From there, it's a pretty uninteresting climb up to Little Five. Windy and difficult road to reach … We woke up at 5:30 (15min before sunrise) to do some shooting at the biggest of the lake... some of the best photos I've ever taken, no doubt. Elevation gain: … Cliff Creek (low point between Timber Gap and Black Rock Pass, has bear box) or Pinto Lake (3 miles up the Black Rock Pass climb), Little Five Lakes basin or Big Five Lakes basin (options to detour off trail to multiple lakes), Lost Canyon (pretty and scenic) or Columbine Lake (dramatic, more exposed), Monarch Lake (only about 4 miles from Sawtooth trailhead), Prepare for typical high Sierra weather: often clear and very sunny (bring sunscreen!) Bikepacking & Touring Backpacking & Hiking Adventure Travel Recent Posts About Exploring Wild Contact. We camped at Pinto Lake, Upper Big 5 Lakes, and Columbine Lake. Learn more. You’ll get warmed up on Timber Gap before tackling the taller Black Rock Pass, descending into the area around Big Five Lakes and Lost Canyon, before tackling Sawtooth Pass and dropping back down to where you started. Mineral King Trail Map: Bearpaw Meadow, Franklin Pass, Little Five Lakes, Hockett Meadow, High Sierra Trail, Funston Meadow, Silver City, Chag (Tom Harrison Maps) by Tom Harrison Maps. +/- 12,000 feet of elevation with a starting elevation of 7,800 feet and a peak elevation of 11,800 feet.Highlights include alpine lakes, expansive granite canyon views, and … Walk through meadowy green scenery until finally it opens up and you are surrounded by massive mountains on either side. I liked this way! 3rd night and day should be a trek to columbine, stay in the area with the sand don’t be too close to the lake the wind is a killer. To reach Mineral King from Visalia, CA, follow Highway 198 East for 31.5 miles to the Mineral King Road and turn right. Thanks so much in advance! The route begins with a big climb up Farewell Gap Trail toward Farewell Gap, but you’ll make a left turn before the gap and continue climbing to Franklin Pass. The alternate route over Hands and Knees Pass ... Back country camping requires a free Wilderness permit. Seriously, like another reviewer said - buck the trend, go counterclockwise, you'll thank us later. BLUF: If you get a wilderness permit and pay online, you must then email that payment confirmation to the ranger office. That said, the section through Lost Canyon and over Sawtooth Pass (which loop 3 skips) is highly scenic. The view south of the Kaweah Peaks is priceless, and as the sun sets it magically illuminates the already red colored Kaweah Peaks range. Camped at pinto, Lower big 5, and lost canyon. Mineral King – Timber Gap to Blackrock Pass to Sawtooth Pass « All Events. This ones a bit different, with a deep blue surrounded by gray rock. Posted by 7 days ago. Day 3 - The best day of the trip, because this is the day that cements your delight in going counter-clockwise. Easy, all down hill, pretty views. Day 1 - A shorter day, our first stop was Monarch lake after starting from the trailhead around 11:00. It's the ideal send-off for this route: a final 2300ft climb through forest, then above a cascade waterfall, and finally to a flat gap with wildlife aplenty. Sequoia National Park charges a fee to enter. Mineral King Trail Map: Bearpaw Meadow, Franklin Pass, Little Five Lakes, Hockett Meadow, High Sierra Trail, Funston Meadow, Silver City, Chag (Tom Harrison Maps) Map – July 3, 2012 by Tom Harrison Maps (Author), Tom Harrison (Editor, Illustrator) 5.0 out of 5 stars 3 ratings. They’ve been known to chew through important parts of peoples’ cars, causing overnight parkers to wrap their vehicles in tarps. This version of Mineral King Loop shares the Lost Canyon Trail and Sawtooth Pass Trail with version 1, but instead of starting to the north it starts heading south from Farewell Gap / Franklin Lakes Trailhead. Trip writeup (counterclockwise) on Marmot.com, Most Popular Backpacks on the John Muir Trail. I also found that the campsites going counter-clockwise were perfectly spaced apart for a 4-night trip. The descent down to Columbine was fairly rocky, with some (very) light routefinding required above the lake. I’m taking a friend on a ~4 day trip in a few weeks to SEKI and the plan is the fish as much as possible. Overall a fantastic hike, views & stargazing at Columbine lake were amazing, but just know what you're getting yourselves into! Take some time to appreciate the views. Fires are prohibited in Little Five Lakes Basin. Each has a different daily quota, found on page 11 of the Wilderness Trip Planner. If so, please consider sharing so it can help other explorers too: Hello, I am so thrilled to find this information. There are two campgrounds along Mineral King Road: Cold Springs and Atwell Mill. The combination of three USGS 7.5-minute quadrangles: Mineral King, Chagoopa Falls, and Triple Divide Peak. We will leave from Timber Gap through Redwood Meadow, Bearpaw Meadow over Kaweah Gap to Little Five Lakes, Big Five Lakes, over Franklin Pass and to Franklin Lake then out. I didn't realize that the ranger station closed at 4 and there's no after-hours way to get a wilderness permit. Day 4: 7:30 - 9:30, 4.4 miles, Monarch Lake -> Trail Head The Quick and Dirty: Location: Sequoia National Forest, Mineral King Distance: 28-29 miles (we looked at 3 maps, all different mileage) Terrain Type: Rolling, high, and long elevation climbs and descents Difficulty: Strenuous Best Time: Late summer and early fall, the road is closed when there is snow fall Special Conditions: Permit needed for over night camping. Mineral King Ranger Station: … Not sure about fires. Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' wilderness. Will not recommend this to first timers. Fire regs are by basin by elevation. Finally, you'll reach Columbine Lake (so many beautiful lakes!!!). Mineral King is an area, only accessible by a very curvy twenty one mile long road, South East of the main entrance of Sequoia National Park. Whitney; Does not include camping or hiking on the classic Mt. Don’t be fooled by the short mileage, the elevation gain/altitude make it TOUGH, but the views make it worth your effort. Fished and ate. Access to trails beyond. Distance: 36.3 miles. When parking at Mineral King Ranger Station, put all your food in the bear boxes and beware of marmots. The sun rises early and the ground warms quickly. BLOG; ALL THINGS BIKE ... Little Five Basin is arguably one of the most magical spots in the whole Sierra–but I may be biased since I lived there for one mind-blowing summer as a backcountry ranger. Consisting of 3 high passes and dozens of High Sierra Lakes, there is reason this loop is one of the more popular backpacking routes in the area. Bullfrog Lakes: These lakes are the headwaters to the Little Kern River. Does anyone know any good routes that hit a lot of lakes, preferably without too many miles? Finally, getting permits for Monarch Lake may be easier than for Cliff/Pinto. Rain seems very unlikely (still have outer top shell and rainfly incase) Some clothing isn't shown in the pic but is shown on the list. like everyone says. They're both beautiful. Backpacked this incredible loop clockwise 7/20/20 - 7/23/20. We decided to backpack counter-clockwise –contrary to the popular choice – and, in my opinion, it was absolutely the correct route. To Bearpaw and exit at Crescent Meadow. First allowed campsite - Lower Monarch Lake (4.2 miles). like everyone says. 2nd night stay at one of the little five lakes they’re gorgeous and give you ample protection from the wind. This day was tough. Absolutely amazing. At mile 5, the bottom of your descent, you will come across Cliff Creek. Day 2 - At daybreak, we tackled Sawtooth Pass in the cool morning air. Today would be a bit of downhill after a day hike over to the Big Five Lakes. Allows summiting Mt. Trail: Sawtooth trailhead to Franklin Lakes trailhead Distance: 38.9-miles loop Elevation Gain: 10,487′ Location: Sequoia National Park, Mineral King, CA. Fires are prohibited in Little Five Lakes Basin. ROUTE Er führt entlang eines Sees, entlang eines Flusses und es gibt einen Wasserfall und schöne Wildblumen. There are several day and multi-day backcountry hiking loop options available Both are first come first served and cost $12 per night. I descended down to the Lower Big 5 lake. Upper lake is 5.25 miles. Read honest and unbiased product reviews from our users. Posted by 6 days ago. First night stay at pinto not lake it’s a marsh (beware of skeeters) it’s the best before you go up black rock. Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail [GESCHLOSSEN] ist ein 27.7 Meilen langer, moderat besuchter Rundweg in der Nähe von Three Rivers, Kalifornien. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. The climb up to Big Five Lakes from there was pleasant. Remember to pack light for those burly climbs, and enjoy the views! Here's why: you can climb Sawtooth Pass in the shade, you avoid the 3,000ft slog up Blackrock from Pinto Lake, and you don't have to climb over Timber Gap to start. On the second day, start as early as possible (sunrise would be best), as the hike towards Black Rock pass gets increasingly steeper and more difficult. share. I wouldn't necessarily recommend one over the other, but we mostly stuck to the route shown on the AllTrails map. I posted a TR on Mineral King from 7/20-24. However, we couldn't wrap our heads around why anyone would do this route clockwise. Discover trails like Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail California, find information like trail length, elevation, difficulty, activities, and nearby businesses. Moreover, I was also specific wondering if some of the backpacking routes like Rae Lakes or Mineral King to Little Five Lakes would be open during this late march period. Timber Gap Trail: Begins at the Sawtooth Parking Lot. The Mt. save hide … I’m Alissa, your virtual guide, here to help you make your biggest, boldest adventure dreams a reality. As for shortening the trip to 3 nights/4 days, you’ll find the last day to be a real bear if you go through Black Rock Pass from Little Five Lakes back to Mineral King Trailhead. Fill up your water at the river by Pinto. Lakes, vistas, access to Glacier Pass, Big and Little Five … This was