wheelchair. (The trail is paved and accessible for most of its length, but one section may be too steep for some wheelchair users.) If hikers want a longer walk, they can continue downstream on the River Trail to Zumwalt Meadow in 1.6 miles or Road’s End in 2.7 miles. What’s extraordinary about the waterfall is not the cascade itself, but the giant rocky pool into which it falls; it’s at least 50 feet wide. From where the paved trail ends, at the edge of the pool, the waterfall is perfectly framed by two big conifers. Many beautiful photos have been snapped here.
User Groups: Hikers and wheelchairs. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Sphinx.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Continue 35 miles on Highway 180 to the sign for Roaring River Falls and the River Trail, three miles past Cedar Grove Village. The trailhead is on the right side of the road.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
2.0 mi/1.0 hr
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
What’s the prettiest easy hike in Kings Canyon National Park? The Zumwalt Meadow Loop Trail wins hands down. A scenic two-mile walk along the South Fork Kings River, the Zumwalt Meadow Loop is a delight for hikers of all abilities. Many people bring their fishing rods along to try their luck in the river, but for most, the hiking is better than the fishing. From the parking area, walk downstream along the river to an old suspension footbridge, cross it, and walk back upstream. The loop begins at an obvious fork, and you can hike it in either direction. The south side traverses a boulder field of jumbled rocks that have tumbled down from the Grand Sentinel (elevation 8,504 feet). The north side cuts through a thick, waist-high fern forest and follows a wooden walkway over a marsh. Views of 8,717-foot North Dome are awe inspiring. Trees, meadow, rock, stream, river, canyon walls—Zumwalt Meadow Trail has it all.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Cedar Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Continue 36 miles on Highway 180 to the parking area for Zumwalt Meadow, on the right side of the road.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
9.2 mi/5.0 hr
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The Mist Falls Trail is probably the most well-used pathway in Kings Canyon National Park, with good reason. It’s a stellar 4.6-mile walk to an impressive cascade on the South Fork Kings River, with only a 650-foot gain in elevation along the way. Many backpackers use this trail to access Paradise Valley and points beyond, while most day hikers turn around at Mist Falls. The first two miles are a flat walk up the Kings River Valley, with canyon walls towering above you on both sides. You spend a lot of time craning your neck, looking up at the high canyon rims, from which springtime waterfalls cascade down. You’re in a dry, open forest much of the time.
At two miles, you’ll reach a trail junction. Bear left, then start to climb over granite. The farther you go, the more expansive the views become; make sure you keep turning around so you can take in the whole panorama. At four miles, the river starts to look more waterfall-like, with crashing pools and rocky granite slides becoming increasingly vertical. A quarter-mile later you reach Mist Falls, which fans out over a 45-foot wide granite ledge and crashes into a boulder-lined pool. It creates a tremendous spray and mist in early summer, and mellows out as the season progresses. Take a look at the falls, then walk back down the trail 0.2 mile to the obvious, immense slab of granite you just passed. This is a favorite spot to have lunch, with its wide-open view of 10,007-foot Avalanche Peak. Look carefully and you can pick out the stone face of The Sphinx.
There are two ways to beat the crowds on this path. First, start early in the morning. Second, hike part of the route on an alternate trail on the river’s south side. This trail travels from the Road’s End parking lot to the Bailey Bridge at the trail intersection mentioned above. If you get an early start, save this alternate route for the return trip. By then, the day hikers will be out in full force.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Sphinx.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Continue 38 miles on Highway 180 to Road’s End, six miles past Cedar Grove Village. The trailhead is at the east end of the parking lot, near the wilderness ranger station.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
21.0 mi/3-4 days
off Highway 180 in the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The Copper Creek trailhead is at 5,000 feet, and Granite Lake is at 9,972 feet, so it’s not hard to do the math. If you’re up for a backpacking trip with a 5,000-foot elevation gain over 10 miles, the Granite Lake Basin is your ticket to happiness. But keep in mind that the route can be hot and dry as it switchbacks up manzanita-covered slopes; this trail is considered one of the most strenuous in the Cedar Grove area. Your first night’s camp is at Lower Tent Meadow, four miles in and at 7,800 feet. After that, things start to get really good. With Mount Hutchings looming over your left shoulder, the second day’s six miles will go easier, bringing you to rocky, jewel-like Granite Lake in only a few hours. You must have a backpacking stove for camping by the lake or anywhere above 10,000 feet.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the wilderness permit station at Roads End or the Kings Canyon Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Sphinx.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn left, following signs for Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove. Continue 38 miles on Highway 180 to Road’s End, six miles past Cedar Grove Village. The trail begins at the long-term parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
4.0 mi/2.0 hr
