www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Anzelina Coodey CONTRIBUTOR: Aron Bosworth LAST UPDATED: 10/11/2019 - 1:47pm © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only. Glacier Pass, Sawtooth Pass + Big Five Lakes Loop, , US

Adventure Description by Aron Bosworth | 07/18/2013 The area of 's Sequoia National Park provides hiking access to some of the most spectacular high country in the southern Sierra. It is well worth enduring the poorly maintained, 25-mile Mineral King Road to access this subalpine glacial valley; you will not be disappointed. There are several day and multi-day backcountry hiking loop options available from the Mineral King Valley. Hiking the Glacier Pass to Sawtooth Pass Loop via Big Five Lakes qualifies at the top of this list. If you are interested in a loop that is approximately 27 miles long and blends cross-country route finding and on- trail travel, stunning alpine landscape, and high Sierra lake fishing, this hike is for you.

Begin the 3,500-foot ascent at the Sawtooth Trailhead following signs to Sawtooth Pass. This lower section of the trail takes you to Groundhog Meadow and across Monarch Creek. Continue on the trail through an old-growth red fir forest before breaking through tree line below Monarch Lakes. Stop for a bite here and soak in the scenery, but keep a watchful eye on your bags as the marmots are anything but shy.

Aron Bosworth | 07.21.13 Continue on the trail above Monarch Lakes toward Sawtooth Pass. The official trail tapers off here, and the pitch to Sawtooth Pass and Glacier Pass becomes a steep slog, but it is worth the effort. Continue up one of the approach trails until Highlights you are roughly 300 feet below Sawtooth Pass, then head north (turn left) toward Glacier Pass – the low point in the ridge CONGESTION: Low between Empire Mountain and Sawtooth Pass. Glacier Pass is PETS ALLOWED: Not Allowed third-class climbing that is easily navigated by those in good NET ELEVATION GAIN: 3,810.00 ft (1,161.29 m) shape. (Note: there is an unmaintained trail from Groundhog Meadow that leads to Glacier Pass, but it is steep and isn't PARKING PASS: National Park Pass likely to save time if you are carrying overnight gear). PREFERABLE SEASON(S): Summer SUITABLE FOR: Hiking From Glacier Pass, descend cross-country through alpine meadows and bristlecone pine to Spring Lake. Choose from a TOTAL DISTANCE: 27.00 mi (43.45 km) plethora of awe-inspiring backcountry campsites at Spring TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 8,547.00 ft (2,605.13 m) Lake, along with some decent fishing for small trout. Here you TRAIL TYPE: Loop will catch mostly rainbow and California golden trout in the 6-inch range. The stocked hundreds of TRAILHEAD ELEVATION: 7,820.00 ft (2,383.54 m) high elevation lakes until 1988, when they decided to change TYPICALLY MULTI-DAY: No the policy and end their stocking program.

After a night at Spring Lake, continue cross-country to the Black Rock Pass trail and ascend 1,500 feet to the pass. Once you've reached Black Rock Pass you will be standing on the , the range that separates the westward- flowing Kaweah watershed from the southerly-flowing Kern watershed. Views east look out across Big Arroyo toward the Kaweah Peaks Range where Kaweah Queen, and Red Kaweah dominate the skyline at elevations well over 13,000 feet. The trail from the pass winds down through rocky outcroppings to the Little Five Lakes and Big Five Lakes basins. Little Five Lakes has a seasonal ranger station with established campsites and bear boxes. At Big Five Lakes you’ll likely be www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Anzelina Coodey CONTRIBUTOR: Aron Bosworth LAST UPDATED: 10/11/2019 - 1:47pm © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only. alone. If you have the time and are open to adding a couple of miles to your trip, consider exploring the Little Five and Big Five Lakes area. The fishing can be good in these lakes. Throw a bug or two and see what’s biting.

Departing Big Five Lakes, head southeast along the trail through lodgepole pine and red fir forest as you descend to 9,600 feet at the junction with Lost Canyon. Follow the Lost Canyon trail west and emerge from the forest into the box canyon proper. Steep, glacially carved granite walls form the cradle of meadow and boulders along the floor of the canyon. Ascend the west end of the canyon 1,400 feet to Columbine Lake. At 11,000 feet, Columbine Lake is an ideal setting to spend your final night. Take in the grandeur of this high alpine playground as watches over you. Sawtooth Peak is a classic Class II climb that takes a couple of hours round-trip from Sawtooth Pass.

