Hiking the Mineral King Loop Trail in Sequoia National Park
Distance: ~44.0 miles / 70.8 km
From the iconic black-and-white image taken by Ansel Adams of Precipice Lake in 1932 to the High Sierra Trail becoming one of the most coveted routes to climb to the summit of Mt. Whitney, the Mineral King Loop Trail in Sequoia National Park has been a backcountry favorite in the High Sierras for many years!
That being said, the Mineral King Loop Trail is an adventure not known to many who visit Sequoia National Park, and even fewer choose to spend one or a few nights at Precipice Lake, which is widely regarded as the most beautiful alpine lake on the entire trail!
By this, I mean that the Mineral King Loop is not nearly as well-known as its Kings Canyon counterpart, the Rae Lakes Loop Trail. This is because the Rae Lakes Loop features some of the most iconic images captured in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Area; thus, the Mineral King Loop is hiked far less in comparison, especially since most backcountry hikers are on the loop to hike the High Sierra Trail from Crescent Meadow to Mt. Whitney.
For these reasons, a slower backcountry trip on the Mineral King Loop Trail to the stunning alpine lakes on the High Sierra is one of the best ways to take it slow, relax, and enjoy some of the most pristine landscapes Sequoia National Park has to offer!
How to Get Backcountry Permits for the Mineral King Loop?
Since both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park operate as one National Park, commonly known by the acronym SEKI, the backcountry permit system for the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness Area falls under the same reservation system.
That being said, the backcountry permit system for both Sequoia and Kings Canyon is not as straightforward as it could be—especially if you’re a first-time visitor trying to hike the Mineral King Loop Trail.
I say this because the Mineral King Loop is not a designated trail like the Rae Lakes Loop, with a straightforward trailhead to begin and end. Rather, the Mineral King Loop Trail is more or less the 'social name' for the hike, given that it’s really a number of different trails that all connect through Bearpaw, the Hamilton Lakes, Big Arroyo, the Little Five Lakes, and Redwood Meadow to create this 33.0-mile (53.1 km) loop in the Sequoia backcountry.
For this reason, there are at least three different trailheads that one could consider, with only two being practical for most purposes. The three are Crescent Meadow via the High Sierra Trail, the Sawtooth Trailhead via Timber Gap, and the Middle Fork Trailhead via the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River.
However, only two of these are actually practical for the purposes of enjoying the alpine lakes, which are Crescent Meadow and the Sawtooth Trailhead.
This is because the Middle Fork Trailhead begins about 3,600 ft (1,097 m) lower than the High Sierra Trailhead at Crescent Meadow and roughly 4,600 ft (1,402 m) lower than the Sawtooth Trailhead in Mineral King.
Therefore, beginning at the Middle Fork Trailhead in the mid-to-late summer months is not only impractical but irresponsible from a safety standpoint because the temperatures down at Ash Mountain, where the Foothills Visitor Center is located, soar well above 100º F (37.8º C) when the alpine lakes in the high country are most ideal to visit.
Considering all this, we chose to begin at the Timber Gap Trailhead, which had less to do with the starting elevation and more to do with the distance to reach the start of the Mineral King Loop. However, this doesn’t go without saying that Timber Gap, both on the way in and out of the backcountry, is a challenge. It’s entirely uphill immediately following the trailhead, only to lose all the elevation gained and more on the backside, which has to be repeated upon completing the loop.
In any case, all Sequoia and Kings Canyon wilderness permits are available through Recreation.gov, and each trailhead is limited based on the number of people entering the backcountry throughout the most popular backpacking months.
Permits can and should be reserved in advance if you know your dates, or there are walk-in permits available, which are most suited to last-second trips and nearby visitors that have flexibility. In this case, I recommend calling the backcountry office closest to the trailhead you plan to begin to see what’s available.
Book Here: Sequoia-Kings Canyon Backcountry Permits
Mineral King Loop Trailhead Parking
As previously mentioned, the Mineral King Loop Trail could begin at one of three different trailheads, but we chose to begin hiking from the Sawtooth Trailhead in Mineral King.