southeast of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Several loop trips are possible in the Redwood Mountain area of Kings Canyon National Park, but one of the prettiest and simplest trips is just an out-and-back walk on Redwood Canyon Trail, paralleling Redwood Creek. The beauty begins before you even start walking; on the last mile of the drive to the trailhead, the dirt access road winds through giant sequoias that are so close, you can reach out your car window and touch them. The trail leads downhill from the parking area, and in just over 0.3 mile, you reach a junction and follow Redwood Creek Trail to the right. You’ll find that this sequoia grove is far denser than many. Because they are situated by Redwood Creek, the sequoias grow amid a thriving background of dogwoods, firs, ceanothus, and mountain misery. Though the standing sequoias are impressive, some of the fallen ones are really amazing, because you get a close-up look at their immense size. Make sure you hike the full two miles to the stream crossing of Redwood Creek. Some of the best tree specimens are found there, near the junction with Sugar Bowl Loop Trail. The return trip is all uphill but easier than you’d expect.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately three miles on the Generals Highway to Quail Flat, signed for Hume Lake to the left, and turn right on the dirt road to Redwood Saddle. Drive 1.5 miles and park in the parking lot. Take the trail signed for the Hart Tree and Redwood Canyon.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
10.0 mi/5.0 hr
southeast of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
If you have most of a day to hike in the Redwood Mountain area of Kings Canyon National Park, you’re in luck. This is one of the best day hikes in all of Kings Canyon. The Redwood Mountain Loop combines the best highlights of the area into one long trail, on which you’ll wander in near solitude among the giant sequoias. If the paved, crowded trails to the General Grant Tree and the General Sherman Tree turn you off, this trail will turn you on. Start by hiking on the signed Burnt Grove/Sugar Bowl Loop Trail, which leads uphill from the parking lot. It’s one mile to Burnt Grove and 2.5 miles to Sugar Bowl Grove; both are very dense stands of sequoias. Beyond the groves you descend for two miles to intersect with Redwood Canyon Trail. Head downhill and cross Redwood Creek, then proceed to the Fallen Goliath, a mammoth downed tree. One mile farther, you reach the Hart Tree, the largest tree in this area and a real show-stopper. In the final three miles, you get to walk through the Tunnel Log, a hollowed sequoia, and pass by pretty Hart Meadow. Note: If you tire out halfway through this loop, you can always follow the Redwood Canyon Trail uphill back to the start, cutting three miles off your round-trip.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately three miles on the Generals Highway to Quail Flat, signed for Hume Lake to the left, and turn right on the dirt road to Redwood Saddle. Drive 1.5 miles and park in the parking lot. Take the trail signed as Burnt Grove/Sugar Bowl Loop.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
2.0 mi/1.0 hr
southeast of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
Forget driving to the Kings Canyon Overlook, because just across the road is a trailhead with an easy walk and even better views, plus a chance at a private picnic spot. Buena Vista Peak is not a summit but a rocky dome, peaking at 7,603 feet, and it is one of the highest points west of Generals Highway. It offers far-reaching views of what looks like a million conifers at your feet and the hazy foothills to the southwest. But the best vistas are to the east of the snowcapped peaks of the John Muir and Monarch Wildernesses. An easy half-hour walk takes you up the back side of the dome, passing through pine and fir forest, manzanita, and sage, and walking by some interesting rock formations. Don’t miss the giant boulder sculptures in the trail’s first 0.25 mile. At the top of Buena Vista Peak, you can wander all around the spacious granite summit, enjoying different perspectives on the vista, before heading back to the parking lot. It’s downhill all the way.
Buena Vista Peak
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download General Grant Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately five miles on the Generals Highway to the Buena Vista trailhead on the right, just across the road and slightly beyond the large pullout for the Kings Canyon Overlook, on the left.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
6.2 mi/3.0 hr or 2 days
in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness
Tucked into a corner just outside the border of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, the Jennie Lakes Wilderness is a 10,500-acre wilderness area that is often overlooked by park visitors. It offers much of the same scenery as the national parks, with beautiful lakes, meadows, forests, and streams, but without all the fanfare and crowds. Weaver Lake is the easiest-to-reach destination in the wilderness, and it makes a perfect family backpacking trip or an equally nice day hike. The trail is well signed and passes through a mix of fir forest and meadows. At 1.7 miles, take the left fork for Weaver Lake, climbing uphill to the lake’s basin. You’ll spy the shelflike slabs of Shell Mountain peeking out above the trees. At 8,700 feet in elevation, shallow but pretty Weaver Lake is set at the base of Shell Mountain’s high, rounded ridge. You can try your luck fishing, or just find a lakeside seat and gaze at the view. On warm days, the brave go swimming.
Note: The road to Big Meadows is usually the last road to open in the area after snowmelt. If you’re planning an early season trip, call to check on road and trail conditions.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free campfire permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the Hume Lake Ranger Station. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days in both the National Forest and the National Parks.
