TRAILS

This trail and peak honor Lord Baden-Powell, a British Army officer who founded the Boy Scout movement in 1907. The well-engineered trail, grooved into the side of the mountain by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the mid-1930s, switchbacks up the northeast ridge to the peak.

The peak was once known as North Baldy, before Southern California Boy Scouts lobbied the Forest Service for a name change. Mt Baden-Powell is the terminus of the scouts’ 53-mile Silver Moccasin Trail, a rugged week-long backpack through the San Gabriels.

I have fond memories of hiking Mt. Baden-Powell with my own Scout Troop 441 more than 40 years ago. It’s one of those hikes that I enjoy doing over and over again, and that I like to share with friends.

The trail follows a moderate, steady grade to the top of the mountain, where there’s a monument honoring Powell. On the summit, you’ll meet those ancient survivors, the limber pines, and be treated to superb views across the Mojave Desert and down into the Iron Fork of the San Gabriel River.

DIRECTIONS:

Take the Angeles Crest Highway (2) for 53 miles from La Cañada to the Vincent Gap Parking Area. The signed trailhead is at the northwest edge of the parking area. If you’re coming from the east, take Interstate 15 to the Wrightwood exit, three miles south of Cajon Pass. Proceed 8 miles west on Highway 138 to its intersection with Highway 2. Turn left on Highway 2 and drive 14 miles to the trailhead.

THE HIKE:

Begin the ascent from Vincent Gulch Divide, a gap separating the upper tributaries of the San Gabriel River to the south from Big Rock Creek to the northwest. The trail switchbacks southwest through Jeffrey pine and fir. The trail numbers more than three dozen of these switchbacks; however, so many inspiring scenes compete for the hiker’s attention it’s hard to get an accurate count.

In 1.5 miles, a side trail (unmarked) leads a hundred yards to Lamel Spring, an inviting resting place and the only dependable water en route.

With increased elevation, the switchbacks grow shorter and steeper and the vegetation changes from fir to lodgepole pine. Soon, even the altitude-loving lodgepoles give way to the heartiest of pines, the limber pine. A half-mile from the summit, around 9,000 feet in elevation, the first of these squat, thick-trunked limber pines come into view.

To Limber Pine Forest: A tiny sign points right (southwest) to the limber pine stand, 0.125 mile. These wind-loving, subalpine dwellers are one of the few living things that can cope with the rarefied atmosphere. Pinus flexilis, botanists call the species, for its long, droopy, flexible branches. They bow and scrape like hyperextended dancers and appear to gather all their nourishment from the wind.

Back on the main trail, a few more switchbacks bring you atop the ridge where Mt. Baldy can be glimpsed. Walk along the barren crest and intersect the Pacific Crest Trail. PCT swoops off to Little Jimmy Spring.

Continue past the limber pines to the summit. A concrete monument pays homage to Lord Baden-Powell. Enjoy the superb view out across the Mojave to the southern Sierra and east to Baldy, San Gorgonio and San Jacinto.

Interested in more hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains? Check out HIKE the San Gabriel Mountains

You can’t get any higher than the 14,495-foot summit of Mt. Whitney, highest of all peaks in the continental U.S., and a once-in-a-lifetime (at least!) hiking experience. Hikers come from around the nation and from countries around the world to climb the fairly popular Mt. Whitney Trail, which climbs the mountain’s most accessible slopes.

The hike on Mt. Whitney Trail from Whitney Portal to the summit is 21.4 miles round trip with 6,100-foot elevation gain.

The summit, on the eastern boundary of Sequoia National Park, can be climbed by the most fit and least altitude-sickness prone hikers in one day. Veteran hikers often make a before-dawn (3 to 4 a.m.) start for the climb to the peak.

You must secure a permit to hike to Mt. Whitney from the US Forest Service, the agency administering the trail. Check out The Trailmaster’s Mt. Whitney Hike Planner accompanying the trail description.

It’s somewhat fitting, somewhat not, that this highest of the High Sierra was named for geologist Josiah Dwight Whitney. At Whitney’s urging the California legislature founded and funded the California State Geological Survey in 1860 and placed him in charge.

In 1871, Whitney sent Clarence King, mountaineer extraordinaire and Geological Survey researcher, to the High Sierra for his second attempt (bad weather had hampered the first) at finding the highest peak. King reached what he thought was the highest peak and named it “Whitney.” Alas, it was discovered a few years later that King had climbed the wrong peak (Mt. Langley) located 6 miles south.