The Sawtooth Trailhead is located up the long and winding Mineral King Road, about 16.1 miles (25.9 km) from the start of the road in Three Rivers.
This drive should take anywhere from 1 to 2 hours to get to the trailhead, and most two-wheel-drive cars should be able to make the trip, granted that the road is snow-free. However, I recommend checking with the National Park Service if you are visiting early in the summer season (May and June) or if you are visiting after a heavy storm.
Google Maps Directions: Sawtooth Trailhead (Timber Gap)
Hiking Checklist - Sequoia-Kings Canyon
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
That being said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the Sierra Nevadas are home to a large black bear population, bear spray is not allowed in either Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park.
Hiking the Mineral King Loop Trail
To get to the Mineral King Loop Trail, our adventure began on the Timber Gap Trail, which is, in my opinion, the 'easiest' route to the start of the loop along Cliff Creek.
Then, as previously mentioned, the Timber Gap Trail begins ascending almost immediately, gaining about 1,650 ft. (503 m) in just 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to the top of the pass.
Timber Gap-Monarch Lakes Junction
After 0.6 miles (1.0 km), the Timber Gap Trail splits with the Monarch Lakes Trail.
Here, go left to continue up to Timber Gap and the Mineral King Loop beyond.
This is when Timber Gap started to feel much closer, which is the lowest point in the trees along the ridge.
It’s a nice sign that you’re nearing the pass when the Timber Gap Trail enters the trees!
Timber Gap
The top of Timber Gap is a big, open, flat area that makes for a nice place to take a break, sitting at about 9,500 ft. (2,896 m), compared to about 7,850 ft. (2,393 m) at the Sawtooth Trailhead.
To continue further, the Timber Gap Trail begins descending on the far right side of the pass.
This descent on the north side of Timber Gap loses about 2,500 ft. (762 m) from the pass to Cliff Creek, where the Mineral King Loop Trail begins.
For these exposed sections, I was very happy to be hiking in one of my hooded sun shirts, which I highly recommend for such a long adventure as the Mineral King Loop!
It’s important to mention that in these more overgrown areas, rattlesnakes—here more than in any other areas of Sequoia and Kings Canyon—can be very hard to detect.
Therefore, it’s important to be very confident about where you are stepping and to listen for the sound of a rattle, which can be a good early warning that you are getting too close without even seeing the snake.
When the Timber Gap Trail begins to descend through a series of switchbacks on the right side of the ridge, the trail is getting close Cliff Creek and the start of the Mineral King Loop.
Cliff Creek
At the bottom of the switchbacks, the Timber Gap Trail passes by a few campsites, before crossing over Cliff Creek to begin the Mineral King Loop Trail.
Mineral King Loop Trail (Cliff Creek-Black Rock Pass Junction)
After 5.5 miles (8.9 km), the Timber Gap Trail ends, where the Mineral King Loop begins.
As previously mentioned, the Mineral King Loop Trail isn’t a named trail by the National Park Service, but rather, it is a collection of different trails that create a roughly 33.0-mile (53.1 km) loop, beginning here with the Cliff Creek and Black Rock Pass Trails.
That being said, it may seem like hiking the Mineral King Loop can and should be done in either direction, but in reality, the clockwise direction by going left on the Cliff Creek Trail is the only practical way to hike the Mineral King Loop.
This will make more sense at the end, but hiking up the long, hot, and exposed sections on the west side of Black Rock Pass would be the least-ideal direction to hike the loop. It’s much better to descend these steep sections than to gain the roughly 4,600 ft. (1,402 m) from this junction at Cliff Creek to the top of Black Rock Pass.
That was all to say, we chose to go left toward Redwood Meadow and the High Sierra Trail beyond.
This next stretch along the Cliff Creek Trail is one of the easiest and most straightforward, as the trail simply traverses an easy, downhill grade along the banks of Cliff Creek.
Eventually, the Cliff Creek Trail will begin to pass through an area previously burned.
Gustavis Eisen Grove
Toward the end of the Cliff Creek Trail, the Mineral King Loop passes right through this hidden Sequoia grove, which truly feels special, as most visitors to Sequoia National Park will never see this secluded pocket of Sequoias.