Maps: A Jennie Lakes Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive seven miles and turn left on Forest Road 14S11, at the sign for Big Meadows and Horse Corral. Drive three miles to the Big Meadows trailhead.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
12.0 mi/6.0 hr or 2 days
in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness
This trail into the Jennie Lakes Wilderness offers more of a challenge than the route to Weaver Lake, climbing 1,500 feet over six miles with some short, steep pitches. The rewards are also greater, because Jennie Ellis Lake is a beauty and receives fewer visitors than Weaver Lake. The trail is the same as the Weaver Lake Trail for 1.7 miles, but at the fork, you bear right for Jennie Ellis Lake. The trail climbs and dips through fir, pine, and manzanita forest, then crosses Poop Out Pass at 4.7 miles, the highest point on this trip. At nearly six miles, you reach the outlet stream for Jennie Ellis Lake. Follow the short spur trail to the lake, set at 9,000 feet. With a white granite backdrop and some sparse trees, the shoreline looks austere and barren, but beautiful just the same. Campsites are found around the lake, and catching fish for dinner is a fair possibility. If you only came for the day, find a comfortable spot to sit and admire the scenery before you head back.
Note: There is a somewhat shorter trail to reach Jennie Ellis Lake from Stony Creek Campground (10 miles round-trip instead of 12), but shorter doesn’t necessarily mean easier. The shorter trail requires a 2,500-foot climb over the first 3.5 miles to Poop Out Pass, with several noticeably steep pitches along the way. At the pass, the two trails join and are one and the same on the final stretch to the lake.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free campfire permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the Hume Lake Ranger Station. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days in both the National Forest and the National Parks.
Maps: A Jennie Lakes Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive seven miles and turn left on Forest Road 14S11, at the sign for Big Meadows and Horse Corral. Drive three miles to the Big Meadows trailhead.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
5.2 mi/3.0 hr
in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness
If you have the legs for a 2,000-foot climb over 2.6 miles, you can stand atop the summit of Mitchell Peak, the highest point in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness, at 10,365 feet in elevation. The peak used to have a fire lookout tower on top of it, but the Forest Service stopped using it and burned it down. What remains is the fabulous view, one of the best in this area. It’s a one-mile climb from the trailhead to Marvin Pass and the boundary of the Jennie Lakes Wilderness. Bear left (east) and climb some more. At 1.6 miles, you reach the next junction, signed for Mitchell Peak. Head left (north), and in one more mile, you’ll make the brief climb to Mitchell’s summit, which straddles the border of Kings Canyon National Park. From your rocky perch, you can look out on the Great Western Divide and the Silliman Crest. It’s an exemplary spot to catch your breath.
User Groups: Hikers, dogs, and horses. No mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: A free campfire permit is required for overnight stays and is available from the Hume Lake Ranger Station. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days in both the National Forest and the National Parks.
Maps: A Jennie Lakes Wilderness map is available from the U.S. Forest Service. A map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive seven miles and turn left on Forest Road 14S11, at the sign for Big Meadow and Horse Corral. Drive four miles to the Big Meadow Campground and continue six more miles to Horse Corral Meadow. Turn right on Forest Road 13S12 and drive 2.8 miles to the Marvin Pass trailhead.
Contact: Giant Sequoia National Monument/Sequoia National Forest, Hume Lake Ranger District, Dunlap, 559/338-2251, www.fs.usda.gov/sequoia.
4.6 mi/2.5 hr
southeast of the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park
The trip to Big Baldy comes with a million views and a little workout besides. Views? We’re talking Redwood Canyon, Redwood Mountain, Buena Vista Peak, Little Baldy, Buck Rock, and the Great Western Divide. A little workout? You’ve got to climb 1,000 feet, but it’s nicely spread out over two miles. The trail alternates between thick forest cover and open granite areas as it winds along the rim of Redwood Canyon. In the forested stretches, we were amazed at how many birds were singing in the tall firs and cedars. The trail’s initial vistas are to the west, but they keep changing and getting more interesting all the way to Big Baldy’s 8,209-foot summit, where your view opens up to 360 degrees. Here you get your first wide-open views of the high Sierra peaks and the Great Western Divide to the east. This trail is so fun and rewarding, with so little suffering involved, that you may feel like you’re getting away with something. A bonus: Because the first mile of trail faces to the west, this is a great area for watching the sunset. Big Baldy Trail is also ideal for snowshoeing in the winter.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 6.5 miles on the Generals Highway to the Big Baldy trailhead, on the right, shortly before the turnoff for Big Meadows, on the left.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
4.0 mi/2.0 hr
northwest of the Lodgepole area of Sequoia National Park
Few people hike this trail unless they are staying at Dorst Campground, so you have a lot better chance of seeing giant sequoias in solitude in the Muir Grove than at many places in the park. After crossing a wooden footbridge, the trail enters a mixed forest of red fir, white fir, sugar pines, and incense cedars. In early summer, you can count the many varieties of wildflowers along the trail, especially where you cross tiny streams. The trail heads west and curves around a deeply carved canyon at one mile out. Just off the trail to your right is a bare granite slab with an inspiring westward view. The trail undulates, never climbing or dropping much, making this an easy and pleasant stroll. At 1.9 miles, you reach the Muir Grove, a small, pristine grove of huge sequoias. The first one you come to on your left is a doozy. The grove is made even more enchanting by the thick undergrowth of blue and purple lupine blooming amid the trees in early summer.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 17 miles on the Generals Highway to the right turnoff for Dorst Campground. Turn right and drive through the campground to the amphitheater parking lot. Park there; the trail begins at a footbridge between the amphitheater parking lot and the group campground.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
3.5 mi/2.0 hr
northwest of the Lodgepole area of Sequoia National Park
Little Baldy, Big Baldy, Buena Vista Peak. Along this stretch of the Generals Highway, there are so many peak trails that offer far-reaching views, it’s hard to choose where to start. Little Baldy Trail is a great choice. It’s a little more challenging than the Buena Vista Peak Trail, but it’s shorter than Big Baldy Trail, and it offers eye-popping drama for remarkably little effort. Some claim that Little Baldy’s view of the Silliman Crest, the Great Western Divide, Castle Rocks, Moro Rock, the Kaweah River Canyon, and the San Joaquin foothills is the best panorama in the park.
