My campsite at Franklin Lake Day 2 Mineral King Valley. The loop starts at the end of Mineral King Rd. 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. Answer 1 of 6: I finally got around to writing a trip report for a backpacking trip I did from the Mineral King trailhead in the fall of 2015. 9475 ft. We’d originally planned to do a more traditional loop out of Mineral King: over Franklin Pass, through Big Five Lakes, and … Log in or register to post comments; Athletes. 3 Days / 3 Nights. Mineral King Loop, July 20-24. Just the drive up to the trailhead is a mind-bender ( and don’t forget to marmot-proof your rig at the end of the drive). Mineral King: Black Rock Pass Loop [CLOSED] is a 29.1 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Mineral King (7,525-ft.) is truly a special place. Mineral King loop This adventure is a 5 day hike in the Mineral King section of Sequoia National Park. Anybody ever hiked the Mineral King Loop? We’d originally planned to do a more traditional loop out of Mineral King: over Franklin Pass, through Big Five Lakes, and … There are several day and multi-day backcountry hiking loop options available Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 27.7 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. 5 likes. save hide report. The valley lies at the headwaters of the East Fork of the Kaweah River, which rises at the eastern part of the valley and flows northwest.Accessed by a long and narrow winding road, the valley is mostly popular with backpackers and hikers. Location. I was also in the area two years ago, hiking a more southern loop CCW from Mineral King -> Franklin Pass -> Big Five Lakes -> Sawtooth Pass. 45 miles. Unsupported. Vertical Gain. Giant sequoia grove, meadows. (easier to go down than up) The truth, though, is that the Mineral King loop is hard to beat. Popular stock trail. Note that Sawtooth Pass is Cross-country (no trail) and is best to cross it from east to west as the western face is steep and sandy / loose gravel. Mineral King Loop, July 20-24. The gorgeous valley is tucked in the southwestern corner of Sequoia National Park at the head of the East Fork of the Kaweah River. Helinox Zero chair was worth the weight. share. The loop is ~45 miles long and was one of my favorites! I just got a permit for late June. Also camped at the middle of the Big Five Lakes, but the fishing there was much worse (I don't think we caught anything). Marmots crawl up under the vehicle and chew electrical wiring and radiator hoses, and they even drink anti-freeze that […] 2020 Mineral King Loop Backpacking Trek. Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Route: Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Submitted by Josh Grant on Sun, 06/14/2020 - 08:50am. 2020-06-13. Trek dates 7/24-7/31. Mineral King is a trailhead/campground in the southern part of Sequoia National Park. First allowed campsite - Clover Creek (6 miles). Easy to moderate climb. 16 comments. Mileage for the Mineral King Loop: 8.5 + 6.3 + 8.2 + 2 = 25. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. Day 1: The infamous Mineral Kings Road, unavoidable for hikes out of the Mineral King trailhead, lived up to its reputation as a twisty, seemingly endless road. The trail begins at the Mineral King Pack Station. Much thanks. The adventure described below is an extended version of this traditional hike, which includes part of the famous scenery of the High Sierra Trail, while still maintaining the convenient loop … If you’ve got some time to spare, this 5-day Mineral King backpacking loop is a must-do. I’ll reserved to pack the Mineral King loop in early August. Mineral King Loop 25.6 mi 41.3 km • 9,101' Up 2773.89 m Up • 9,091' Down 2771.03 m Down. Josh Grant. Franklin Pass / Sawtooth Pass Loop. Mineral King, 8/10/20. Gear that worked well: My Black Diamond hiking poles saved me, literally. 251. The trail climbs to the Franklin Lakes and the Franklin Pass. Mineral King Loop Trip Report. 30.6 mi. It is well worth enduring the poorly maintained, 25-mile Mineral King Road to access this subalpine glacial valley; you will not be disappointed. 