Check out what the Manzanita Leaf Gall Aphid (Tamalia coweni) can do to the fruits on this common Sequoia species!
After the Gustavis Eisen Grove, the Mineral King Loop will begin approaching Redwood Meadow, as the trail starts descending again after climbing up and away from the grove.
Redwood Meadow (Cliff Creek-Paradise Ridge Junction)
At the far northern end of the Cliff Creek Trail, the Mineral King Loop passes through Redwood Meadow—a unique area in Sequoia National Park where Giant Sequoias and redwood trees grow side by side.
Here, some hikers prefer to stop and spend the night after hiking about 9.5 miles (15.3 km) from the Timber Gap Trailhead, but we decided to continue up to Bearpaw Meadow, knowing that the section between Redwood and Bearpaw Meadow is regarded as the most tedious and annoying on the entire trail.
By this, I mean that the Mineral King Loop Trail from Redwood to Bearpaw Meadow is entirely uphill, there are no views, there is very little wind, and often, the sections climbing up above Buck Creek are filled with mosquitoes!
For these reasons, we wanted to get the next 4.8 miles (7.7 km) out of the way in order to enjoy the best parts of the High Sierra Trail and the Mineral King Loop in the days to come!
Redwood Meadow-Middle Fork-Bearpaw Junction
This three-way split is where the Cliff Creek, Middle Fork, and Bearpaw Meadow Trails meet for the first time, with the fastest route up to Bearpaw Meadow and the High Sierra Trail being to the right.
That said, this is also the first of three junctions where the Middle Fork of the Kaweah Trail meets the Mineral King Loop Trail, should you have chosen that as one of the three different access trails to reach the 33.0-mile (53.1 km) Mineral King Loop.
Shortly after leaving Redwood Meadow, the Mineral King Loop begins the climb to Bearpaw Meadow and the High Sierra Trail.
Granite Creek
After Redwood Meadow, the Mineral King Loop crosses over Granite Creek, the first of three different water sources that can be great for filtering water before beginning the steeper sections up to Bearpaw Meadow.
Eagle Scout Creek
Eagle Scout Creek is the second of three water sources, after Redwood Meadow, with the third, at the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, located about 1.0 mile (1.6 km) away from this point.
Lower Bearpaw-Middle Fork Junction
The next junction is with a short but steep connector that leads down to the trail between Redwood Meadow and the Middle Fork Trail.
That being said, go straight (right) to continue on the fastest route to Bearpaw Meadow.
Middle Fork of the Kaweah River
Next, the Mineral King Loop Trail reaches the third and final water source before beginning the steep climb up to Bearpaw Meadow.
With that in mind, it’s important to fill up water here if you need it, because the water at Bearpaw Meadow isn’t readily accessible when you arrive, as it needs to be filtered/ purified first.
After the Middle Fork River, the Mineral King Loop begins what I and others consider to be the worst and most annoying section of the entire hike up to Bearpaw Meadow.
This is the section with little to no views and mosquitoes that can be quite bothersome in the mid-summer months.
Therefore, I highly recommend carrying this cheap bug net for sections like this and others on the Mineral King Loop Trail.
Upper Bearpaw-Middle Fork Junction
The last junction on the Mineral King Loop before Bearpaw Meadow is where the Middle Fork Trail would have met the Mineral King Loop if you had chosen to hike directly toward Bearpaw Meadow, instead of Redwood Meadow.
In any case, go right here to continue toward Little Bearpaw Meadow and the campground beyond.
Little Bearpaw Meadow
Little Bearpaw Meadow is truly a nice sign that you’re nearing the final sections up to Big Bearpaw Meadow and the adjacent campground.
Bearpaw Meadow
At roughly 14.5 miles (23.3 km) from the Timber Gap Trailhead, we ended our day at Bearpaw Meadow, which is where the High Sierra Trail portion of the Mineral King Loop begins.
It is here that the Mineral King Loop noticeably becomes busier, as the High Sierra Trail is one of the most popular routes to summit Mt. Whitney in the eastern Sierra.