To see for yourself, set out from the trailhead, climbing through long, tree-shaded switchbacks, heading first north, then south. Check out the unusual view of Big Baldy off to your left (far across the highway) as you climb. After 1.2 miles, the trail leaves the forest and its many wildflowers, and your views start to open up. Hike along Little Baldy’s ridgeline and make the final steep summit ascent. The trail gets a little hard to discern as you near Little Baldy’s wide, bare summit, but just wander around until you find the highest spot with the best view. Take a seat—you’ll want to stay a while.
Note: Be sure to pick a clear day for this hike. In summer, your best bet is to hike the trail early in the morning, before the Central Valley haze rises to the mountains.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Muir Grove and Giant Forest.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 18 miles on the Generals Highway to the Little Baldy trailhead, on the left, a mile beyond the turnoff for Dorst Campground.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
13.0 mi/2-3 days
off the Generals Highway in the Wolverton area of Sequoia National Park
The Wolverton trailhead is at 7,200 feet, which gives you a boost at the start for this trip into the high country. The Lakes Trail is the most popular backpacking trip in Sequoia National Park, and it’s easy to see why. Wide-open views and dramatic granite walls are standard fare as you hike. Part of the route is on a loop, with one side of the loop traveling to the Watchtower—a 1,600-foot-tall granite cliff that offers incredible vistas of Tokopah Valley and beyond. The trailside scenery begins in red fir forest, then enters polished granite country, and culminates in a rocky basin with three gemlike lakes—Heather, Emerald, and Pear—as well as many sparkling creeks. The total climb to Pear Lake is a mere 2,300 feet, spread out over 6.5 miles. Backpackers take note: You may camp only at Emerald and Pear Lakes, and no campfires are allowed.
Note: The Watchtower Trail usually isn’t open until midsummer. When it is closed, you must take the alternate Hump Trail, which is not as scenic. If you’re planning a trip for early in the year, check with the park to be sure Watchtower Trail is open.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lodgepole Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 27 miles on the Generals Highway, past the Lodgepole Village turnoff, to the Wolverton turnoff, on the left (east) side of the road. Turn left and drive to the parking area and trailhead.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
9.0 mi/5.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Wolverton area of Sequoia National Park
There’s no reason that day hikers should be denied the incredible joys of hiking Lakes Trail from the Wolverton area of Sequoia National Park. You don’t have to carry a backpack, get a wilderness permit, or have two or more free days to hike the first part of Lakes Trail, which ascends to the top of the 1,600-foot Watchtower (a big chunk of granite) and then continues to rocky Heather Lake. If you’re hiking in spring or early summer, call the park first to make sure Watchtower Trail is open. Otherwise you’ll have to take the alternate Hump Trail, which is steeper and nowhere near as scenic. The route to the Watchtower is a ledge trail, blasted into hard granite, which creeps along the high rim of Tokopah Valley. Your view is 1,500 feet straight down. You can even see tiny people walking on the path to Tokopah Falls. It’s incredible, although perhaps not a good idea for people who are afraid of heights. Walking up to the Watchtower is plenty exciting, but it’s even more so when you reach the other side, where you can look back and see what you were walking on. Just 0.75 mile farther and you’re at Heather Lake, which is designated for day use only, so it has no campsites. It has a steep granite backdrop and a few rocky ledges to sit on. Too many people here when you arrive? No big deal. It’s only another 0.5 mile to even prettier Emerald Lake, and the trail is nearly level. After a rest, you get to head back and hike the Watchtower route all over again.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 27 miles on the Generals Highway, past the Lodgepole Village turnoff, to the Wolverton turnoff on the left (east) side of the road. Turn left and drive to the parking area and trailhead.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
13.0 mi/1-2 days
off the Generals Highway in the Wolverton area of Sequoia National Park