Before King could return to scale the right peak, some Lone Pine residents climbed it and named it Fisherman’s Peak.

The last couple miles of trail to Whitney’s summit is the climax of the John Muir Trail, which begins in Yosemite Valley; this meeting on the map of Muir and Whitney is ironic because Whitney really disliked the great naturalist.

Whitney had long insisted Yosemite Valley was the work of faulting. Upstart Muir advanced the then-revolutionary theory that Yosemite was carved by glaciers. “A mere sheepherder, an ignoramus,” Whitney called Muir. “A more absurd theory was never advanced.”

Unhappily for Whitney’s place in geologic history, Muir’s glaciation theory has proven to be largely correct. Still, Whitney’s name remains at the top, elevation-wise anyway, a few hundred feet higher than 14,015-foot Mt. Muir, just south of Mt. Whitney.

Answering the call of science (astronomy, meteorology) and scientists, Lone Pine residents financed and constructed the Mt. Whitney Trail in 1904. In 1909 a stone summit hut (which still stands today) was built by the Smithsonian Institute to study Mars.

Over the years, the trail has been rehabilitated and realigned. It stands today—graded switchbacks hewn out of granite walls—as one of the finest examples in America of the trail-builder’s art.

Directions: From Highway 395 in Lone Pine, turn west on Whitney Portal Road and drive 12 miles to Whitney Portal.

The hike: From Whitney Portal, the path ascends open country dotted with Jeffrey pine and white fir. About 0.75 mile out, a path forks west—the famed Mountaineer’s Route used by climbers who tackle the eastern slope of the great mountain. Mt. Whitney Trail soon crosses the north fork of Lone Pine Creek and shortly thereafter enters the John Muir Wilderness.

Switchbacks, long and short, ascend nearly 2 miles over sun-drenched slopes to Lone Pine Lake, visible from the main trail. A short (200 yards or so) side trail leads to the rock-walled lake. Perfect for a (cold) swim.

After another half mile of climbing, the path skirts the south side of Bighorn Park (a long meadow), ascending alongside Long Pine Creek and, after crossing the creek, reaches Outpost Camp. It’s a pleasant enough camp, but usually ignored by summit-bound hikers because it’s too low and too far from the top.

Farther up the trail, 4.3 miles from the trailhead, is tiny Mirror Lake (10,640 feet). Switchbacking above the lake, the trail passes some rather stunted foxtail pine and emerges above treeline. The path traverses Trailside Meadow, seasonally splashed with wildflowers. About 6.1 miles out, you climb to 12,000 feet and reach Trail Camp, last (highest) place to camp on the mountain.

Now tackle the famed switchbacks, 96 of them. First there are some longer ones and then, about halfway along the 2.25-mile ascent to Trailcrest, you’ll encounter a series of switchbacks fitted with handrails. If you’re hiking this trail when its icy, you’ll know why the handrails were installed. Use them and appreciate them.

About 8.5 miles from the trailhead, you’ll reach Trailcrest, a pass located at 13,714 feet at the boundary of Sequoia National Park. With nearly a hundred switchbacks under your boots, you get a feeling of accomplishment when you look down at Trail Camp, seemingly so small and so far down the mountain.

The climb resumes as the path winds among large blocks of talus and between dramatic rock pinnacles. Enjoy stone-framed views of Owens Valley to the East. As for the western view, well, don’t look if you’re afraid of heights because there’s quite a drop-off. Nevertheless, while an acrophobe’s nightmare, the trail is plenty wide and distinct as it traverses the ridge.

About 10 miles out, Whitney’s summit pops into view and you continue around to the southwest side of the peak. Choose among several steep summit routes marked with cairns. Gaining the summit, you’ll find a register next to the mountaineers hut, and the very highest point just east of the hut.

Oh, the view from all directions: To the north, the panorama of summits includes Mt. Williamson (second-highest peak in the continental U.S.) and to the south the procession of peaks includes Mt. Langley and Mt. Muir. To the west are the Sawtooth Peaks, the Kaweah Peaks and a section of the Great Western Divide and to the east, shimmering like some mirage far below is the Owens Valley.

