Re: Hume Lake - SEKI Day Hikes?

I'm heading up to Hume Lake for some camping with the family. We've previously done the standard Sequoia NP sights, but haven't made it to King's Canyon at all. I was wondering if any of you helpful folks had suggestions for a short day hike with the kids (7 and 10).We can pretty readily do 3 mile hikes, and if there's water to play in along with views that helps with the young-uns. Any suggestions?

The only place near Hume Lake in the SEKI region that I know of that meets your criteria is Weaver Lake. It's 4 miles round trip if you start from Fox Meadow (not Big Meadow which makes it much longer and harder). However, the Fox Meadow trailhead is off a dirt road from the paved Big Meadow Road. I did it a few years back with my standard front wheel city passenger vehicle. I drove real slow though. It's a very popular trail and when I went in August the lake was warm and excellent for swimming. One problem this year is that it still might be snowed in because of the cold winter and spring. You'll absolutely need to ask for directions. I asked both a ranger and some nice people who were stopped by the road and they helped me find the place.

I went to King's Canyon a few weeks ago and enjoyed Roaring River Falls, Zumwalt Meadows, and Mist Falls/Lower Paradise.

Roaring River Falls is about 300 yards off the main road through Kings canyon. Not really a hike, more a point of interest.


Zumwalt Meadows is a flat ~2mi walk through meadowland and streams surrounded by granite walls. We ran into a golden bear there.



Mist falls maybe too long for young ones. It was about 8mi round trip to the falls, 13mi round trip if you want to go all the way the lower paradise, but that probably had the best scenery.

Several very short to short hikes in Kings Canyon that would be suitable for young children would be to Roaring Rivers Falls inside the park, and just outside the park, in the National Forest, Grizzly Falls and Boyden Cave.

And of course there's a nice loop trail through Grant Grove of the Giant Sequoias. And another, but longer hike, in the Grant Grove area would be to drive to Panoramic Point and take the two mile Park Ridge Trail to the Park Ridge Fire Lookout.