The final ascent of the loop takes you to Sawtooth Pass. Views of Lost Canyon, Big Arroyo, Kern Canyon and the west side of (on a clear day) are enjoyed from here. Descend down the climber’s trail approximately 300 feet and reconnect with the same route that you ascended a few days prior on your way to Glacier Pass. Return to the Sawtooth Trailhead the same way you came up.

Additional Notes:

Some important notes about Mineral King:

Backcountry permits and bear canisters are required for overnight trips in Sequoia National Park. Both are available at the Mineral King ranger station during peak months (June-September). If you are heading out in spring or fall, self-issued permits can be obtained outside the ranger station and bear canisters can be rented from numerous outdoor gear shops in Visalia, Fresno, and elsewhere. Be prepared to see rangers, as they are out and about on trails. Marmots have posed a serious problem for a few unlucky hikers who park their cars at Sequoia National Park's Mineral King trailheads in the late spring and early summer months. They have been known to crawl up into engine compartments and chew on everything from electrical wiring to hoses, disabling some vehicles. This is thought to occur due to a lack of salt content in the Marmot’s natural food source until later in summer, and the threat seems to decrease after mid-July. Hikers on this Glacier Pass, Sawtooth Pass + Big Five Lakes loop can avoid this potential issue either by parking near the ranger station a mile from the Sawtooth Trailhead (marmots seem to stay higher up the valley), or by wrapping the lower third of their vehicle in a tarp diaper, which helps prevent marmots from climbing into the engine compartment via wheel wells. For the latter method you’ll need a tarp large enough to drive onto; you then wrap the tarp above the wheel wells around the entire vehicle. Secure in a diaper fashion with lanyard or rope.

Getting there (from Visalia):

- From Visalia take CA-198 E - After approximatly 32 miles turn right on Mineral King Road after passing through the town of Three Rivers - After approximately 23 miles, pass the Mineral King Ranger Station on left; continue straight - After 0.8 miles, turn left or right into the Sawtooth Trailhead parking area ENLARGE

Trail (major) Vista / Trailhead Picnic Area Campground Shelter Fishing MIne Trail (minor) Viewpoint Trail (unmaintained) Backcountry Parking Picnic Shelter Waterfall Cabin Hot Springs Distance Marker Trail (cross-country) Campsite Paved Rd (major) Horseback Paved Rd (minor) Restrooms Ranger Station Boat Ramp RV Campsite Yurt Peak Riding Forest Rd (major) Forest Rd (minor) Historic Convenience / Vault Toilet Swimming Showers Potable Water One Mile Grid Featured Route Landmark Grocery Store

High Sierra Trail Big Arroyo TrailBig Arroyo Canyon in natureandshouldbeusedforreferenceonly. website forup-to-dateinformationorchanges.Mapsareillustrative NOTE: LAST UPDATED: MADE BY: www.outdoorproject.com

Big Arroyo Content specifiedisfromtimeofPDFcreation.Pleasecheck AnzelinaCoodey Mt Eisen 10/11/2019 -1:47pm©TheOutdoorProjectLLC Blackrock EL 12,177 Pass Trail Ranger Station 1.7 M (summer only) CONTRIBUTOR: 7.7 M EL 10,476 ENLARGE Blackrock Pass ENLARGE ENLARGE EL 11,600 ENLARGE 4.5 M Pinto Lake 0.7 M

Cliff Creek 3.0 M AronBosworth EL 9,830 Little Five Lakes 2.9 M Great Western Divide Big Five Lakes

Timber Gap Trail EL 10,192

2.2 M

Spring Lake 0.8 M Natural Timber Gap Empire Mtn Cyclamen Lake Lost Canyon Boulder 3.5 M EL 11,550 Shelter Lost Canyon Trail Empire Mine Glacier Pass 1.4 M EL 10,760 0.4 M 0.6 M Lost Canyon Creek 0.8Columbine M Lake Sawtooth Pass TO LOOKOUT POINT ENTRANCE EL 11,630 0.4 M 0.4 M Crystal Monarch Creek Sawtooth Pk Mineral King Creek SEQUOIA-KINGS CANYON Ranger Station 0.6 M EL 12,343 Needham Mtn EL 12,210 WILDERNESS 2.7 M EL 7,840 1.0 M Monarch Lakes