While it’s tempting to want to linger on the summit for a long and well-deserved rest, be aware that hikers frequently underestimate the length of time required for the descent. You do not want to rush down the mountain on rubbery legs—that’s how injuries occur—and you want to return to the trailhead before dark. Enjoy your passage down the mountain, but remember to stay focused and watch your step.

Most of the San Gabriel Mountains lie just north of metro Los Angeles and within Angeles National Forest, one of the nation’s most popular national forests for hiking. For more than a century the range has delighted Southland residents seeking quiet retreats and tranquil trails.

The San Gabriel Mountains are popular with hikers for good reason; in fact, for a lot of good reasons. An obvious reason for the range’s popularity is its close proximity to the 16 million people living in the greater Los Angeles area. The region has a well-deserved auto-centric reputation, yet boasts one of the largest concentrations of hikers in North America. (Arrive early to find parking at such popular trailheads as Chantry Flat!)

The range’s front country offers the hiker inviting arroyos, fine vista points and easy-to-access trailheads from the metropolitan flatlands. Angeles Crest Highway offers a scenic byway to the high country, grand mountain peaks and a wealth of taller trees.

My first hiking was in the San Gabriel Mountains with the Boy Scouts of Troop 441, Downey, California. When I was 12 years old, I hiked the 53-mile long Silver Moccasin Trail with a half-dozen boys and our Scoutmaster Arnold Blankenship.

I was the youngest and smallest of the group and still remember the butterflies in my stomach at the beginning of the trail at Chantry Flats Ranger Station. And then we were off—traversing up, down and through deep canyons and along the high ridges of the mountains. The landscape seemed to change every day, from lowland chaparral slopes to oak-lined canyons to fir and pine forests.

I still remember the intriguing names on the land: West Fork, Shortcut Canyon, Chilao Flat, Three Points, Cloudburst Summit, Islip Saddle… We put snow in our Sierra Cups and stirred in Wyler’s lemonade mix. No snow cone ever tasted so good. Little Johnny grew up a lot on that trip and, as the week progressed, I moved from the back of the pack to the middle to the front, until when it came time for summiting a couple of peaks, I passed everyone.

“Look out boys, Johnny has summit fever,” our Scoutmaster declared, as I raced past the big guys. “Does that mean he has to go home?” one of the boys asked. “No, summit fever, that’s a good thing,” our leader explained. “You better catch it yourself or that little squirt is going to beat you to the top by half an hour.”

Many years have passed since my scout days and yet I still get summit fever when approaching the San Gabriel Mountains. The mountains give me “Arroyo Fever” and “Foothill Fever,” too. Surely a million more hikers have felt exactly the same way: hikers have been tramping the trails and enjoying the natural beauty of the mountains since the 1890s.

One of the first trail construction projects in the San Gabriels began in 1864 when Benjamin Wilson built a path to his timbering venture on the mountain that now bears his name. William Sturtevant, who came to California from Colorado in the early 1880s and became a premier packer and trail guide, linked and improved trails and made it possible to cross the mountains from west to east.

More trails were built around the turn of the 20th century when Southern California’s “Great Hiking Era” began. Many rustic trail resorts were later built to serve the needs of hikers. Today, only vintage photographs and scattered resort ruins remind us of these happy times, but that by-gone era left us a superb network of trails — hundreds of miles of paths linking all major peaks, camps and streams.

I enjoyed sharing accounts of trails in the mountains during my long service as the Los Angeles Times Hiking Columnist. I—in fact, all hikers—owe a debt of gratitude to John Robinson, who described 100 hikes in Trails of the Angeles, first published in 1971 and still the best and most comprehensive guide to the trail network in Angeles National Forest. Robinson also wrote The San Gabriels and several excellent histories of the San Gabriel Mountains.

With a huge variation in terrain and elevation, the San Gabriel Mountains are not easily divided by geography into areas to hike. For purposes of geographic orientation, some recreation experts divide the San Gabriel Mountains into a front country and backcountry, foothills and high country. Sometimes the mountains are segmented into an east end, west end, south side, north side, city side, desert side, urban interface and alpine wilderness.

That’s a bit too complicated for The Trailmaster. I focused on the task of selecting hikes you’re sure to like in the canyons and foothills and from high country trailheads along Angeles Crest Highway.

