It’s granite under foot after you leave the trail so it’s very unforgiving. We camped at Ridge Lake which is a gorgeous alpine lake then spent the next day hiking to the summit of Granite Dome and visiting the various lakes nearby. We were expecting Soils 4 and Basil to beat us to the lake; they were coming from Kennedy Meadows as their car has lower clearance and wouldn’t manage Eagle Meadow Road. Overnight parking at the resort lot is $10/night and can be paid at the resort lobby. It gets better the deeper you go. Landmarks: Relief Reservoir. Our 10.92 mile long climb up to Brown Bear Pass from the Gate at Kennedy Meadows Pack Station bends Southeast just past the halfway point, which is where our Southbound trail Tees out and turns Left at the trail junction off the Southeast shore of Relief Reservoir. Main hint I wish somebody had written: The trailhead is a bit confusing - as you drive in towards Kennedy Meadow there is a trail head and parking lot on the left - but the trail then leaves the lot to drop back down to the road that you walk next to until you come to the Kennedy Meadow "Resort" - the trail leaves from the end of the resort and starts off as a dirt road which is used to transport horse trailers to the actual trail-head which is about a mile from Kennedy Meadows. Ending Point: Granite Dome Lakes. mark. Starting from the Kennedy Meadows Resort, we went off trail from the launch meadow trail just before the confluence of the Summit creek. Lower Relief Valley is a large meadow, encircled by granite. Granite Dome is the signature peak in the Emigrant Wilderness, with fantastic views north to the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness, east to the Hoover Wilderness (Sawtooth Ridge), and south to Yosemite including, on a clear day, Cathedral Peak and the Cathedral Range. Here’s some tips that I strongly recommend: 1. Begin at the Kennedy Meadows trailhead off of Highway 108, just west of the Sonora Pass. It is a tough 2 day hike, especially in winter when the day ends at 5pm. If you get your line right, you will only have a short boulder scramble but be very careful in this section because it’s slippery and dangerous. Domeland Wilderness. For a first backpacking trip this was great and the top of Granite Done had amazing panoramic views of the Sierras. I did a 35 mile solo trip out of Kennedy meadows in September 2018. It's a four for me because the trail is not your normal trail and the horses do make it soft and sand at parts. Kennedy Meadows. Have fun out there and stay safe! The NFS Troy Meadow Campground and the NFS Fish Creek Campground provide centralized access to most of the trails found on the Kern Plateau. Granite Dome Loop via Kennedy Meadows is a 33.8 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Granite Dome is most easily accessible from the Huckleberry Trail. The base of the mountain is about 9 miles from the trailhead, with ample places to camp on all sides of the mountain. Dome Land, Sequoia, Domelands Southern Sierra, Wilderness, Trail, Map Thankfully they arrived safely just as we finished scouting out campsites. We didn't see anyone at Ridge Lake and ran into 4 people on our way to Granite Dome so felt like we had the place to ourselves. The road passes the namesake meadow and several RV camping areas before reaching the actual trail. Dogs are also able to use this trail. The trail is relatively flat until you get to the start of the peak and then the elevation gain picks up dramatically. near Kennedy Meadow, California (United States) Pacific Crest Trail. The other one is described by the Kennedy Meadow (N) page. We started up the trail from Kennedy Meadows towards Granite Dome at 8:00 am. Alternatively, free parking is available at the signed forest service "t… Download the satellite image layer and follow a course through as many trees and green areas as possible. But I believe there are better options. We camped north of Ridge Lake. PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, Carson-Iceberg Backpacking Loop: Golden Canyon, Elder Creek, Disaster Creek. The initial hike out of Kennedy Meadows is notoriously hot, dusty, and covered in horse poo. Dome Land Wilderness ( Part of Sequoia NF ) Perfect for a day hike reference or extended backpacking adventures. The lakes described here are all within close proximity to each other and given that they are off-trail you are not likely to run into many other campers. If we weren’t so short of time, I would have loved to loop around Iceland Lake on the way down. All amenities are located here, including the