You say you like heights? You like vistas? Here’s your trail, a 4,000-foot climb to the top of Alta Peak, an 11,204-foot summit in the Alta Country. Alta Peak and Mount Whitney are the only major summits in Sequoia National Park that have established trails, but both of them are still butt-kickers to reach. The trail to Alta Peak and Alta Meadow starts out the same as the Lakes Trail (from the Wolverton parking area), then it heads south (right) to Panther Gap, at 1.8 miles. After climbing through the forest to Panther Gap (at 8,450 feet), you get your first set of eye-popping views—of the Middle Fork Kaweah River and the Great Western Divide. Continue on the Alta Trail to Mehrten Meadow (at 3.9 miles), a popular camping spot, then reach a junction where you can go left for Alta Peak or right to Alta Meadow. You’ll want to take both spurs if you have the time and energy. If you’re exhausted, just walk to Alta Meadow, with its flower-filled grasses and exquisite mountain views, a flat one mile away. Alta Peak is two miles away via the left fork, with a 2,000-foot climb. These two miles are considered one of the toughest stretches of trail in Sequoia National Park due to the brutal grade and the 10,000-plus foot elevation here above tree line. The summit is at 11,204 feet, and, of course, it offers a complete panorama. Even Mount Whitney and the Coast Range are visible on a clear day.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lodgepole Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 27 miles on the Generals Highway, past the Lodgepole Village turnoff, to the Wolverton turnoff, on the left (east) side of the road. Turn left and drive to the parking area and trailhead.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
6.0 mi/3.5 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Wolverton area of Sequoia National Park
If you’re not up for the marathon trip to Alta Peak, you can still get a taste of the high country on this loop from the Wolverton trailhead. Start hiking on the Lakes Trail from the east end of the Wolverton parking lot, and at 1.8 miles, bear right on the Alta Trail to parallel Wolverton Creek, following it to Panther Gap. Here, at 8,450 feet, you get an inspiring vista of the Middle Fork Kaweah River and the Great Western Divide. Check out 9,081-foot Castle Rocks, an obvious landmark. From the gap, turn right (west) and follow the Alta Trail to Panther Peak and Panther Meadow, then on to Red Fir Meadow. Finally, at 4.6 miles, bear right and complete the loop by descending to Long Meadow and then edging along its east side to return to the parking lot. By the way, don’t get any smart ideas about hiking this loop in the opposite direction—it’s a much steeper climb.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 27 miles on the Generals Highway, past the Lodgepole Village turnoff, to the Wolverton turnoff, on the left (east) side of the road. Turn left and drive to the parking area and trailhead.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
3.6 mi/2.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
This is unquestionably the best waterfall day hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, leading to 1,200-foot-high Tokopah Falls. It’s also a perfect family hike, easy on the feet and even easier on the eyes. The scenery is spectacular the whole way, from the up-close looks at wildflowers and granite boulders to the more distant views of the Watchtower, a 1,600-foot glacially carved cliff on the south side of Tokopah Valley. Then there’s the valley itself, with Tokopah Falls pouring down the smooth back curve of its U shape. Because the trail begins by the three huge Lodgepole Campgrounds, it sees a lot of foot traffic. Your best bet is to start early in the morning. Another unusual feature of the trail? Hikers see more yellow-bellied marmots on the Tokopah Falls route than anywhere else in the two parks. We saw at least 40 of the cute little blond guys sunning themselves on rocks. If you’re lucky, one of them will whistle at you as you walk by.
Tokopah Falls
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 25 miles on the Generals Highway to the Lodgepole Campground turnoff, then drive 0.75 mile to the Log Bridge area of Lodgepole Camp. Park in the large lot just before the bridge over the Marble Fork Kaweah River, and walk 150 yards to the trailhead, which is just after you cross the bridge.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
13.6 mi/1-2 days
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
From the Lodgepole Campground trailhead (at 6,740 feet), the Twin Lakes are a 2,800-foot elevation gain and 6.8 miles away, making this a moderate backpacking trip or a long, strenuous day hike. It’s a classic Sequoia National Park trip; one that is heavily traveled each summer. The terrain is an interesting mix of dense conifer forests, glacial moraine, and open meadows. From the trailhead, you climb past Wolverton’s Rock to Cahoon Meadow at three miles, 0.5 mile beyond a crossing of Silliman Creek. You then continue to Cahoon Gap at 4.2 miles, cross over Clover Creek at five miles (campsites are found along the creek), bear right at the J. O. Pass Trail junction at 5.5 miles, and reach the Twin Lakes at 6.8 miles. The trail leads you directly to the larger Twin Lake; the smaller one is reached by following a spur. Both are shallow and have forested banks; some hikers try their luck fishing in the larger lake. Backpackers spending the night at Twin Lakes can hike farther the next day—over rocky Silliman Pass (at 10,100 feet) to the less-visited Ranger Lakes, three miles farther. Note: Campfires are not allowed at Twin Lakes.