HIKE the San Gabriel Mountains is an opinionated sampling of the range’s delights, from the famed Arroyo Seco to foothills above the San Gabriel Valley to subalpine wilderness and tall summits. Some of the more challenging trails climb the towering backbone of the range, a 30-mile long massif that includes the highest peaks in the range: Mt. Islip (8,250 feet) Mt. Baden-Powell (9,399 feet) and Mt. San Antonio (Baldy), the top summit at 10,068 feet.

Melting snow and rain flows from the shoulders of high peaks feed the range’s largest river, the San Gabriel. The river divides into a dramatic East Fork known for its fierce resistance highway projects (and “Bridge to Nowhere”) and a more mellow West Fork, renown for its trout fishing. Both forks, as well as famed Arroyo Seco, offer great hiking.

You’ll find memorable day hikes along one of the nation’s premiere long-distance trails, famed Pacific Crest Trail, which extends across the crest of the San Gabriel Mountains. And be sure to take a hike along another Trailmaster favorite — the 28.5-mile-long Gabrielino National Recreation Trail. The Forest Service, rarely given to bursts of lyricism, describes it thus: “This trail has been created for you—the city dweller—so that you might exchange, for a short time, the hectic scene of your urban life for the rugged beauty and freedom of adventure into the solitary wonderland of nature.”

Let’s start a second “Great Hiking Era” in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Geography

Sixty miles long, 20 miles wide, the San Gabriels extend from Soledad Canyon on the west to Cajon Pass on the east. The mountains bless Los Angeles by keeping out hot desert winds, and curse it by keeping in the smog.

The San Gabriel Mountains, known as a Transverse Range, extend east-west across the state. The range is young (less than a million years in its present location), dynamic (it moves and grooves with the San Andreas Earthquake Fault), and complex; the fractured and shattered mountains are composed of many different kinds of rocks of diverse ages.

The San Gabriels are divided lengthwise into a steeper southern front range and a taller northern range by a series of east-west trending canyons. The southern foothills of the mountains rise abruptly 4,000 feet above the L.A. Basin. Mt. San Antonio (Baldy), at 10,068 feet the highest peak in the range, anchors the eastern end of the range.

Natural History

“The slopes are exceptionally steep and insecure to the foot and they are covered with thorny bushes from five to ten feet high” was how the great naturalist John Muir described the front range of the San Gabriels. The “thorny bushes” of Muir’s description belong to the dominant plant community of the mountains—the chaparral.

Other front-range attractions are the arroyos. These boulder-strewn washes may seem dry and lifeless in the bottomland; however, a hiker following an arroyo’s course upward may soon find lush creekside flora, including ferns and wildflowers, shaded by oak, sycamore and alder.

Higher elevations have a wealth of taller trees: Jeffrey pine, Ponderosa pine, lodgepole pine and the rare limber pine, as well as white fir and cedar.

A huge range of elevations (1,000 to 10,064 feet) means a diversity of environments and a wide variety of birds and wildlife. Larger mammals in the mountains include deer, bears, mountain lions, bobcats and the Nelson bighorn sheep.

History

First to use the mountains were the native Shoshone, or Gabrielino. For the most part they lived in the valleys and lowlands, and used the mountains for gathering food and hunting animals.

The Spanish gave the range two names: Sierra Madre (Mother Range) and Sierra de San Gabriel. Both were used until 1927 when the U.S. Board of Geographic Names decided upon the latter.

As early as the 1880s, it became obvious to Southern Californians the mountains should be protected from the destruction caused by indiscriminate logging and other ventures. In 1892, the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve was proclaimed by President Harrison. It was the first forest reserve in California, and the second in the U.S. (The first was Yellowstone.) The name was changed to San Gabriel National Forest in 1907, and to the Angeles National Forest a year later.

At the dawn of the 20th century, with President Theodore Roosevelt urging Americans to lead “the strenuous life,” Southland hikers headed for the nearby San Gabriels and spawned “The Great Hiking Era.” Soon every major canyon on the south side of the mountains had resorts or trail camps that offered hikers food and lodging.

Depression-era public works projects of the 1930s brought about a golden age of public campground construction. Angeles Crest Highway, built between 1929 and 1956, linked many of the best high mountain picnic and camping areas.

Administration

The bulk of the San Gabriel Mountains (694,187 acres) is under the jurisdiction of Angeles National Forest, 701 N. Santa Anita Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006. Call 626-574-1613 or visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/angeles for the latest road and trail conditions, and information about user fees for campgrounds and select day-use areas.

