Eastern Sierra Tour

Dogs No Dogs

Features Commonly Backpacked · Hot Spring · Lake · River/Creek · Views · Waterfall · Wildlife

This early-season loop through the Southern Sierra and Golden Trout Wilderness offers stunning meadows, alpine views, and iconic trails like the High Sierra Trail and Pacific Crest Trail. Starting at Horseshoe Meadows in Inyo National Forest, the route descends into Kern Canyon, following the Kern River through remote backcountry with giant sequoias and grassy meadows. From there, it climbs to the high country via Wallace Creek, gaining 2,000 feet in just three miles, revealing panoramic views of the Kaweahs and Great Western Divide. The rest of the route stays above 10,000 feet, traveling south on the PCT behind Mt. Whitney, with the option to summit.

This hike begins and ends in Golden Trout Wilderness, Land Manager USFS - Inyo National Forest Office, where dogs are allowed. However, dogs are not allowed in Sequoia National Park where more than half of this hike travels.

A permit is needed for this overnight hike. This permit can be reserved on recreation.gov, entry point Trail Pass.

Golden Trout Wildrness - Trail Start to Lower Kern Bridge (Mile 0 - 20)
At the Horseshoe Meadow trailhead sign at the end of the parking area, the Tour begins. After a half mile go left at a trail fork onto Trail Pass Trail to head off across Horseshoe Meadow, the first of many meadows. These meadows are a mix of sandy areas and low vegetation. Forested hills surround and separate these meadows. At the far side of Horseshoe Meadow, the trail enters forest, and climbs to Trail Pass. After dropping down the other side of the pass, for the next 7 miles, the trail crosses sandy areas and meadows, all surrounded by forested hills.

After 11 miles, one finds themself on Golden Trout Creek Trail that follows Golden Trout Creek downstream until the creek empties into the Kern River. Undergrowth is thicker and meadows are grassier. Nearing the Kern Canyon/River, the creek is down in a valley that becomes deeper with steeper, rockier sides as both trail and creek descend. A natural bridge is crossed, impressive cliffs appear, and the trail soon reaches a stretch of rocky, switchbacks down the Kern Canyon cliffs to the Kern River.

Kern Canyon - Lower Kern Bridge to Junction Meadow trail camp(MIle 20 - 39 )
Kern River is crossed on the impressive Lower Kern Bridge, and the trail veers north to follow the River upstream for the next 19 miles. Kern Canyon walls are 1,000 - 3,000 foot cliffs with the Kern River flowing along the Canyon floor. In places the trail is next to the River, and other places it's a bit further away with the River seen through the trees. Although the trail stays near (or at) the bottom of Kern Canyon without ever climbing the Canyon's walls, sometimes it looks down on the River, and other times it runs at the same level as the River. The Canyon bottom is mostly forest, beautiful sequoia forest. The trail travels through the sequoia forest, but occasionally breaks out of the forest when the hillside is too steep for trees right at the foot of the Canyon walls and rock slides. Along the River, are small, grassy meadows in places, however the trail does not run through these fragile, pristine meadows.

Landmarks passed include Funston Meadows, Rattlesnake Creek/Trail/Point, Big Arroyo, Chagoopa Falls, Kern Hot Spring, the High Sierra Trail junction, and Junction Meadow.

Climb out of Kern Canyon - Junction Meadow trail camp to PCT(Mile 39 - 42.5)
After passing Junction Meadow, the trail begins to leave Kern River and climb out of Kern Canyon. A trail junction is reached after about a mile - follow the arrow to stay on the High Sierra Trail. For the next 3 miles, the trail climbs along Wallace Creek, above the creek, in its steep sided valley. This is a very scenic stretch - views down Kern Canyon, the Kaweahs and Great Western Divide, and the steeply cascading Wallace Creek with its mini-waterfalls all contribute to the beauty. Wright Creek is crossed with waterfalls on both sides of the trail.

High Country - Along the PCT to Trail End (Mile 42.5 - 70)
After climbing along Wallace Creek, the trail meets up with the PCT and turns south to travel along the PCT. Now in the Sierra high country, the trail is at 9,500 - 11,500 feet with ups and downs, for the rest of this Tour. The terrain is thinly forested, with no undergrowth, and dotted with occassional small meadows along the way. Heading south on the PCT, Wallace Creek is crossed, the trail goes over its first ridge, Mt Guyot appears to the south, and the trail drops down to Crabtree Meadows, a popular place for a side trip up Mt. Whitney. Continuing on, the trail goes over another ridge, and then passes Mt Guyot at Guyot Pass. A long descent then brings one to the Rock Creek crossing. Leaving Rock Creek behind, the trail climbs Siberian Outpost, a high ridge with great views. After a 6 mile ridge walk, the trail drops down, re-enters Golden Trout Wilderness, passes Chicken Spring Lake, and goes over Cottonwood Pass to end the Tour where it started.

Everything from sandy flats to grassy meadows and low vegetation meadows, pine forested hills, sequoia forests, thin fir forested high country with no undergrowth, and barren rocky areas. Deer, bears, coyotes or foxes, rattlesnakes in some exposed rocky places, and small animals, depending on where in this Tour, all live here.