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Guide Backpacking Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Guide Backpacking Sequoia & Kings Canyon
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Sequoia and Kings Canyon hold two very different kinds of wilderness in one park, and this guide is built around both of them. On one side, the biggest living things on earth - giant sequoias so wide and so tall that standing beneath them rearranges your sense of scale. On the other, some of the finest high granite country in the Sierra Nevada - glacial lakes tucked under colourful peaks, foxtail pines twisted by centuries of wind, and passes that open onto whole ranges at once.
Most people see these parks from the road, on a paved half-mile stroll to a famous tree. This guide is about the other side of them: two multi-day backpacking loops that carry you deep into the backcountry, away from the crowds, and link together the very best of what Sequoia and Kings Canyon have to offer.
Rather than a single point-to-point traverse, the guide covers two complete loops, one in each park, so you can pick the one that fits your time and experience - or, ideally, do both on one trip.
Route 1 - the Rae Lakes Loop (Kings Canyon). 39.7mi / 63.9km, and the more accessible of the two. A classic, beautifully graded loop on maintained trail that strings together roaring waterfalls, deep river canyons, the famous Rae Lakes basin beneath the Painted Lady, and a single high pass at Glen Pass (11,978ft / 3,650m). It is one of the best multi-day loops in California and a perfect introduction to the High Sierra. Best done in 3 to 5 nights.
Route 2 - the High Sierra Trail loop (Sequoia). 54.4mi / 87.5km, and the bigger, wilder undertaking. My own loop variant keeps you on the most spectacular stretch of the legendary High Sierra Trail - a route blasted into sheer granite in the 1930s, complete with a tunnel through the cliff - then breaks away onto quiet, remote trails where you'll likely have the place to yourself. Expect a night camped beneath giant sequoias in a remote backcountry grove, a demanding high pass with views across whole ranges, foxtail-pine basins along the Great Western Divide, one of the most photographed alpine lakes in the Sierra, and a granite cathedral of a lake beneath a legendary big-wall face. More climbing, more solitude, more variety - from sequoia groves to alpine passes. Best done in 3 to 6 nights.
I've hiked this ground, and spent a long time planning, refining, and verifying every detail - distances and elevation pulled from GPS tracks, logistics checked against the latest park regulations. This is a practical field guide, not a generic overview: it's shaped around the decisions that actually matter out there - which direction to hike, where to camp, where the water is (and isn't), how to time the passes and river crossings, and how to link the finest parts of these parks into two coherent trips.
What's inside
- Two complete backpacking loops through Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, one in each park
- Detailed, stage-by-stage route descriptions with continuous mileage, elevation gain and loss, and difficulty ratings
- Campsite notes throughout - my own sites plus the best alternatives, with bear-box and permit-limit details
- Water guidance for every stage, including reliable sources and the long dry stretches to plan around
- Clear notes on route options, side trips, and how to shorten either loop
- A custom Google Maps with over 200 waypoints - campsites, water sources, junctions, viewpoints, passes, trailheads, and the full route
- Downloadable GPX files for both loops and detours (plus a KML file)
- Full permit information - quota season, the reservation system, off-season self-registration, and how availability shapes your trip
- Transportation and logistics - airports, driving, gas, the in-park shuttle, parking, frontcountry campgrounds, and lodges
- Safety and hazards - altitude, snow and high water, wildlife and bear-canister rules, navigation, and communication
- SEKI-specific regulations - permits, camping limits, campfires, and Leave No Trace
- Seasonal guidance on when to go, and why I love the shoulder season
- A "things to see & do" chapter for the roadside highlights - General Sherman, Moro Rock, Crescent Meadow, General Grant, and more
Also included
- Short field notes woven through the route on the trees, peaks, and history you're walking past - foxtail and ponderosa pines, the Painted Lady, Triple Divide Peak, the building of the High Sierra Trail, and more
- Honest advice on choosing between the two loops, and on doing both back to back
- Guidance for first-time Sierra backpackers and seasoned hikers alike
- A layout designed to read easily on a phone, for planning at home or checking on the trail
The whole guide is built to be read on any phone without constant zooming - text, maps, and layout optimised for small screens, at home or in the field.
This isn't a beginner stroll and it isn't an extreme expedition. It's two of the most rewarding backpacking loops in the Sierra, made straightforward to plan and navigate - the giant trees, the granite, the alpine lakes, and the high passes, linked into trips you'll remember for a long time.
If you want to experience Sequoia and Kings Canyon the way they're meant to be experienced - on foot, deep in the backcountry - this is the guide I'd hand you.
Watch this route here: https://youtu.be/5KRuKhUUNqM
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