For more information about Placerita Canyon County Park, call 661-661-7721 or visit www.placerita.org; for Eaton Canyon County Park, call 626-398-5420 or visit www.ecnca.org.

Learn more about the good work of the San Gabriel Mountains Trail Builders at www.sgmtrailbuilders.org

Fire, Flood and Footpaths

The 2009 Station Fire burned some 161,189 acres in the San Gabriel Mountains. The fire burned for more than a month and by some accounts was the worst in Los Angeles County history, consuming 250 acres and fully one quarter of Angeles National Forest.

Areas that have been popular with hikers for more than a hundred years, such as the Arroyo Seco, Mt. Wilson and Charlton Flats were blackened by the blaze. About 133 miles of trail were scorched by the fire.

As a veteran hiker of these mountains, I can assure you that the fire-decimated chaparral will soon re-grow, and that the ceanothus, chamise, manzanita and toyon will return sooner rather than later. (Unfortunately, I can give no such assurances about the speedy recovery of the pine-forested areas of the San Gabriels.)

Hike smart, reconnect with nature and have a wonderful time on the trail.
Hike on,
John McKinney

Interested in more hikes in the San Gabriel Mountains? Check out my HIKE the San Gabriel Mountains

The tram tour of Yosemite Valley is fine, but to really appreciate the valley, hit the trail. On this heart of the valley walkabout, you’ll enjoy vistas of many of its most famed attractions.

Veteran valley hikers all have their favorite loops: long and short, Village Loop or Lodge Loop. Hiking options are limited only by the finite number of bridges over the Merced River.

This is The Trailmaster’s favorite middle-distance Yosemite Valley jaunt. Lengthen the described loop by continuing west to Bridalveil Meadow and Bridalveil Fall or by meandering east via the network of paths connecting The Ahwanee, Curry Village and Yosemite Village.

In spring, segments of the trail can be underwater. Be careful walking along Northside Drive.

DIRECTIONS TO YOSEMITE VALLEY LOOP

Day-use parking is available at Yosemite Lodge at the Falls. Or take the valley shuttle bus to stop #8 right in front of the lodge. Walk to the eastern end of the lodge complex and parking area and curve up to Northside Drive.

THE HIKE

Cross Northside Drive to meet the east-west trending footpath near its junction with Lower Yosemite Fall Trail and hike west (left) on the path. The wide path soon leads to the major Yosemite Falls trailhead and the wide paths that lead to the falls. Enjoy vistas of the three-tiered wonder as you continue southwest to the busy parking lot of Camp 4.

Camp 4, by far the least expensive place to sleep in the park, attracts at least four kinds of visitors: Europeans (mostly young), Americans (mostly young), budget travelers of all ages and rock climbers.

Some of the best rock climbers in the world came to the valley to challenge Yosemite’s walls in the years after World War II. They gathered at Camp 4 to share their ideas about routes and gear.

Follow the path southwest through camp and surrounding woodland to Northside Drive. A crosswalk beckons you to cross the road and check out Leidig Meadow. The meadow, named for hoteliers Isabella and George Leidig who constructed an inn situated below Sentinel Rock in 1869, offers grand views of Half Dome, Clouds Rest and much more.

After admiring the meadow, double-back across Northside Drive and continue on the path a short distance to the actual crossing of the road and a trail sign indicating it’s 2.3 miles to El Capitan and 5.9 miles to Bridalveil Fall.

The path meanders between Northside Road and the willow- and cottonwood-cloaked north bank of the Merced River. Cross Northside Road to El Capitan Picnic Area or pick your own picnic spot along the Merced.

While hikers can’t help spending a lot of time looking up at the majestic walls of the valley, the valley floor is worth a close look as well. Yellow pine forest is the dominant environment, though tree-lovers will find other pines, including Ponderosa, lodgepole and sugar, as well as oaks, willows and dogwood. The valley’s large meadows are seasonally sprinkled with such wildflowers as Chinese Houses, California poppy, Western buttercup, Indian pink and star flower.

Continue another 0.5 mile west along the Merced to Devil’s Elbow, which doesn’t sound named for fun, but actually is kind of Yosemite’s Riviera—a sandy beach with plenty of flat rocks for sunbathing. The view of El Capitan from Devil’s Elbow was one of the great photographer Ansel Adams’ favorites.

