CA 108 TRIPS

South of CA 108 and west of Sonora Pass, lake-filled Emigrant Wilderness unfolds southward toward northern Yosemite National Park. To the southeast of Sonora Pass is Hoover Wilderness, which lies in Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest. Except for Emigrant Wilderness’s lack of high granite peaks, the scenery is hard to beat anywhere in the Sierra. We explore these wilderness areas from trailheads that are, from west to east, Crabtree, Gianelli Cabin, Kennedy Meadows, Sonora Pass, and Leavitt Meadows. From the Crabtree Trailhead on the western edge of Emigrant Wilderness, we offer four journeys to some of the wilderness’s more delightful spots. The Gianelli Cabin Trailhead, also on Emigrant Wilderness’s west side, is a gateway to many of the wilderness’s most beautiful and dramatic destinations, and we present three exciting trips from there. From the Kennedy Meadows Trailhead, major trails lead into Emigrant Wilderness, as well as into northern Yosemite National Park. Two trips depart south from the summit of Sonora Pass, both initially following the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) southbound, following the boundary between the Emigrant and Hoover Wilderness areas. Finally, once east of Sonora Pass, five trips depart south from the Leavitt Meadows Trailhead, a gateway to a string of subalpine lakes set like jewels in a long bracelet of handsome peaks.

Trailheads: Crabtree

Gianelli Cabin

Kennedy Meadows

Sonora Pass

Leavitt Meadows