We camped at Ridge Lake which is a gorgeous alpine lake then spent the next day hiking to the summit of Granite Dome and visiting the various lakes nearby. I skirted around the meadow and followed the drainage up and around to Ridge Lake. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail. It is a tough 2 day hike, especially in winter when the day ends at 5pm. Dogs are also able to use this trail. This is one of the more spectacular lakes I … PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, Carson-Iceberg Backpacking Loop: Golden Canyon, Elder Creek, Disaster Creek. Landmarks: Relief Reservoir. Select an option below to see step-by-step directions and to compare ticket prices and travel times in Rome2rio's travel planner. The trail starts out passing through Kennedy Meadows Resort and follows the river, crossing once and then twice, the section in between looks blasted out of the granite in a steep-sided canyon. Despite overflowing cars at the trailhead last weekend, Emigrant didn't … 25.020753788264003 miles - Moderate - by gwayneright7. All amenities are located here, including the guided horseback rides , pack station , cabins , store , restaurant , saloon , and PCT hiker accomodations . By the time you’ve finished the ascent, your feet will already be killing you and getting down is even harder; 3. The trail to the West-Southwest, the Right, leads to Lower Relief Valley. Off-Trail Granite Above Yellowhammer Lake - Emigrant Wilderness The climb from Yellowhammer to Leighton Lake had some wonderful granite slabs, as well as endless views toward Yosemite. The Trail to Lower Relief Valley To the Site of the Historic Relief Camp. There are 4 ways to get from Kennedy Meadows to Yosemite National Park by bus, car or taxi. Thankfully they arrived safely just as we finished scouting out campsites. Alternatively, free parking is available at the signed forest service "t… 3.884812692384 miles - Moderate - by Ryan Nguyen. Cross the creek earlier than shown, at about the 6.2mi. Kennedy Meadows to Granite Dome is a 32.3 kilometer moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Pinecrest, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Day 1 3.5 Miles ~900' elevation gain ... Ridge Lake is a magnificent lake that sits at the base of a enormous granite wall that forms the top of the Granite Dome above us. Enter at Kennedy Meadows. We found a great site with a great view. Download the satellite image layer and follow a course through as many trees and green areas as possible. Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station This is where the resort is located. There is also parking at Kennedy Meadow Resort but you need to pay for that. This is not for the faint hearted. Granite Dome is most easily accessible from the Huckleberry Trail. Hike to above Relief Reservoir. It is definitely a shared trail with horses, but not as bad as Rachel claims below. Our 10.92 mile long climb up to Brown Bear Pass from the Gate at Kennedy Meadows Pack Station bends Southeast just past the halfway point, which is where our Southbound trail Tees out and turns Left at the trail junction off the Southeast shore of Relief Reservoir. With Point2, you can easily browse through Kennedy Meadows, CA single family homes for sale, townhouses, condos and commercial properties, and quickly get a general perspective on the real estate prices. We camped north of Ridge Lake. Begin at the Kennedy Meadows trailhead off of Highway 108, just west of the Sonora Pass. Choice to use NF parking lot, or pay at Kennedy Store (puts you 1/2 mile closer to trailhead). If you get your line right, you will only have a short boulder scramble but be very careful in this section because it’s slippery and dangerous. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. Kennedy Meadows, CA real estate prices overview Searching homes for sale in Kennedy Meadows, CA has never been more convenient. Domeland Wilderness. Granite domes, forest and meadows. Related to: Similar to Glades and Barrens, which lack the well-developed dish gardens, dome shape, and temporary pools. The rest is an easy hiking West toward the summit of Granite Dome. In fact, the lakes in question are well off the trail, and take quite a … Scale = 1″ to mile; Printed on paper 1991. Kennedy Meadows was a picturesque scene, a mountain stream running through the meadow with patches of colorful fall Aspen dotting the hill sides. The meadow in Lower Relief Valley looking up towards Granite Dome. The initial hike out of Kennedy Meadows is notoriously hot, dusty, and covered in horse poo. But the views and the granite and everything else was a 5. PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, Pacific Crest Trail: Sonora Pass to Latopie Lake, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Loop Trail, Disaster Creek Trail: Iceberg Meadow to Paradise Valley, Carson-Iceberg Backpacking Loop: Golden Canyon, Elder Creek, Disaster Creek. In fact, on separate holiday weekend trips we had Iceland and Lewis Lakes all to ourselves. BIG MEADOW Sequoia NF . The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from June until October. I did a 35 mile solo trip out of Kennedy meadows in September 2018. Just don't expect a pristine trail and you'll be fine - it is rocky and there is certainly poop on the trail but it's no big deal and in fact the horse-folks were nothing but polite and encouraging. Kennedy Meadows/granite dome. Kennedy Meadows. We started up the trail from Kennedy Meadows towards Granite Dome at 8:00 am. Lower Relief Valley is a large meadow, encircled by granite. Dogs and horses are also able to use this trail. The other one is described by the Kennedy Meadow (N) page. There are two Kennedy Meadows in the Sierra Nevada, many miles apart. Entrance/Exit Trailhead: Kennedy Meadows Total Mileage: ~14.5 miles. The trail Southwest, turning Right from the South end of Relief Reservoir through Lower Relief Valley passes around the South side of the Granite Dome Massif opening up the possibility of a big backpacking loop counterclockwise around Granite Dome (Deer Lake to Buck Lake to Emigrant Lake...), back to Kennedy Meadows Pack Station. Starting from the Kennedy Meadows Resort, we went off trail from the launch meadow trail just before the confluence of the Summit creek. Thurderstorms picked up around 3 p.m. so getting an early start on the hike up the dome is necessary. Dome Land Wilderness Map USDA. You’ll save a heap of time cutting this corner. For a first backpacking trip this was great and the top of Granite Done had amazing panoramic views of the Sierras. Another way to get to Kennedy (S) is via Canebrake Road. Its 900 acres include preserved forestland, wildflower meadows and 15 miles of trails that go by two waterfalls and a large granite outcropping, called the Labyrinth. The Kennedy Meadows dirt biking in the Cannell Meadow Ranger Distric provides a variety of riding opportunities, from relatively easy to routes that challenge even the most experienced off-roaders. The base of the mountain is about 9 miles from the trailhead, with ample places to camp on all sides of the mountain. We didn't see anyone at Ridge Lake and ran into 4 people on our way to Granite Dome so felt like we had the place to ourselves. Brianna must have hiked a different trail as this is certainly not a flat trail - except for the first mile and a bit of the trail along the reservoir - the trail is steep in places and has lots of significant stair-steps and switchbacks after the reservoir. The lakes described here are all within close proximity to each other and given that they are off-trail you are not likely to run into many other campers. Ending Point: Granite Dome Lakes. The road passes the namesake meadow and several RV camping areas before reaching the actual trail. If you draw a line from that to the 7.4mi mark, that’s a killer heading; 2. Kennedy Meadows to Summit Creek and the Granite Dome Lakes: This is not for those who want a nice hike along a well-marked trail. It's a four for me because the trail is not your normal trail and the horses do make it soft and sand at parts. You Tube deleted my first upload of this video. Overnight parking at the resort lot is $10/night and can be paid at the resort lobby. 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