This is exactly why I mentioned, at the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River, that the water at Bearpaw isn’t readily accessible.
In fact, I found it easier to filter from the stream instead of filtering from one bottle into a bladder, because I didn’t think to bring a tablet purification method before beginning the hike.
High Sierra Trail
The next day, we packed up early and began hiking up the High Sierra Trail to Precipice Lake.
This was the section of the hike that we were looking forward to the most, as we knew Precipice Lake was truly the reason for planning the entire trip!
Bearpaw-High Sierra Junction
This is where the High Sierra Trail meets Bearpaw Meadow on the east side of the campground.
Bearpaw Ranger Station
At the ranger station, we got to talk to the ranger staffing the cabin and get an updated weather report, as we knew that rain was in the forecast later in the day.
This was an important consideration because Precipice Lake is very exposed, while Hamilton Lake is lower and protected by the trees.
The views on the High Sierra Trail really begin to open up within the first 1.0 mile (1.6 km) of Bearpaw Meadow.
Lone Pine Creek ('Broken Bridge Creek')
After roughly 1.7 miles (2.7 km) from the Bearpaw Ranger Station, the High Sierra Trail crosses over Lone Pine Creek, more famously known as Broken Bridge Creek.
The original bridge was destroyed by an avalanche and can be seen in the canyon below!
Nevertheless, don’t expect to filter any water from Lone Pine Creek, as the bridge crosses over a deep canyon rather than over the stream bed itself.
High Sierra-Elizabeth Pass Junction
Shortly after Lone Pine Creek, the High Sierra Trail passes by the junction with the trail to Tamarack Lake and Elizabeth Pass. This is the route that heads toward the Kings Canyon National Park portion of the SEKI backcountry.
Here, go right to continue on the High Sierra Trail toward the Hamilton Lakes.
After the Elizabeth Pass junction, the High Sierra Trail begins climbing a series of 11 gradual switchbacks toward Hamilton Creek Falls.
This is where Hamilton Creek Falls begins to look closer, which was a nice sign that the lakes aren’t far beyond.
Hamilton Creek Falls
After Bearpaw Meadow, Hamilton Creek Falls makes for one of the best and most common places to sit down, take a break, and filter water before continuing up to Hamilton Lake.
Next, the High Sierra Trail continues its gradual ascent, gaining roughly 500 ft. (152 m) from the falls to Hamilton Lake.
Little Hamilton Lake
Little Hamilton Lake is the lower and smaller of the two Hamilton Lakes.
Finally, this is where the Mineral King Loop enters the beginning of the camping area for Hamilton Lake.
Permits here are also valid as far as Precipice Lake, so be sure to include this in your itinerary when planning your trip with the National Park Service on Recreation.gov.
Hamilton Lake
Hamilton Lake, at roughly 8,300 ft. (2,530 m), is one of the most popular camping spots on the Mineral King Loop and the entire High Sierra Trail.
In our case, we needed to decide whether to stay here or push on with the deteriorating weather; ultimately, decideding to go forward, knowing that we could take it slow and that there were only 3.6 miles (5.8 km) left to reach Precipice Lake.
From Hamilton Lake, the High Sierra Trail continues up the hill to the left, where it quickly begins to loose tree cover from here until the far side of the Kaweah Gap above Precipice Lake.
These sections were among the most exposed in terms of cover, which was something we needed to be cautious about with the approaching weather.
It was about here that we realized the weather was deteriorating the most, and, with sounds of thunder in the distance, we decided to find shelter away from the trees and ride out whatever might be coming.
That being said, this storm sounded as if it was fortunately more toward the Little Five Lakes area, so we really missed the worst of it!
These high-elevation Bristlecone Pines were the last trees on the High Sierra Trail before descending the east side of Kaweah Gap.
Notice all the rain the photo above, followed by the dry stream in the photo below.
I say this because it didn’t take long for a small flash flood to come raging down the stream right in front of our group.
When all the water came rushing down, this scorpion seemingly appeared out of nowhere, as its hiding place must have been washed away!