Mineral King Rd Cold Springs (summer only) Campground (x40) Mineral Pk Amphitheater Tufa Falls Chihuahua EL 11,615 Lake Soda Creek Mine Soda Creek Trail JOHN KREBS 1.5 M Crystal Lake WILDERNESS

0 0.5 mi. 1.0 mi. Glacier Pass to Sawtooth Pass Loop via Big Five Lakes, Mineral King, Sequoia Ntnl Park, CA 0 15 min. 30 min. NORTH www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Anzelina Coodey CONTRIBUTOR: Aron Bosworth LAST UPDATED: 10/11/2019 - 1:47pm © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only.

0 1.0 mi. 2.0 mi. 4.0 mi. Sequoia National Park - West, CA 0 30 min. 60 min. 120 min. NORTH Trail (major) Elizabeth Pass Trail TO KINGS CANYON VISITOR CTR E Fork Ferguson Creek Trail (minor) REDWOOD KINGS CANYON MOUNTAIN JENNIE LAKES WLDNS Trail (unmaintained) GROVE NTNL PARK Paved Rd (major)

Stony Poop Paved Rd (minor) Creek Out Forest Rd (major) KINGS Fir Group CG Pass Kettle Pk EL 10,004 Forest Rd (minor) CANYON Stony Creek Village (x48) Featured Route (Closed in winter) NTNLRedwood PAR K Creek Creek Trailhead Mt Silliman S Fork Sugarloaf Creek Cove Creek W Fork Ferguson EL 11,188 Ferguson Group CG Parking Lodgepole Visitor Center + Village (x214) N Fork Big Bird Restrooms Pear Lake Lake KaweahDorst River Creek CG (x222) Generals Ranger Station Vault Toilet 198 Hwy Moose Picnic Area Lake Buck Crystal Cave Creek Bearpaw Meadow Picnic Shelter EL 4,540 High Sierra Camp Burnt Pt Marble Fork EL 3,727 Yucca Mtn High Sierra Ranger Station Trail EL 4,929 GIANT ENLARGE FOREST Sugarbowl Dome Hamilton Historic Landmark EL 7,881 Yucca Museum Lakes Creek Colony Vista / Viewpoint

Sheep Ridge Mill Trail Granite Waterfall Middle Fork Potwisha (x42) Creek OIA - EAST Kaweah River Special Shepherd’s

Saddle Rd EQU Destination Blackrock SEQUOIA NATIONAL Pass Trail RV Dump Site PARK Paradise Castle Rocks Campground Creek Buckeye Flat (x28) EL 9,081 Timber Gap Trail

Paradise INING MAP - S Backcountry Campsite Foothills Visitor Ctr Ridge Trail Comb Rocks Paradise Pk Mineral King Sawtooth Ranger Station EL 9,362 Pass ADJO RV Campground N Fork Dr EL 2,915

Mineral Trail EE King Rd Ash Mtn Entrance S East of gate: Showers Road closed in winter. MINERAL Group Campground Skyline No RVs or trailers. KING Dr Atwell Mill (x21) THREE Cold Springs (x40) Cabin RIVERS E Fork Kaweah Gas Station River Atwell-Hockett Mosquito Lakes Eagle Potable Water Lookout Point Lake TO LAKE KAWEAH Case Mtn Entrance Trail Wilderness EL 6,447 Horse Creek Farewell Gap Permit Station EL 10,587 S Fork Rd Homers Nose ADA Accessibility Hockett Meadows EL 9,023 Cahoon Rock EL 9,278 Ranger Station Blossom Food / Dining Lakes Convenience / S Fork Kaweah Hockett Grocery Store Lakes River Amphitheater Hunter Creek South Fork (x10) Quinn Pk Distance Marker EL 10,168 Dennison Mtn Peak Blue Ridge Dr Upper EL 8,650 DILLONWOOD Grouse GROVE One Mile Grid Valley Rd Sheep Mtn NF

NF 19S36 TO BALCH PARK RD EL 10,050 19S09

ENLARGE www.outdoorproject.com MADE BY: Anzelina Coodey CONTRIBUTOR: Aron Bosworth LAST UPDATED: 10/11/2019 - 1:47pm © The Outdoor Project LLC NOTE: Content specified is from time of PDF creation. Please check website for up-to-date information or for changes. Maps are illustrative in nature and should be used for reference only.