Cross the river via the road over El Capitan Bridge, a great place from which to observe mighty El Capitan, towering 3,593 feet above the Merced River. Rock climbers are frequently seen ascending the monolith, one of the largest blocks of exposed granite in the world.

From the bridge, pick up the signed bridle path (“Curry Village 4.1 miles”) heading southeast. Admire the Cathedral Rocks and Cathedral Spires on the eastern side of the valley; some hikers think these rocks are as impressive as El Capitan. One of the most famous works of art inspired by Yosemite, Cathedral Rocks, Yosemite Valley, Winter, was created in 1872 by the renowned landscape painter Albert Bierstadt.

Cross Southside Drive, head briefly south, then east, on a two-mile stretch of trail in the shadow of the valley’s south wall. Savor magnificent views of the valley’s north wall, including Upper and Lower Yosemite Falls.

Hiking this stretch of Yosemite Valley’s floor delivers a view lost to most motorists. When you get away from what John Muir termed “blunt-nosed mechanical beetles,” and set out afoot, the scale and grandeur of all that stone meeting sky—Royal Arches, North Dome, Clouds Rest, Half Dome and more—increases exponentially.

Isn’t it romantic?

Well, a lot of people think so. Yellow Pine Beach and Sentinel Beach along the Merced River are favorite sites for weddings. Cross Southside Drive to visit the fine facilities and check out the nuptials-friendly scene: a pretty part of the river, lovely meadows and views of Yosemite Falls.

Back on the trail, cross Sentinel Creek and after another 0.25 mile passes a junction with Four-Mile Trail that ascends to Glacier Point. Continue another 0.25 mile and cross Southside Drive to Swinging Bridge Picnic Area. Hike over the bridge and return to Yosemite Lodge via the paved bike path that skirts Leidig Meadow.

Hike On.
John McKinney,
The Trailmaster

Interested in more hikes in Yosemite? Check out HIKE Yosemite.

Lush and lovely Tuolumne Meadows is likely the national park’s best known site outside of Yosemite Valley and for good reason. Easily accessible by short trails, the High Sierra’s largest sub-alpine meadow is a glorious, wildflower-splashed basin ringed by forested slopes, roundish domes and sharp summits.

John Muir’s first summer in the Sierra was spent as a shepherd, tending a flock of some 2,000 sheep pastured in Tuolumne Meadows. Muir’s journals of that time are filled with the wonders of nature he observed along with his first thoughts about the preservation of Yosemite. Muir soon realized that sheep, which he later characterized as “hoofed locusts,” and other grazing animals could destroy an alpine meadow.

Today a length of the John Muir Trail crosses the great naturalist’s beloved Tuolumne Meadows. Other paths lead to Parsons Memorial Lodge named for Edward Parsons, who fought alongside John Muir to preserve the park, Hetch Hetchy Valley and other wildlands during the early days of the Sierra Club. After Parsons, an accomplished photographer, outings leader and early Sierra Club President died in 1915, the Club constructed this lodge in his honor.

Parsons Lodge, long ago deeded to the National Park Service, has served as a reading room/ library for generations of visitors. Many a hiker has found a cool retreat on a hot summer’s day or taken refuge from an afternoon thunderstorm.

Interpretive signs posted sporadically along Tuolumne Meadows paths offer insights about Parsons, Muir, the old Tioga Road and the Native American tribes who visited the meadows for so many centuries. For more information about the meadows, visit Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center (open summer only), located about 0.1 mile west of the trailhead on Tioga Road.

DIRECTIONS TO TUOLUMNE MEADOWS

I like to begin this ramble from the north side of Tioga Road, just 0.1 mile east of Tuolumne Meadows Visitor Center. Parking is along both sides of Tioga Road. Some hikers prefer to access the Tuolumne Meadows trail system from the Lembert Dome/Glen Aulin/Soda Springs trailhead located a little farther to the east.

THE HIKE

The wide path extends north across the meadows. Families linger along the bends of the Tuolumne River to fish or to enjoy one of the best picnic spots on the planet.

Cross the wooden bridge over the Tuolumne River, bend left along the river and take the signed trail forking right to Parsons Memorial Lodge. From the lodge, follow the signed path very briefly east to Soda Springs, a muddy area where carbonated water percolates up from the ground.

