3 Trip Reports - Yosemite Clouds Rest, Sequoia Mineral King, and Kings Canyon Rae Lakes

I finally got around to writing up a few trip reports for 3 different trips I did in the Sierra over the past few years. Note that the conditions described in the reports are not descriptions of the current conditions in these parks. However, I have included a lot of maps, pictures, and other info that may be relevant to other people. I am happy to answer any questions about the itineraries, though I cannot speak to the trail conditions this year!

#1 - A report on backpacking the Rae Lakes Loop in Kings Canyon NP. We did this in July, 2016. The loop is ~40 miles long and we hiked it in 4 days. The views are really great and the trail forms a perfect backpacking loop. We loved almost everything about this hike. The only downside was that it is a bit crowded and popular. Full report here: https://backpackers-review.com/trip-reports/rae-lakes-loop/


#2 - A report on backpacking in the Mineral King area of Sequoia NP in September, 2015. This was a 45 mile loop in which we went up over Sawtooth Pass and then hiked up along the High Sierra Trail. The views along this trek were some of the best I have seen, and this has been my favorite backpacking loop. I though it was prettier than the Rae Lakes Loop and we saw hardly any other hikers. Full report here: https://backpackers-review.com/trip-reports/sequoia-mineral-king/


#3 - A report on a car camping and hiking trip to Yosemite NP. We camped at Crane Flat and did the Clouds Rest hike, visited Tuolumne Meadows, and hiked up on top of the Lembert Dome. This trip was in July of 2015. We really loved hiking up to Clouds Rest and views are amazing. Full report here: https://backpackers-review.com/trip-reports/yosemite-hiking-clouds-rest/




Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/01/2019 10:38AM by jartelt.

Always great to see the Mineral King area. Thanks for the post.

Yep - the Mineral King area is a great way to avoid the big crowds without sacrificing any scenery!