by far the most physically demanding part of the trip. The first part of the canyon, by the way, is the only flat half-mile on this entire route. You might … This was actually our favorite night - washing up in, and falling asleep next to, a small waterfall there was the perfect last night for our trip. It's easy to lose the trail here, but basically you need to walk about halfway around the lake and you'll find the trail (there are some cairns) that leads you up to sawtooth pass. You'll go up a bit, see another small lake, and then descend a lot as you walk through a pine forest towards Lost Canyon. Trail Overview Trail: Eagle Lake from Mineral King Valley Distance: 7.2 miles round trip Elevation Gain/Loss: 2,175 ft. Absolutely loved this route, and shout-out to the reviewers that help us decide to go counter-clockwise! Completed 6/28-7/1. Popular horse trail. As you're climbing up, be sure to look back and admire the canyon you just walked through. Lowest elevation: 7,161 feet (bottom of Black Rock Pass climb on west side), Highest elevation: 11,729 feet (Franklin Pass), Recommended direction: either (slight preference for counterclockwise), Trailhead: Farewell Gap / Franklin Lakes Trailhead (ccw) or Sawtooth Trailhead (cw), Permit entry point: Franklin Pass (counterclockwise) or Timber Gap (clockwise). Permits are $10, plus a $5-per-person wilderness fee. Otherwise, loop 1 has the edge in my opinion due to the dramatic climb over Black Rock Pass and the scenic Little Five Lakes region. This stop was ideal while we got acclimated (coming from sea level) and rested before Sawtooth pass. However, if you can’t get a permit for Franklin Pass but can get one for Sawtooth, traveling clockwise also works. The valley floor lies at an elevation of 7,400 feet (2,300 m), while the granite peaks rising above the head of the valley reach heights of 11,000 feet (3,400 m) or more. Mady picked out a challenging loop for this year, starting in Mineral King and looping up Franklin Pass, down Soda Creek, past Lost Canyon to Big and Little Five Lakes, up Blackrock Pass, down Cliff Creek Canyon, and then back into Mineral King via Timber Gap. The ranger I spoke to said there were no places to camp at Columbine Lake but I passed several spots where I could have pitched a tent. Day 1: From Mineral King to Franklin Lakes Day 2: From Franklin Lakes to Little Claire Lake Day 3: From Little Claire Lake to Little Five Lakes Day 4: From Woods Lakes to Rae Lakes Day 5: From Rae Lakes to Onion Valley Campground. Hiking the … save hide report. Trip Date: July 3-5, 2020 Trail Overview. There are several day and multi-day backcountry hiking loop options available from the Mineral King Valley. 9 comments. Wilderness. Starting at an elevation of 7,831 ft, the hardest part of getting to Franklin Lakes is the long winding road you have to take to get to the trailhead. The following permits are issued from the Mineral King Ranger Station: Atwell-Hockett Trail (from Atwell Mill Campground): Easy to moderate climb. However, when you get to the top, you'll shed a tear of sweet relief, because the other side of Blackrock is an absolute monster slog, and you get to fly down it. Slow down your pace, this ones a marathon, not a sprint. Contrary to what others have said, you don't much lose the trail as much as you pick the best route. Does anyone have current updates. Loop 1 is purple up, right, and down, then the top orange track back left. Mineral King is a mind-blowing escape from the crowds found on the John Muir and High Sierra trails. 5. Exploring Wild backpacking and hiking resources, 12 Stretches To Do in Your Tent For Better Sleep and Stronger Hiking, Review: BigBlue 28W Solar Charger After 35 Days on the Colorado Trail, Colorado Trail Resupply Guide: Sample Plans Based on Pace and Style. ... We packed up and again changed our route because the ranger at Little Five Lakes warned us that a … There is yet one more variation possible for all these routes, which is to head further east, dropping down into Big Arroyo Trail. Located in its southeastern sector, the Mineral King area is the starting point for many excellent loop-option backpacking trips varying in length from three days to as many as your legs can handle. We ran into two fit guys that came from Little Five Lakes thru Black Rock Pass at the Trail Junction where Timber Gap Creek meets with the creek that originates from Spring Lake at around 2PM. I loved the climb up to Timber Gap. Note that there was literally no cloud buildup during our entire trip (5 days, 4 nights) and the sun was especially strong during this leg. Mineral King Trail Map: Bearpaw Meadow, Franklin Pass, Little Five Lakes, Hockett Meadow, High Sierra Trail, Funston Meadow, Silver City, Chag (Tom Harrison Maps) by Tom Harrison Maps (2012-07-03): Tom Harrison Maps: Books - Amazon.ca They consist of two lakes, Upper Bullfrog at … This version of Mineral King Loop starts and ends at the Sawtooth Trailhead. If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $20 per person. Some people plan a zero or near-zero day to explore the scenic alpine playgrounds around Little Five or Big Five Lakes. Call the ranger station to check the current level of risk before driving in. Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' wilderness. Once you reach the Mineral King Ranger Station, you'll want to pick up your overnight permit and rent a bear container if you don't already have one. Affiliate Disclosure: This site participates in affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates. The last 25 miles of the road are a very interesting drive. Not a trip for the faint of heart or the weak of knee … After you pass timber gap, you start to descend into a lush canyon with lots of greenery. Franklin Pass has the highest quota of the three, making permits slightly easier to get, while Sawtooth Pass has the lowest quota. The traditional Mineral King Loop includes Pinto Lake, Black Rock Pass, Little 5 Lakes, Columbine Lake, and Sawtooth Pass. Lingering snow can pose a danger in early season or high snow years, especially on Sawtooth Pass. In late august, 2009 I spent several days hiking and backpacking a loop starting and ending at the Sawtooth trailhead in Mineral King. Sat, Jul 16, 2011, 7:00 AM: The description of the event, Mineral King to Little Five Lakes and Nine Lake Basin - Southern Sierras, is available only to members. Plotted with the plotaroute.com route planner. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $70. First allowed campsite - Mosquito Lake #2 (4 miles). Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Mineral King Trail Map: Bearpaw Meadow, Franklin Pass, Little Five Lakes, Hockett Meadow, High Sierra Trail, Funston Meadow, Silver City, Chag (Tom Harrison Maps) at Amazon.com. You’ll cross both Franklin Pass on the south side of the loop and Black Rock Pass / Timber Gap on the north side, but you’ll skip Sawtooth Pass in the middle. Reserve a Wilderness Permit. -hiking Dave. 45 miles. Thank you Bonnie Kanae. Reservations can be submitted by email or fax starting on March 1 and no later than two weeks prior to the trip. Ascending Sawtooth Pass actually might be the most epic ascent I've ever done - it's treacherous, but it's not the nightmare it's made out to be. But first, a few basics that are true of ALL the Mineral King loops: All variations of the Mineral King Loop start from the Mineral King Ranger Station, 24 miles on Mineral King Road from Highway 198 in Three Rivers. This loop is best followed counterclockwise to avoid the steep and slippery slog up the west side of Sawtooth Pass. ... We hung out for a while and … The hike up is very rocky, so watch your step so you don't twist anything. Lakes and spectacular vistas. If you can, spending a night at Cold Springs Campground (currently closed due to COVID) before you start hiking could help with acclimation and make the trip more enjoyable. It's a tough ascent over tons of sun-blasted rock, and the sun heats it up pretty quickly. Posted by 13 days ago. You'll offer a few hollow words of encouragement, but you know the truth - they've barely even started, and the sun's already high in the sky. This loop can easily be hiked in either direction, so take your pick based on which direction you can get a permit for. I highly recommend doing the loop clockwise. Alpine … For the Mineral King Loop variations in this article, the relevant permit types are Timber Gap, Sawtooth Pass, and Franklin Pass. First campsite - Deer Creek (4 miles) Daily quota = 25 people. Both of these lakes once had Little Kern … As you get to the end, you see a very steep gravely trail that leads up to Columbine Lake. Going clockwise also saves the most scenic section for the second half. Hiking in Trail Running Shoes: Good idea? The quickest way in is via the easy class 3 Glacier Pass, then over Blackrock Pass and down past Little Five Lakes. Backpacked this loop from 7/10 to 7/14. See the NPS permit page for current details. One thing is definitely true no matter which way you slice it: Mineral King Loop is a burly, stunning, pristine High Sierra backpacking route in Sequoia National Park. Thanks so much in advance! Mineral King to Five Lakes trail was all time! The weather was great, we slept out with no tent and enjoyed a stunning cloudless sky. May 17, 2019 - Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail is a 27.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Little Five Lakes, located in the southern portion of Sequoia National Park, is a group of small lakes with incredible scenery. Trailhead at Mineral King with a distance of 4.4 miles to the lower lake, a 2570 feet gain. There's several noticeable trails dug into the loose scree: some bolt directly up, others contour, one heads to the northern end of the ridge. Congrats, the hardest part is done. No mosquitoes either! Location: Sequoia National Park Trail head: Eagle-Mosquito Lakes Permits: Required for backpacking only. Pretty quickly was Monarch Lake makes for a backpacking loop with a distance of 4.4 miles the! Bring bug repellent can also purchase a Park specific annual Pass for 70... At Monarch Lake may be easier than for Cliff/Pinto affiliate programs, including Amazon Associates was. 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