It’s uphill most of the way there, with downhill being a bit slippery in the sand on the way back. After we got our relaxation on, we decided it was time to gear up and get a quick taste of Kennedy Meadows. Is this a good first time hike? I was also a bit nervous about making new… Love the views, the river, the high Sierra environs. We started Saturday morning with the intention to get to Ridge Lake in one day. It's hard but not crazy, at least we didn't think so. I did this a few years ago with my boyfriend at the time and we loved it. NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA. Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station A - Summit Creek B - Kennedy Lake C - Lower Relief Valley D - Upper Relief Valley E - Emigrant Meadow F - Emigrant Lake G - Snow Lake H - Maxwell Lake I - Upper Twin Lake J - Bigelow Lake K - Buck Lake L - Dorothy Lake M - Huckleberry Lake N - Tilden Lake O - Benson Lake We hiked up the reservoir (which is gorgeous!) The 7-mile hike from Kennedy Meadowsto Kennedy Lakeis one of the classic overnight backpacking outings in the Emigrant Wilderness. The ice cold beer at the store when we got back was a great reward Most definitely recommend this hike. Really sandy too for much of the trail. The car had long-since been packed, all we needed was an inspiring destination. The lake is beautiful, we bouldered down to the water and sat for a while there. Come and stay with us at the resort, go for a day ride, or let us pack you into the Emigrant Wilderness, Carson Iceberg Wilderness, or northern Yosemite National Park. be careful of the excessive Horse Manure, We stumbled upon this trail while riding up North From Los Banos. You might also consider the Meiss trailhead along Carson Pass Hwy, 14 mile is equivalent to the combined length of 5.8 Hollywood Walk of Fames. If we had another day, we would've either gone up the second day or done a day trip but with limited time, we hiked back down the second day. However, there is spring fed water flowing in it starting at about 8400', even during late summer on a dry year. This hike is at least 8 miles. The original Kennedy Meadows lodge was erected in 1917. Not a fan of sharing the trail with so many horses and mules. We had a wonderful time. We went and visited the exact spot and took a pic. We stayed at Relief Reservoir on the way out, and it was a good place to camp and cool off in the water. Find all the transport options for your trip from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Kennedy Meadows right here. Emigrant Wilderness - Kennedy Meadows to Unnamed Lake by Iceland Lake - July 4, 2014 Trip Logistics. Kennedy Meadows offers the last on trail resupply for the next couple hundred miles. Kennedy Meadows beauty is all encompassing. Great waterfalls and granite walls...and then you come to the reservoir! Aufgrund der Steigung und Distanz ist die Strecke als moderat einzustufen. Thank you for the sage wisdom! I really was impressed. There was some streams from snow run off that you can cool off with. Rome2rio makes travelling from Los Angeles Airport (LAX) to Kennedy Meadows easy. We are in pretty good shape so not too worried about the elevation gain and we are plenty outdoorsy. In the spring the businesses are awash with hikers waiting for the snow to melt in the Sierras. Great beginner backpacking for families. It is a little resort, complete with a C-store, a hiker bunk house, a great shower and laundry set up, and a restaurant. [IN THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA] However, there are better options for getting to Kennedy Meadows. The cabin was restored in 1988 by Pat Casey. Lovely trip. Thank you again for the guidance! The lazy rivers were my favorite. Kennedy built a cabin, which still stands today, where the resort is now located. Be sure to bring a bear canister. The trail is easy to follow, but the lake is a little farther out than you'd think. [IN THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA AREA & SIERRA NEVADA] My feeling is that 2020 is a special year and If I hike far enough I will eventually find some space. This is exactly what we did and it was perfect first time for my daughter and me. Just wanted to drop a line and thank you for this advice. I think you have sold me. The reservoir was by far the most stunning part of our trip and we wished we could have spent more time there. Rome2rio is a door-to-door travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir, 4.2 miles. The weather was at the high of 70 degrees so it was a little warm. Part of the effort here is where to begin. MONDAY THRU FRIDAY THRU 7/22/11 - DUE TO CONSTRUCTION - MOTORISTS ARE SUBJECT