Hamilton Tunnel
The Hamilton Tunnel is one of the best places to take shelter on the trail, but since the worst of the weather was behind us, we decided to keep climbing.
This is where the High Sierra Trail crosses above 10,000 ft. (3,048 m) for the first time.
Precipice Lake
Finally, after roughly 22.5 miles (36.2 km) since leaving the Timber Gap Trailhead, we reached Precipice Lake!
Needless to say, Precipice Lake exceeded our expectations, which is exactly why we decided to spend not one, but two nights camping at this alpine paradise!
In terms of campsites, Precipice Lake doesn’t have many great spots compared to Hamilton Lake below, but this one that we set up in here was easily the largest of the three, which can accommodate at least three two-person tents.
Other than this, there is one more small area that can accommodate tents on the north side of the outlet, or there is another space of similar size just on the south side, which has a better chance of being open since the trail doesn’t pass directly by it.
After two incredible nights camping at Precipice Lake and swimming with the icebergs, we continued up the High Sierra Trail toward the Kaweah Gap, which is often seen as the unofficial 'halfway' mark on the Mineral King Loop Trail.
Our initial plan was to hike as far as the Little Five Lakes, about 7.6 miles (12.2 km) away, but this quickly changed after arriving there, which I go into more detail about later in this post.
Kaweah Gap
At roughly 10,700 ft. (3,261 m), the Mineral King Loop Trail passes through the Kaweah Gap, the unofficial 'halfway' point on the trail.
Here, hikers can see Big Arroyo Lake for the first time, which is another popular camping spot for those on the High Sierra Trail interested in moving a little bit further than Precipice Lake.
Following the Kaweah Gap, the Mineral King Loop begins a gradual descent down Big Arroyo Creek, which continues all the way to Big Arroyo Cabin about 3.6 miles (5.8 km) away.
As the High Sierra Trail begins to near Big Arroyo Creek, trees start to appear for the first time since leaving Hamilton Lake.
These are Whitebark Pines, which are known to be threatened by habitat loss as temperatures rise and other species have the ability to move higher than they have historically.
Trends like this are especially notable in places like Logan Pass and the Hidden Lake Trail in Glacier National Park.
Big Arroyo Creek
This is where the Mineral King Loop crosses over Big Arroyo Creek, which doesn’t cross over again until the Little Five Lakes junction just after the Big Arroyo Cabin up ahead.
Upper High Sierra-Little Five Lakes Junction
Finally, this is where the Mineral King Loop Trail leaves the High Sierra Trail behind.
At this junction, go right to continue on the Mineral King Loop Trail toward the Big Arroyo Cabin and the Little Five Lakes beyond.
Big Arroyo Cabin
Immediately after leaving the High Sierra Trail, the Mineral King Loop passes by the Big Arroyo Cabin—a historic patrol cabin built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) as part of a project to construct trails, bridges, and other facilities in the park.
Lower High Sierra-Little Five Lakes Junction
This next junction is nothing more than a short connector between the Little Five Lakes Trail and the High Sierra Trail.
Here, go right to cross over Big Arroyo Creek and begin the ascent up to the Little Five Lakes Basin.
This is again where the Mineral King Loop passes above 10,000 ft. (3,048 m) after dropping below on the descent down Big Arroyo Creek.
This next section on the ascent into the Little Five Lakes Basin traverses through one of the most beautiful Bristlecone Pine forests on the entire Mineral King Loop.
For those who don’t know, Bristlecone Pines are the oldest known tree species on Earth, meaning that Sequoia National Park— or more specifically, the Mineral King Loop Trail—has the biggest, tallest, and oldest trees in the world on this one amazing hike!
Little Five Lakes
This is the first of three different lakes that the Mineral King Loop passes by in the Little Five Lakes Basin, with the first two being the most accessible in terms of filtering water before Black Rock Pass.
Little Five Lakes-Big Five Lakes Junction
The next junction just prior to the second lake is where the trail splits toward the Big Five Lakes and the Little Five Lakes Ranger Station.