User Groups: Hikers and horses. No dogs or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lodgepole Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 25 miles on the Generals Highway to the Lodgepole Campground turnoff, and then drive 0.75 mile to the Log Bridge area of Lodgepole Camp. The Twin Lakes trailhead is just beyond the Tokopah Falls trailhead and the bridge over the Marble Fork Kaweah River.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
2.9 mi/1.5 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
The Congress Trail, a two-mile loop that starts (and ends) at the General Sherman Tree, is a much-traveled route through the Giant Forest’s prize grove of sequoias. The General Sherman sees the greatest number of visitors, because it is recognized as the largest living thing in the world (not by height, but by volume). After you leave its side and start on the Congress Trail, the crowds lessen substantially. You’ll pass by many huge trees with placards displaying their very patriotic names, like the House and Senate clusters, the McKinley Tree, the Lincoln Tree, and… well, you get the idea. Every single giant sequoia is worth stopping to gape at the wonder of these trees. We rate the Congress Trail as the best level, easy trail for sequoia viewing in the park. Plus, the farther you walk, the more solitude you get. Make sure you pick up an interpretive brochure at the trailhead or at the Lodgepole Visitors Center.
The parking area for the Sherman Tree and the Congress Trail is 0.4 mile from the Sherman Tree for a total mileage of 2.9 miles—two miles for the loop plus the out-and-back to the parking area. (You can’t park on the Generals Highway by the Sherman Tree unless your vehicle has a disability license plate. This parking area is now reserved for the Giant Forest shuttle bus and wheelchair users only).
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. Wheelchair users can access this trail; in some areas they may need assistance.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 27 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole Village, to the Wolverton turnoff on the left (east) side of the road. Turn left and drive to the General Sherman Tree parking area. (If you are riding the free Giant Forest shuttle bus, you can disembark right at the Sherman Tree. For details see www.sequoiashuttle.com.)
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
4.5 mi/2.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
This hike combines two loop trails in the Giant Forest area for an easy but excellent day hike, passing by many giant sequoias and peaceful grassy meadows. A bonus: These trails are generally less crowded than the other day hikes in the Giant Forest area.
From the Generals Highway, pick up the Hazelwood Nature Trail and take the right side of the loop to join Alta Trail and Huckleberry Meadow Trail Loop. Take Alta Trail for 0.25 mile and bear right on Huckleberry Meadow Trail, climbing a bit for one mile to the site of Squatter’s Cabin, one of the oldest structures in Sequoia National Park, dating back to the 1880s. To stay on the loop, turn left by the cabin (don’t take the trail signed for The Dead Giant). The trail skirts the edge of Huckleberry Meadow and heads north to Circle Meadow, where giant sequoias line the meadow’s edges. There are several junctions, but stay on Huckleberry Meadow Trail. A half-mile farther is a short spur trail on the left heading to the Washington Tree. Follow the spur to see the second-largest tree in the world (after General Sherman)—it’s 30 feet in diameter and 246.1 feet tall. The trip finishes out on Alta Trail, where you return to Hazelwood Nature Trail and walk the opposite side of its short loop back to the Generals Highway.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest and Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. The Hazelwood trailhead is on the south side of the highway, 0.25 mile before you reach the Giant Forest Museum.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
30.0 mi/3 days
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
This is a classic, easy-to-moderate, three-day backpacking trip in the High Sierra, with a two-night stay at Bearpaw Meadow Camp, a shady campground that clings to the edge of a granite gorge. The route follows High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow to Eagle View, then continues for 10 nearly level miles along the north rim of the Middle Fork Kaweah River Canyon. It’s views, views, views all the way.
After a good night’s sleep at Bearpaw Meadow, elevation 7,700 feet (reservations for a wilderness permit are definitely necessary in the summer months), you start out on an eight-mile round-trip day hike to Upper and Lower Hamilton Lake (at 8,300 feet), set in a glacially carved basin at the base of the peaks of the Great Western Divide. On the final day, you hike 11 miles back to Crescent Meadow, once again witnessing 180-degree views from the sunny High Sierra Trail. By the time it’s all over and you’re back home, your mind is completely blown by all the high-country beauty, and you’ve shot about a million pictures, none of which can compare to the experience of actually being there.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days. Wilderness permits are required for overnight stays. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Lodgepole Visitors Center. For advanced wilderness permits or information on trail conditions, go to www.nps.gov/seki. Trailhead quotas are in effect from May to September.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest and Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. Just beyond the museum, turn left on Crescent Meadow Road and drive 3.5 miles to the Crescent Meadow parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
1.5 mi/1.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
Are you ready to be wowed? From the lower parking lot at Crescent Meadow, follow the trail that leads to the southern edge of Crescent Meadow, and at 0.1 mile, take the right fork that leads up the ridge on High Sierra Trail toward Eagle View. The High Sierra Trail is a popular trans-Sierra route that eventually leads to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States. On this trip you won’t go quite that far, but you will get a taste of the visual delights of this extraordinary trail. In less than 0.5 mile, you’ll gain the ridge and start getting wondrous, edge-of-the-world views. Numerous wildflowers line the path, which hugs the edge of this high ridge. At 0.7 mile, you’ll reach Eagle View, an unsigned but obvious lookout from which you get a fascinating look at Moro Rock to your right, Castle Rocks straight ahead, and dozens of peaks and ridges of the Western Divide far across the canyon. The vistas are so fine and the trail is so good that you may just want to keep walking all the way to Mount Whitney.
