Independence, California

This trail starts at the lowest, and generally regarded hardest, trailhead in the Southern Sierras. You quickly gain elevation in what many describe as manageable but relentless. The first section of the hike has nice shade and adequate water access. Very enjoyable company to boot! Once you cros...

Trip Guide ***Please note, all images after the first one are arranged in chronological order of the trip so you can easily follow along Day 1 Depending on where you are coming from your day one is most likely going to be setting up your car shuttle from Whitney Portal to Onion Valley.  Our fi...

Make sure to obtain an overnight permit up to 6 months in advance. You will have to pick up your permit at one of the Inyo National Forest Visitor Centers (here) before you begin. Once you have your permit in hand, drive to the Onion Valley Trailhead (see map), which is about 15 miles west of th...

This adventure begins at Onion Valley Campground outside of Independence, CA. The parking is abundant and the road is snow dependent. Snow will be plowed as long as it is not currently being hit with a massive storm. Dogs are allowed on trail up to Kearsarge Pass (4.5 miles from the trailhead). H...

The hike starts at Onion Valley campground and includes a good deal of elevation (two passes around 12,000 feet). You start climbing at the outset, and keep climbing for the first couple of hours before hitting Kearsarge Pass. Here you begin a long descent, then traverse above some beautiful lake...

At 11,347 ft., Sawmill Pass lies on the Sierra Crest and enters Kings Canyon National Park in the Woods Creek area. Both the John Muir Trail (JMT) and the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) can be accessed through this pass. The Sawmill Pass trail is a steep and arduous climb, gaining over 6700 feet of e...

You'll have to deal with some crowds at Rae Lakes but that is because this is an amazing setting to spend the night. If sharing this place with others is the worst of your worries then you're doing pretty well. Hikers flock here for the incredible swimming, views of iconic peaks like Fin Dome and...

Green Lake via Meysan Lakes Trail is hiked from mid-June to end of September most seasons. Once the snow starts to fall, the road to the trailhead will be closed. A permit is require for overnight. You can obtain the permits online or at the ranger station in Lone Pine. Book online if you plan on...

With over 6,600 feet of elevation gain and class 4 climbing, this is not for the casual hiker, but can provide an excellent challenge to a budding mountaineer.Park your car at Whitney Portal, 12 miles west of the town of Lone Pine, and start up the main Whitney Trail. After 1 mile you will encou...

From the Whitney Trail - beyond trail crest - you will see a big cairn (right side). If you make it to the first "window of Mt. Whitney" you have gone too far. The cairn marks the start of an class 2 use trail up to the Mt. Muir headwall.The headwall is a fun climb with good handholds and has lit...

Day 1: We arrived at the Lone Pine Visitors Center at the intersection of HWY 395 and HWY 136 just south of Lone Pine, CA. We issued ourselves our overnight permits to climb Mt. Whitney and picked up our Wag Bags. You can self issue yourself the free permit Nov. 2 through Apr 30. Climbing during ...

Another rare but welcomed flat open space along the JMT. The night sky here will blow you away so if you're a photographer this is a great opportunity to capture the incredibel Sierra night sky. Do be careful about camping in the open space in regards to weather. A thunderstorm in this area could...

After the mild, but not negligible, 1000 ft ascent into Pinchot Pass, you'll be ready to rinse off the grime and take a rest. There are a few options for lakeside camping along the trail like Twin Lakes and an unnamed lake on the west side of the trail just beyond.This is a cool area because the ...

Plan your last night to be spent near Guitar Lake at one of the unnamed lakes just a half mile above it along the trail. You'll find sun late into the afternoon and it serves as a great basecamp to hit Mt. Whitney for sunrise early on your final morning on the JMT.Find out everything you need to ...

Day one: After checking in with the park ranger and getting your required permits you will start your hike along a 1.8 mile stretch along the south fork of the Kings River. At this point, people typically go clockwise toward Paradise Valley but you can also go counterclockwise along Bubbs Creek. ...

Mt. Langley sits four hours north of Los Angeles and is one of the easier 14ers to bag in California. Mt. Whitney absorbs most of the foot traffic, so enjoy the relative quiet and seclusion.The trailhead starts at Horseshoe Meadows/Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead Campgrounds and meanders for 7.5 miles...