The trail loops past some interpretive plaques then angles back toward the bridge over the Tuolumne River. From here, retrace your steps back to the trailhead.

Hike on.
John McKinney,
The Trailmaster

P.S. Interested in more hikes at Yosemite National Park? Check out HIKE Yosemite

Come for the sequoia, stay for the Sierra. And take a hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

If you only drive through you’ll be disappointed: Sequoia and Kings Canyon have the superlative scenery and postcard views found in the country’s most noted national parks, but you have to hike to find them.

What can you expect on a hike?

For a great preview of hiking trails in Sequoia National Park check out Nature Valley Trail View. Creators of the site used a camera positioned above a hiker to gather 360-degrees of images from along the trail. The site is sponsored by Nature Valley, maker of the best-selling granola bars, and a longtime supporter of national parks.

Visitors can zoom in on park maps to get panoramic views of 50 miles trail in Sequoia National Park. Similar to Google Street View, which gives a pedestrian’s eye view of cities, the site allows you to “walk” forward or backward and to gaze off in any direction.

Along with Sequoia National Park, the Nature Valley Trail View site also features more than 300 miles of hiking trails in the Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains and Yellowstone National Parks.

Naturally the groves of sequoia are the primary draw to both namesake Sequoia National Park and to Kings Canyon National Park. “Noblest of a noble race,” is how the great naturalist John Muir described the trees, biggest on earth, and the prime reason for the formation of the parks. General Sherman, standing 274 feet tall and measuring 36.5 feet in diameter at the base of its massive trunk, is the largest of the large trees.

Scenic 46-mile-long Generals Highway connects the national parks and offers access to the most popular sequoia groves, but auto travel is restricted to lower and middle elevations, so if you want to fully experience the park you need to hike into the Sierra Nevada high country.

Long-distance backpacking expeditions aren’t required to reach many of the alpine charms of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Where the road ends, an extensive trail system begins and many of the parks’ most compelling natural attractions—waterfalls, rivers, lakes, vista points and remote sequoia groves—can be reached by easy, moderate and all-day hikes.

HIKE Sequoia & Kings Canyon collects my favorite day hikes in what the National Park Service considers to be the five major regions of the parks: Giant Forest, Mineral King and the Foothills areas of Sequoia National Park plus the Grant Grove and Cedar Grove areas of Kings Canyon National Park.

The groves are great, but it’s possible to take many hikes in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks without sighting a single sequoia. Hillsides with chaparral and dotted with oaks aren’t exactly rare in California but the California Foothills ecosystem in the lower elevations around Ash Mountain in Sequoia National Park is the only one in the nation under National Park Service protection. Some foothill trails, including footpaths along forks of the Kaweah River, can be hiked all year around.

Mineral King, a gorgeous, avalanche-scoured valley ringed by rugged 12,000-foot peaks, is another area irresistible to hikers. Views from atop the Great Western Divide and the many lakes hidden in glacial cirques compel hikers to return summer after summer.

The hiking season for much of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks is a fairly short one. Middle elevations—5,000 to 9,000 feet—are often snow-covered from November through May. In Mineral King, and higher in the High Sierra, the season can be even shorter.

If you have only one day (promise yourself to return soon when you have more time!), drive from Grant Grove to Giant Forest or vice-versa and hike amidst the magnificent sequoia in each locale.
Ideally, the hiker needs at least three days to get a fair sampling of Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks. Take in the sequoia groves on the first day, on the second day, head for the high country (Lakes Trail is a good choice) and on the third day, take a hike in Mineral King.

More than one million visitors per year pass through the parks, and major trails are well-traveled during the summer, but I’ve rarely felt overwhelmed by humanity when hiking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Many hikers have told me they have found quiet and tranquility on the trail to the park’s natural treasures—provided, of course, you avoid tourist-trafficked hot spots such as Moro Rock and General Sherman Tree.

When I hit the trail in Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, I feel as if I’m living large and hiking larger: the trees are huge, the mountains high, the canyons deep and the trail system is quite extensive—a well-maintained network of more than 800 miles. The parks offer hundreds of thousands of acres of untouched Sierra high country, of which more than 90 percent is designated wilderness. If you’re a hiker, that’s a dream come true.

Hike smart, reconnect with nature and have a wonderful time on the trail.

Hike on.

—John McKinney