High Sierra Trail and Eagle View
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest and Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. Just beyond the museum, turn left on Crescent Meadow Road and drive 3.5 miles to the Crescent Meadow parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
1.6 mi/1.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
Crescent Meadow is more than 1.5 miles long and is surrounded by giant sequoias. John Muir called it “the gem of the Sierras.” We don’t know how Muir would feel about the pavement that lines the trail around this precious meadow, but we hope he’d like this loop hike anyhow. Follow the pavement for 200 yards from the eastern side of the parking lot, and just like that, you’re at the southern edge of beautiful Crescent Meadow. Take the right fork and head for Log Meadow and Tharp’s Log. Log Meadow is as large and beautiful as Crescent Meadow, and Tharp’s Log was the homestead of Hale Tharp, the first white man to enter this forest. He grazed cattle and horses here, and built a modest home inside a fallen, fire-hollowed sequoia. You can look inside Tharp’s Log and see his bed, fireplace, dining room table, and the door and windows he fashioned into the log. (Children find this incredibly thrilling.) From Tharp’s Log, continue your loop back to Crescent Meadow and around its west side, where you return to the north edge of the parking lot.
User Groups: Hikers and wheelchairs (with assistance). No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For topographic maps, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest and Lodgepole.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. Just beyond the museum, turn left on Crescent Meadow Road and drive 3.5 miles to the Crescent Meadow parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
0.6 mi/0.5 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
Just about everybody has heard of Moro Rock, the prominent, pointy granite dome with the top-of-the-world sunset vistas, and if you’re visiting the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park, well, you just have to hike to the top of it. When you climb those 380 stairs to the dome’s summit and check out the view, you realize that unlike many famous attractions, Moro Rock is not overrated. It’s as great as everybody says, and maybe even better. If you start your trip from the Moro Rock parking area, it’s only 0.3 mile to the top, climbing switchbacks, ramps, and granite stairs the whole way. Railings line the rock-blasted trail to keep you from dropping off the 6,725-foot granite dome. What’s the view like? Well, on a clear day, you can see all the way to the Coast Range, 100 miles away. In closer focus is the Middle Fork Kaweah River, the Great Western Divide, Castle Rocks (at 9,180 feet), Triple Divide Peak (at 12,634 feet), Mount Stewart (at 12,205 feet), and on and on. In a word, it’s awesome. And even better, you don’t get this view just from the top of Moro Rock—you get it all the way up, at every turn in the trail.
If you want the absolute best visibility, show up early in the morning, before the afternoon haze from the Central Valley obscures the view. On the other hand, that same haze creates amazingly colorful sunsets, so early evening is another fine time to be on top of Moro Rock.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. Just beyond the museum, turn left on Crescent Meadow Road, drive 1.5 miles, and take the right fork to the Moro Rock parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
2.0 mi/1.0 hr
off the Generals Highway in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park
The trail to Sunset Rock is a first-rate easy hike, perfect at sunset or any time. It gets much less traffic than you might expect, considering its proximity to Giant Forest. Leave your car in the lot across from the Giant Forest museum (make sure you stop in before or after your trip), then pick up the trail on the west side of the lot. The level path leads through a mixed forest (with a handful of giant sequoias) and crosses Little Deer Creek on its way to Sunset Rock. The rock is a gargantuan, flat piece of granite—about the size of a football field—set at 6,412 feet in elevation. Standing on it, you get a terrific overlook of Little Baldy to your right and a sea of conifers below, in the Marble Fork Kaweah River Canyon.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Fresno, drive east on Highway 180 for 55 miles to the Big Stump Entrance at Kings Canyon National Park. Continue 1.5 miles and turn right on the Generals Highway, heading for Sequoia National Park. Drive approximately 30 miles on the Generals Highway, past Lodgepole and Wolverton, to the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park. Park in the lot across from the Giant Forest museum, then pick up the signed trail on the west side of the lot.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-4307, www.nps.gov/seki.
1.2 mi/0.75 hr
off Highway 198 in the Foothills region of Sequoia National Park
From Buckeye Flat Campground, Paradise Creek Trail meanders through oaks and buckeyes, and crosses a long, picturesque footbridge over the Middle Fork Kaweah River. An inviting, Olympic-sized pool is on the right side of the bridge, where campers often go swimming on summer afternoons. Save the pool for after your hike; for now, take the signed Paradise Creek Trail, at the far side of the bridge. You’ll briefly visit the creek and then leave it, climbing into oak and grassland terrain. There are some high views of Moro Rock and Hanging Rock, but most of the beauty is right at your feet, in the springtime flowers that grow in the grasses and in the leafy blue oaks that shade them. The maintained trail ends when it reaches Paradise Creek again, although a faint route continues along its banks.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Visalia, drive east on Highway 198 for 47 miles to the turnoff, on the right, for Buckeye Flat Campground, across from Hospital Rock. Turn right and drive 0.6 mile to the campground. Park in any of the dirt pullouts outside of the camp entrance; no day-use parking is allowed in the camp. You can also park at Hospital Rock and walk to the campground. The trailhead is near campsite No. 28.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-3135, www.nps.gov/seki.