This junction is also near the best campsites in the Little Five Lakes Basin, but since we arrived so early in the day from Precipice Lake, it didn’t feel right stopping this early, so we decided to push on to Pinto Lake on the west side of Black Rock Pass.
That being said, go right across the creek to continue on the Mineral King Loop toward Black Rock Pass.
Keep in mind that this second lake is the last practical place to filter water before reaching Pinto Lake, about 5.1 miles (8.2 km) away.
Soon after leaving the second lake, the Mineral King Loop begins climbing, where it will gain about a 1,000 ft. (305 m) from this point to the top of Black Rock Pass.
It is because the upper lake is so far away from the trail that I suggest filtering at the second lake in the Five Lakes Basin to avoid going out of the way.
This is where the Mineral King Loop passes above 11,000 ft. (3,353 m) for the first time.
Then, Black Rock Pass starts to come into view, which is just to the left of the unnamed peak in the photo below.
The final approach up to Black Rock Pass ascends the steepest and highest portions of the entire Mineral King Loop Trail.
For this reason, micro-spikes may be necessary in the early summer season to stay safe, especially when the snow is melting during the day and freezing again overnight.
Black Rock Pass
According to my GPS, Black Rock Pass measured 11,665 ft. (3,555 m), which is the highest point on the entire 33.0-mile (53.1 km) Mineral King Loop Trail.
After Black Rock Pass, the second worst, but possibly most tedious, section of the Mineral King Loop Trail begins; and yes, this may be worse than the ascent past Redwood Meadow!
By this, I mean that the Mineral King Loop Trail descends roughly 4,600 ft. (1,402 m) from the top of Black Rock Pass to the Timber Gap junction at Cliff Creek.
All this downhill might not seem like a lot when reading this, but I can promise that it will wear on you more than you likely anticipate.
The sections immediately off Black Rock Pass are very steep, and there are essentially no breaks until Pinto Lake, with the steep descent picking up again right after the camping area.
Therefore, some hikers may prefer to have good trekking poles here more than at any other part of the trail—especially if there is still snow at these upper elevations!
Again, I was extremely happy to be hiking in a hooded sun shirt in these exposed areas, for which I could not have been more thankful after spending four days in the Sequoia backcountry thus far!
This is the steep view looking up toward Black Rock Pass.
These Bristlecone Pines were a nice sign that the steepest parts of the descent were over!
This is where Pinto Lake begins to come into view for the first time.
Pinto Lake
Upon arriving at Pinto Lake, our group once again decided to move further in order to complete the remaining 3.0 miles (4.8 km) of the Mineral King Loop Trail, at the junction with Timber Gap, Cliff Creek, and Black Rock Pass from the beginning.
We did this because Pinto Lake wasn’t as nice a campsite as we had thought, and having only the Timber Gap Trail to hike out in the morning sounded much nicer than adding the extra distance from Pinto Lake.
These sections down the cliffs of Upper Cliff Creek Falls is where the Mineral King Loop Trail gets steep again until it levels off at the bottom.
At the bottom of Upper Cliff Creek Falls, the trail gets much easier again, as there is only another 750 ft. (229 m) to descend over 1.6 miles (2.6 km) to reach the Timber Gap Trail.
These Cottonwood trees are nice sign that the Mineral King Loop Trail is almost complete!
Mineral King Loop Junction (Cliff Creek-Black Rock Pass)
Finally, after four days and 33.0 miles (53.1 km) of hiking—excluding the 5.5 miles (8.9 km) to get to this junction via Timber Gap—we completed the Mineral King Loop Trail and only had the Timber Gap Trail to finish in the morning!
The one thing that we didn’t anticipate was how busy the Cliff Creek-Black Rock Pass junction would be among campers. However, since we came in on the Timber Gap Trail, I knew there was a good chance that the sites across the creek would be open!
Timber Gap Trail
The next morning, we woke up early and began the roughly 2,500 ft. (762 m) of climbing to Timber Gap, which most noticeably became a challenge on the switchbacks in the trees near the top of the pass.
On the south side of Timber Gap, Mineral King and the car were the best things to see after spending roughly two full weeks exploring all that I could in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park!
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