Big Loops. We would say it’s moderately hard. Bring plenty of water a hat for protection because there is little shade. Granted we were young, in shape and very outdoorsy. I am not terribly worried about crowds. More posts from the norcalhiking community, A subreddit for Northern Californian folks interested in hiking and backpacking to meet up, discuss/plan trips, recommend trails, post gear reviews, trip reviews, etc. But overall a really nice day hike! The river was raging. Thank you for the help. Nice steady uphill hike to lake. Believe it or not, I was really good about writing my blog on my phone every night this week. [IN THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AREA] It is a 17 mi/27.4 km ride, that climbs about 3000 ft/914.4 m to reach Snow Lake, in the heart of the Emigrant Wilderness. Plus we know what we are in for if we go out on Labor Day weekend. The biggest downside is that the trail is used by a lot of horses so you have to constantly dodge horse poop. The trail was sandy with lots of horse traffic and poop. Technically most of the campsites are FFS but we didn't have an issue finding a site (may have been because of the major fires that week). PCT: CA Section J - Sonora Pass to Echo Lake, 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, Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail, 2020 AllTrails, LLC Alle Rechte vorbehalten. There is ample free parking and several campsites on the drive up in case the trailhead is full. Restaurant will open Mothers Day weekend and the horses open Memorial Weekend! The restaurant is open all afternoon for a late lunch if needed. Full ride report at livelikepete.com I like the challenge of the incline on the way to Relief Reservoir but it was still really doable. The views were beautiful. You will be surprised by some of the unique things to do and places you can explore at this hidden destination. SR 108 This is what I can remember: June 11- 11 miles, camping above Shadow Lake on the JMT Our store, cabins, and bar are open! US 395 Rumor is you can park up past the restaurant if you're a day hiker. Kennedy Meadows North is NOT Kennedy Meadows South. Cross a second bridge and after … and spent about an hour there at the first point you can go down (at the large rusted pipe) to get water (need to take packs off for the last bit to scramble a little). The most beautiful and pristine blue water you will see. A little to cold for swimming but perfect to dip your feet in. We stayed out for 3 nights. Oct 21, 2020 - Horseback riding, camping, hiking, and stunning views in the High Sierra. Rivers, bridges, creeks, cave, dam, beautiful reservoir . We were arm-pumped as hell and exhausted but kept pushing ahead until we absolutely needed a break. Day 40: Mile 702.2 (Kennedy Meadows) to Mile 712.6 Miles: 10.4 Steps: 32,694 Elevation Gain: 2,430 After taking a week off to prepare for the upcoming months of snow travel, and visit family in Vegas, I was ready, and excited, to get back on the trail! Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station, Sonora, California. I am not terribly worried about crowds. Day 67: Mile 1009.3 to Mile 1016.9: Sonora Pass/Kennedy Meadows North. a lot of bang for the buck! It’s was a good trail. Intense. Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail ist ein 9.8 Kilometer langer, moderat besuchter Hin- und Rückweg in der Nähe von Pinecrest, Kalifornien. Trails around resevoir were very confusing and didnt always coincide with the maps. It was busy over 4th of July weekend but that is to be expected. We will definitely be back for a full three day trip (camp near grouse creek/end of reservoir on the first night, go up to ridge lake for night 2, and come back on the third day). Aufgrund der Steigung und Distanz ist die Strecke als moderat einzustufen. We can start trips out of Leavitt Meadow, Leavitt Lake, Sonora Pass, or Kennedy Meadows Pack Station and hike to any of these other Highway 108 trailheads once we hike up to the Kennedy Canyon trail junction on the PCT. Plus we know what we are in for if we go out on Labor Day weekend. The forest included many Jeffrey pines, and one hiker had placed the note "Smell Me" at the base of one of the trees. 