3 Day Loop hike through the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park including Franklin Pass, Black Rock Pass, Glacier Pass (we think), and Sawtooth Pass. GoPro and battery charging system worked well. Description: Classic loop from the Mineral King trailhead along Timber Gap, Blackrock Pass, Big Five Lakes, Lost Canyon, Columbine Lake, Sawtooth Pass and back. Would love some input from people who have hiked in that area before. Three R…, CA. First of all Mineral King is a hard place to get up to. This was my first trip to Mineral King so the drive out was exciting. Tar Gap to Hockett Meadow, Evelyn Lake, Blossom Lake, Little Kern, and Farewell Gap. This route starts at the Sawtooth pass trail head in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park. Some of the best trout fishing I've ever had backpacking was on that loop. A great… FKT: Josh Grant - Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) - 2020-06-13. The bigger plan was to move through Mineral King into Nine Lakes Basin, then cross Pants Pass into the Kaweah Basin and summit Triple Divide Peak and Picket Guard Peak. Mineral king Loop. Route. Description. A bit worried about the high mountain passes that early in the season. Start date. Download the free, full-sheet USGS 7.5 Minute (1:24,000 scale) Mineral King topo map as an Adobe PDF. Gender category. Atwell-Hockett Trail: Begins at Atwell Mill Campground. Drove up to Cold Springs Campground out at the end of Mineral King Road. No. Wilderness permits for the following trails are only issued from the Mineral King Ranger Station. Also can I expect the franklin pass stream and timber gap stream to be a reliable water source? The traditional Mineral King Loop includes Pinto Lake, Black Rock Pass, Little 5 Lakes, Columbine Lake, and Sawtooth Pass. This trip covers diverse terrain, from granite cirques, verdant meadows, and alpine lakes to high alpine scrambling passes, granite peaks, and scree. Over the past dozen years, I've led small groups on week-long trips to California's Sierra Nevada. Backpacking Loop out of Sequoia's Mineral King. I planned to come back through the Pyra-Queen Col where I would complete a loop back to my starting point via the High Sierra Trail. Distance. No matter which way you do this loop you will have a lot of climbing, but I strongly recommend going clockwise as we did. Mineral King is a little known section of Sequoia. I was very pleased with Cold Springs Campground. Mineral King Hiking. Standard loop. Be careful out there: Dangerously intense, prolonged, and humid heatwave for most of California : Weather West. Mineral King, California topographic map and nearby trails. Near Three Rivers, California. Nice, quiet and very inviting. 2020-06-13. at the the Sawtooth Trailhead in the Mineral King Valley of Sequoia National Park. 50 miler trek in Sequoia National Park. Thanks! A challenging yet rewarding loop in the Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park, CA. So did iPhone as camera only. 45 miles. Mineral King Loop Trip Report & Photos Monday August 29, 2011: Travel Day. 202. 20 comments. Finish date. Suggested itinerary is noted in different colors. 2010 Mineral King Loop. Mineral King is a favorite of mine. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October. Download the GPS file Some trails or park services may be closed this weekend so check with local authorities before heading out. Style. California, US. The hiking area starts a 7700 ft. of elevation, where the ranger station is. Daily updates and our location we be posted to this page. Looks like an awesome backcountry trip. 31.15 miles of absolute bliss and solitude! The Mineral King area of California's Sequoia National Park provides hiking access to some of the most spectacular high country in the southern Sierra. My new Hanwag hiking boots were bomber. I’ll never forget flipping through those brochures in awe of kids jumping off rocks into alpine lakes. Total time. Posted by 6 days ago. Multi-sport. After 15+ years of waiting, my boots (trail runners, more accurately) finally touched the trails of Mineral King. This is my first time in the Sierra alpine area, what can I expect temperature wise between 6-12k at that time of year? Help keep our trails and parks open during COVID-19 by committing to social distancing. Ten miles to Hockett Meadow. Water socks were nice for camp shoes. The route travels 36.3 miles over Franklin Pass, Black Rock Pass, and Timber Gap totaling 12,140ft of gain. Monarch had fish, but I remember the camping opportunities to be exposed/crowded. I did a variation of the loop that off-trailed over Glacier Pass to Spring Lake, then hooked back up to the trail at Black Rock in 2017. Mineral King is a subalpine glacial valley located in the southern part of Sequoia National Park, in the U.S. state of California. Tar Gap to Hockett Meadow, Evelyn Lake, Blossom Lake, Little Kern, and Farewell Gap. An elongated cirque of peaks, towering over 11,000-ft., rise above the valley floor. White Chief Trail The White Chief mine, claimed by James Crabtree in 1873, made Mineral King a household name among miners of that time. On the other side the route goes down and around the Forrester and Little Claire Lakes. Male. The twenty miles of sparely built road winding up steep foothills are as scenic as Glacier National Park’s Road to the Sun, but have a much more wild and rugged feel. Mini Mineral King Loop (CA) Route variation. 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