6.0 mi/3.0 hr
off Highway 198 in the Foothills region of Sequoia National Park
You want to be alone? You don’t want to see anybody else on the trail? Just sign up for this trip any time between June and September, when the foothills have warmed up to their summer extremes. Don’t be fooled by this path’s name: The Middle Fork Trail is no streamside meander. Rather, it’s a shadeless, exposed trail that leads high along the canyon of the Middle Fork Kaweah River—always at least 250 feet above it. In summer, it’s hot as Hades, but this trail is perfect in winter and spring. Whereas most other trails in Sequoia and Kings Canyon are still snowed under, you can take an early-season day hike or backpacking trip along Middle Fork Trail. The main destination is Panther Creek (at three miles), where the trail leads across the brink of Panther Creek’s 100-foot dive into the Kaweah River. But you can hike farther if you wish. Although Middle Fork Trail is set in grasslands and chaparral, it offers some stunning views of the area’s geology, including Moro Rock, Castle Rocks, and the Great Western Divide. We hiked this trail in August, and despite the fact that we were wilting from the heat, the expansive views kept our spirits up.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Visalia, drive east on Highway 198 for 47 miles to the turnoff, on the right, for Buckeye Flat Campground, across from Hospital Rock. Turn right and drive 0.5 mile to a left fork just before the campground. Bear left on the dirt road and drive 1.3 miles to the trailhead and parking area. In the winter, you must park at Hospital Rock and walk in to the trailhead, adding 3.6 miles to your round-trip.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-3135, www.nps.gov/seki.
5.0 mi/2.5 hr
off Highway 198 in the Foothills region of Sequoia National Park
First, some advice: Don’t hike this trail on a hot day. If it’s summertime and you want to see the Monache Indian historical sites at Potwisha and Hospital Rock, drive to each of them and see them separately. In winter or spring, however, it’s far more fun to take this five-mile hike through chaparral and oak woodlands, especially in March, when the wildflowers bloom. In the first 100 yards from the trailhead, you’ll see Native American grinding holes and pictographs that look roughly like people and animals. You’ll also pass many tempting pools in the Middle Fork Kaweah, which are frequented by swimmers and bathers in the summer. The trail climbs a gradual 2.5 miles from Potwisha to Hospital Rock, crossing the highway after the first mile. When you reach Hospital Rock, which is just a few feet off the road to Buckeye Flat Campground, you see a huge display of pictographs on its side. Across the campground road are more grinding holes in the boulders, and near them, a short paved path leads to deep pools and sandy beaches on the Middle Fork. Another path leads from the camp road to the underside of Hospital Rock, where there’s a large, cavelike shelter. This is where a Native American medicine man healed the sick and injured, resulting in a white man naming this place Hospital Rock.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Visalia, drive east on Highway 198 for 44 miles to the turnoff, on the left, for Potwisha Campground, 3.8 miles east of the Ash Mountain entrance station to Sequoia National Park. Don’t turn left into Potwisha campground; instead, turn right on the paved road opposite the campground. Drive past the RV dumping station to the signed trailhead and parking area.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-3135, www.nps.gov/seki.
7.0 mi/4.0 hr
off Highway 198 in the Foothills region of Sequoia National Park
This is the waterfall to see in Sequoia National Park in late winter and spring. March and April are particularly good months to visit because of high flows in the Marble Fork Kaweah River and blooming wildflowers in the grasslands and chaparral that line the trail. From its rather banal start as a dirt road, this trail just keeps getting better as it follows the Marble Fork Kaweah River. There are no trail junctions to worry about; at 3.5 miles, the path simply dead-ends near the lower cascades of Marble Falls. Although much of the falls are hidden in the narrow, rocky river gorge, tucked out of sight, what is visible is an impressive billowing cascade of whitewater. Be very careful on the slippery granite near the river’s edges; the current and the cold water are even more dangerous than they look. Aside from the waterfalls and the wildflowers, the other highlights on this trail are the colorful outcroppings of marble, particularly in the last mile as you near the falls. Remember, though, that in summer this area of the park can bake like an oven. If you make the trip to the falls from late May to September, get an early morning start.
User Groups: Hikers only. No dogs, horses, or mountain bikes. No wheelchair facilities.
Permits: No permits are required. There is a $35 entrance fee per vehicle at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, good for seven days.
Maps: A Sequoia and Kings Canyon map is available from Tom Harrison Maps. For a topographic map, go to the USGS website to download Giant Forest.
Directions: From Visalia, drive east on Highway 198 for 44 miles to the turnoff, on the left, for Potwisha Campground, 3.8 miles east of the Ash Mountain entrance station to Sequoia National Park. The trail begins across from campsite No. 15 in Potwisha Campground; park in the trailhead parking area in the camp.
Contact: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, 559/565-3341 or 559/565-3135, www.nps.gov/seki.