0 1.0 mi. 2.0 mi. 4.0 mi. Sequoia National Park - East, CA 0 30 min. 60 min. 120 min. NORTH

Roaring Trail (major) River South Guard Lake TO HWY 395 Trail (minor) NF 12S02 EL 13,232 Reflection Mt Ericsson Trail (unmaintained) Pass ColbyTrail EL 13,608 Junction Pk Paved Rd (major) Mt Jordan EL 13,888 Lake S Shepherd Creek Paved Rd (minor) EL 13,334 America Creek Williamson Forest Rd (major) CunninghamCreek America Thunder Mtn Lake S Forest Rd (minor) Trail Shepherd Pass Josephine KINGS EL 13,588 EL 12,050 National / Scenic Trail Lake CANYON NF EL 10,460 Mt Tyndall Bairs Creek NTN’L PARK Shepherd 12S08 Pass Trail EL 14,018 ENLARGETrailhead Midway Mtn Trojan Pk INYO NTNL EL 13,666 Milestone Creek EL 13,950 FOREST Parking Elizabeth Wright Pass Trail Muir Trail Lakes Crest Trail John

Tyndale Creek Pacific Restrooms Whaleback Colby Pass Wallace EL 12,000 Wright Vault Toilet Creek Lake Tulainyo Permits required Kern Pt for all use in Mt. Picnic Area Elizabeth Pass Triple Divide Pk EL 12,789 HIGHEST POINT IN Lake Colby Whitney zone EL 11,371 EL 12,634 Pass Trail CONTIGUOUS US Kern Kaweah Picnic Shelter Picket Guard Pk Mt Whitney River EL 12,302 EL 14,505 Mt Stewart Ranger Station EL 12,025 Crabtree ENLARGE Hamilton SEQUOIA Historic Landmark

Lakes EL 10,700 NATIONAL TERMINUS OF TRAIL Kaweah PeaksPAR K Vista / Viewpoint

EST Red Spur Whitney Portal (x43)

Ridge Waterfall Kern Canyon - W Mt Kaweah Special OIA High Sierra Trail EL 13,802 Destination Divide Joe Devel Pk QU Mt Langley EL 13,325 EL 14,042

Great Western Western Great Mt Guyot RV Dump Site EL 12,300 Rock Creek Black Rock Big Arroyo Trail Chapooga Creek Campground Pass Chagoopa Army EL 11,600 New

Plateau Forgotten Pass Trail

Rock CreekCanyon Army Pass Backcountry Campsite EL 11,475 Little Five Big Five Kern Hot Spring Pacific Crest Lakes Lakes Trail RV Campground Lost Canyon Trail Siberian

Sawtooth Pk Moraine Pass Showers Lower Kern Trail SEE ADJOINING MAP - SE EL 12,343 Lake Rocky EL 10,950 Funston Basin Mineral Pk Lodging Lake Lakes EL 11,615 Cabin Soda Creek Trail BIG WHITNEY Willow Creek Johnson Pk MEADOW Yurt Florence Pk EL 11,371 EL 12,432 Spring Potable Water Rattlesnake Trail Spring Wilderness Permit Station Rattlesnake Creek JohnsonCreek Creek

Shotgun Pass Golden Trout ADA Accessibility Farewell EL 11,424 Laurel Creek Gap Great Western Divide Horseback Riding EL 10,587 Spring Golden South Fork Convenience / Trout Kern River Kern Canyon Creek Grocery Store NATURAL BRIDGE Food / Dining Coyote Pass Right Trail Stringer Coyote Pass Tower Pass Distance Marker Rock Soda EL 10,160 EL 9,317 Coyote Lakes EL 8,469 Butte Little

River Three Rocks Trail Coyote Pks EL 10,892 EL 10,651 Kern Pk One Mile Grid EL 11,510

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