guided horseback rides , pack station , cabins , store , restaurant , saloon , and PCT hiker accomodations . This is one of the more spectacular lakes I … Granite domes, forest and meadows. Recommended option. It is definitely a shared trail with horses, but not as bad as Rachel claims below. You Tube deleted my first upload of this video. granite dome is one of the most amazing places in the sierras. Kennedy Meadows to Summit Creek and the Granite Dome Lakes: This is not for those who want a nice hike along a well-marked trail. Kennedy Meadows, CA real estate prices overview Searching homes for sale in Kennedy Meadows, CA has never been more convenient. And you really need the map for the off-trail section if you don’t want to add too much steep sections. In fact, on separate holiday weekend trips we had Iceland and Lewis Lakes all to ourselves. There is also parking at Kennedy Meadow Resort but you need to pay for that. The trailhead is located at the end of the parking area for the Kennedy Meadows Resort. Kennedy Meadows to Summit Creek and the Granite Dome Lakes: This is not for those who want a nice hike along a well-marked trail. Kennedy Meadows to Granite Dome is a 32.3 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station This is where the resort is located. Enter at Kennedy Meadows. Another way to get to Kennedy (S) is via Canebrake Road. Option to stay in Upper Relief Lakes. Just don't expect a pristine trail and you'll be fine - it is rocky and there is certainly poop on the trail but it's no big deal and in fact the horse-folks were nothing but polite and encouraging. At the 8.8mi mark, you will see that there is a boulder field above the trail. Off-Trail Granite Above Yellowhammer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness The climb from Yellowhammer to Leighton Lake had some wonderful granite slabs, as well as endless views toward Yosemite. Scale = 1″ to mile; Printed on paper 1991. In fact, the lakes in question are well off the trail, and take quite a … We only went to Sheep Camp and did local scrambling just by Black Hawk Lake, but it was still spectacular. Brianna must have hiked a different trail as this is certainly not a flat trail - except for the first mile and a bit of the trail along the reservoir - the trail is steep in places and has lots of significant stair-steps and switchbacks after the reservoir. Elevations range from 6,100 feet near Kennedy Meadows to the summit of Olancha Peak at 12,123 feet. Kennedy Meadows to Granite Dome is a 20.1 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. If you are comfortable with a little off trail hiking I highly recommend this one. I strongly recommend studying the satellite image for this section; 4. Thurderstorms picked up around 3 p.m. so getting an early start on the hike up the dome is necessary. From the Upper Relief Valley you can either head due east and ford the stream to scramble to the summit of Granite Dome or you can head due west up through talus and scree to the top of the west ridgeline overlooking the valley, and then follow it across several unnamed peaks around to the summit at 9840' overlooking the East Flange Rock (which is not the actual summit). Choice to use NF parking lot, or pay at Kennedy Store (puts you 1/2 mile closer to trailhead). The rest is an easy hiking West toward the summit of Granite Dome. This hike is brutal but up there with one of the best I’ve done. The Trail to Lower Relief Valley To the Site of the Historic Relief Camp. Its 900 acres include preserved forestland, wildflower meadows and 15 miles of trails that go by two waterfalls and a large granite outcropping, called the Labyrinth. There are 4 ways to get from Kennedy Meadows to Yosemite National Park by bus, car or taxi. A relatively gentle terrain area of 24,650 acres on the Sequoia National Forest portion is ideally suited to family-oriented recreation. Location: Main Features. These communities are true treasures of Georgia: granite outcrops host rare, endemic plants found nowhere else, and Georgia has more of these outcrops than any other state. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Landmarks: Relief Reservoir. If you're using Kennedy Meadows as a trailhead, make sure you know which one! The Granite Dome hike is definitely one of my favorites. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. We hiked from Relief Reservoir up to Granite Dome thinking it would be hard but never expected it to be as grueling as it was. Dome Land Wilderness Map USDA. Cross the creek earlier than shown, at about the 6.2mi. I skirted around the meadow and followed the drainage up and around to Ridge Lake. The trail starts out passing through Kennedy Meadows Resort and follows the river, crossing once and then twice, the section in between looks blasted out of the granite in a steep-sided canyon. We camped at Ridge Lake, and the view was awesome. i love those rock formations on top, like some ancient ruin. Past the second bridge there are a couple of pieces of old equipment lying by the trail, probably used for the construction of Relief Dam, a cast iron winch and boiler, rusted from age, dated from … I originally had hoped to make it to the lake with enough time and energy to take a trip up to the top of Granite Dome, but we were both totally gassed and it was already after 4. The Kennedy Meadows dirt biking in the Cannell Meadow Ranger Distric provides a variety of riding opportunities, from relatively easy to routes that challenge even the most experienced off-roaders. If you draw a line from that to the 7.4mi mark, that’s a killer heading; 2. Kennedy Meadows/granite dome. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. But the views and the granite and everything else was a 5. Keep below this. You’ll save a heap of time cutting this corner. We clocked 20miles, 40K steps and got back after dark. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. There also some nice greenery directly between it and the saddleback that you’d pass back through as well if you went that route (I’ll upload a screenshot with some markups to photos). This is not for the faint hearted. Access to Granite Dome summit is close to lunch meadow; good place to camp the night before. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail. After grabbing lunch I left the trail and skirted around to the creek on the opposite side. Day 1 3.5 Miles ~900' elevation gain ... Ridge Lake is a magnificent lake that sits at the base of a enormous granite wall that forms the top of the Granite Dome above us. Ending Point: Granite Dome Lakes. Entrance/Exit Trailhead: Kennedy Meadows Total Mileage: ~14.5 miles. By the time you’ve finished the ascent, your feet will already be killing you and getting down is even harder; 3. The east end of Sherman Pass Road connects to the southern Kennedy Meadows. The trail starts off departing the parking lot at Kennedy Meadows Resort and following the dirt road paralleling Stanislaus River. The trail to the West-Southwest, the Right, leads to Lower Relief Valley. The meadow in Lower Relief Valley looking up towards Granite Dome. We found a great site with a great view. BIG MEADOW Sequoia NF . Bus, drive • 6h 9m. Kennedy Meadows was a picturesque scene, a mountain stream running through the meadow with patches of colorful fall Aspen dotting the hill sides. Eastside access is via Nine Mile Cayon Road (J41) to Kennedy Meadows … After Ridge Lake things get super treacherous. PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, Carson-Iceberg Backpacking Loop: Golden Canyon, Elder Creek, Disaster Creek. Sat, Aug 14, 2010, 9:00 AM: A group did this same time last year and it looked fabulous!! Hike to above Relief Reservoir. Kennedy Meadows. The hike between Emigrant Lake and Lunch Meadow is incredible; probably the highlight of the route. near Kennedy Meadow, California (United States) Blue Lake Canyon. Both Salt Lick and Spring Meadows are phenomenal; Long Lakes is an option for sleeping as well. 25.020753788264003 miles - Moderate - by gwayneright7. Related to: Similar to Glades and Barrens, which lack the well-developed dish gardens, dome shape, and temporary pools. My friend took a nap, while I recouped with a dip. With Point2, you can easily browse through Kennedy Meadows, CA single family homes for sale, townhouses, condos and commercial properties, and quickly get a general perspective on the real estate prices. The trail Southwest, turning Right from the South end of Relief Reservoir through Lower Relief Valley passes around the South side of the Granite Dome Massif opening up the possibility of a big backpacking loop counterclockwise around Granite Dome (Deer Lake to Buck Lake to Emigrant Lake...), back to Kennedy Meadows Pack Station. There are two Kennedy Meadows in the Sierra Nevada, many miles apart. However, they were nowhere to be found. 3.884812692384 miles - Moderate - by Ryan Nguyen. Despite overflowing cars at the trailhead last weekend, Emigrant didn't … Dogs are also able to use this trail. Upper Buck has great campsites on granite on the South side and good fishing. 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