Exploring the Backcountry

Finding quiet and solitude is not nearly as difficult here as it is in Yosemite. Mineral King and the Giant Forest in Sequoia, and Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon, are the main points of entry into the backcountry, but the wilderness here is never farther away than 5 miles in any direction. It surrounds the park, and just about any hike that lasts more than an hour will get you into the wild. The park is crisscrossed by numerous trails leading into the high country, including the world-famous Pacific Crest Trail, as well as the John Muir Trail, which begins in Yosemite and ends at Sequoia's Mount Whitney.

Mineral King is a quiet spot that attracts few people to its 11 trails because the road to the glacial valley is so difficult to drive. Avalanches have swept swathes of trees aside and the valley floor is covered with wild meadows. Higher up, there are woods of red fir, white fir, and lodgepole pine. The landscape is rocky but colorful. Alpine trails begin at 7,500 feet and climb from there.

Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon is at the dead end of CA 180. From here, to the north and east, the park is inaccessible to vehicular traffic. Hikes from here head out toward the Rae Lakes Loop, Monarch Wilderness, and beyond.

Preparing for Your Trip to the Backcountry

Be sure to get a detailed topographical map before setting off on any overnight hike. Maps are available at all ranger stations and at visitor centers throughout the park. In addition to this book, you may want to pick up a copy of "Backcountry Basics," a free trip-planning guide for the wilderness areas of the parks, which can be obtained at park visitor centers, or call tel. 559/565-3341 to request one.

Permits & Fees -- All overnight backpacking trips require a wilderness permit, available by mail, by fax, or in person at the ranger station closest to the hike you want to take. First-come, first-served permits can be issued the morning of your trip or after 1pm on the preceding afternoon. In summer, permits cost $20 for the first two campers and more for additional people; in winter, they're free.

Reservations can be made 21 or more days in advance, starting March 1. To reserve a permit, you must provide a name, address, telephone number, the number of people in your party, the method of travel (snowshoe, horse, foot), number of stock if applicable, start and end dates, start and end trail heads, a principal destination, and a rough itinerary. Mail the application to Wilderness Permit Reservations, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, Three Rivers, CA 93271, or fax it to 559/565-4239. Reserved permits must be picked up by 9am. If you're delayed, call the ranger station or you risk forfeiting your permit. If your hike crosses agency boundaries, get the permit from the agency on whose land the hike begins. Only one permit is required.

For hikes beginning in the Sequoia National Forest (or in Giant Sequoia National Monument, which is managed as a section of this national forest), pick up your permits at the ranger district offices in Blackrock, Lake Isabella, Kernville, Springville, or Dunlap, or contact Sequoia National Forest, 900 W. Grand Ave., Porterville, CA 93257 (tel. 559/784-1500; www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia). The national forest wraps around the southern and western portions of Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Permits are free and there are no quotas on trails in this forest.

In Sierra National Forest, permits are also free, but reservations are $5 and quotas apply from the last Friday in June to September 15. Permits are issued at the ranger station closest to your trail head. This forest lies west and north of Kings Canyon National Park. For maps and further information, contact Sierra National Forest at 1600 Tollhouse Rd., Clovis, CA 93611 (tel. 559/297-0706; www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra).

The Inyo National Forest administers areas that stretch from the Sierra Crest to Owens Valley. Most trails here have quotas, and free permits are required. Reservations are available 3 months in advance and cost $5 per person; $15 for Mount Whitney, which are issued through a lottery. For reservations, contact Wilderness Permit Reservations, Inyo National Forest, 351 Pacu Lane, Suite 200, Bishop, CA 93514 (tel. 760/873-2483 10am-4pm Mon-Fri, daily in summer; fax 760/873-2484; information only 760/873-2485; www.fs.fed.us/r5/inyo).

Food drops can be arranged in advance, but are difficult without the help of an outfitter. No packaging from the drop may be left behind. Call the parks' wilderness office (tel. 559/565-3708, then follow the instructions) for information. Food can also be mailed to the Cedar Grove and Mineral King ranger stations. Packages are held for 3 weeks from the date received or 3 weeks after the expected pickup date, whichever is longer. Use regular U.S. Mail. Address packages with your name, identification as a trail hiker, and pickup date, all on the first line. Address packages in care of the Cedar Grove Ranger Station, Box 926, Kings Canyon National Park, CA 93633, or in care of the Mineral King Ranger Station, Star Route, Three Rivers, CA 93271.

The Cedar Grove Ranger Station is usually open daily from 8am to 5pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day. The Mineral King Ranger Station is open from 8am to 4pm from Memorial Day weekend to early October.

Special Warnings -- Be aware of bears that frequent these regions. In the summer months, mosquitoes and sunburn are real problems. Stay off high peaks during thunderstorms and don't attempt any climb if it looks as though a storm is rolling in; exposed peaks are often struck by lightning. And finally, many of these routes are buried under snow in winter.

Note: There are 14 ranger stations in the wilderness of the park. Eight are along the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails. Another six are in the southern part of the park in the Sequoia backcountry. Most are not staffed fall through spring. To find out which ranger station is closest to your trail head, consult the park map handed out free at all entrances.