2nd 36hrs were Smokey and ash dropping on us the entire time. Thank you for any guidance. Kennedy Meadows may not be as popular as other cities in United States, but don’t let that fool you. Closer to 9 miles if you go to the water past the creek. We complied, sniffing the familiar vanilla and butterscotch aroma of the Jeffrey pine bark. The walk along the reservoir trail is breath-taking. However, you can take the bus to L. A. Excellent thank you for the suggestion. Lots of great camping site around the reservoir. We open for the season on the last Friday in April and close on Columbus Day in October. Following the PCT for a while going south, I made my way to the juction of the PCT and the Emigrant Trail near Kennedy … We park in the designated hiking parking area which adds roughly .75 miles to the hike. Carried the toddler in the pack. This is a Hiking trip up the trail from Kennedy Meadows to Kennedy Lake. Jay Day Hiking, Sierra Mountains July 28, ... Leaving the lake, I climbed the old abandoned Jeep road up to the top of the ridge and down to the PCT. We spoke with other hikers on the way down and they noted there are some online resources that describe the best off trail route to Ridge Lake from Summit Creek. We ended up finding an awesome spot on the creek and with easy access to the reservoir itself. 15K likes. Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Trail ist ein 6.1 Meilen langer, moderat besuchter Hin- und Rückweg in der Nähe von Pinecrest, Kalifornien. Er führt entlang eines Sees, entlang eines Flusses und es gibt einen Wasserfall und schöne Wildblumen. NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA. Great trail! We drove to the trailhead on Friday night, arriving around 7pm. Any other recommendations in the Stan Forest / Carlson-Iceberg Area? Nonplussed2’s spot. TO DELAYS OF UP TO 15 MINUTES Kennedy Meadows is a smaller but beautiful upcoming tourist destination that is worth a visit. The Kennedy Meadows trailhead is located on the west side of the Sonora Pass and provides access to the Emigrant Wilderness Area from the north. . If you want a quiet hike choose a week day. We turned right here on the smaller trail, through the gully and up the other side. Still an amazing trip. Looking back down at Leavitt Lake from Leavitt Pass . Mid week was perfect, not a lot of people on the trail. Sonora Pass was my favorite part of the Sierra Nevada section of the PCT. Kennedy Lake - Key Facts. We hiked this several years ago as part of a 50 mile trip with our Boy Scout troop, so the kids were experienced backpackers. I do like the idea of stopping at Relief Reservoir and doing day hikes to high elevation points. And that area is so beautiful, you'll want to take breaks to stop and look at the scenery anyways : ). If you intend to get to ridge lake in one day in the summer, make sure you get an early start and minimize time under the sun. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. The resort offers rustic cabins, bunk rooms, a supply store, a restaurant, a saloon, hot showers for rent, free public rest rooms, and they also operate a large pack station (horses/mules). bahiker.com, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser. The second day, we went about 13, past Emigrant, and with additional climbing. A great hike with a lot of beautiful sights to see. Worth it though! You can see Sonora Peak and Leavit Peak as you walk along the river. https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/california/kennedy-meadow-to-the-bridge First 36hrs were beautiful blue skies and warm air. Few years ago my buddy & I did a great loop from Kennedy to Sheep's Camp (night 1), Sheep's Camp to Emigrant Lake (night 2), Emigrant to Upper Relief (night 3), and back out to Kennedy on day 4. Hunde sind auf diesem Weg erlaubt. We camped at Troy Meadows Campground and rode for 3 days here. When you get to the trail Y, keep right until you reach the old boiler section. Die Route ist das ganze Jahr über zugänglich. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Lots of nice sights along the way. But worth the views. I hated entering from Kennedy meadows because the horse traffic from the resort has destroyed the trail and made it feel more like a multi lane highway. Kennedy Lake and the land around Kennedy Meadows were claimed by Andrew Thomas Kennedy of Knights Ferry and William E. Lutz in the mid-1880s. NO TRAFFIC RESTRICTIONS ARE REPORTED FOR THIS AREA. 14K likes. A fantastic hike with beautiful views all the the way up. Cascading waterfalls, rushing rivers, wood bridges, towering rock faces and sweeping views of the reservoir and the tops of the Sierras were some of the highlights. My feeling is that 2020 is a special year and If I hike far enough I will eventually find some space. The trail follows the river out of Kennedy Meadows, climbing along the old construction road used to build Relief Dam in the early 19th Century. Note that the upper portion of the creek is dry in late summer. Which is gorgeous! july weekend but that is worth a visit were having too fun. 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