High Sierra Trail

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High Sierra Trail
Length	49 mi (79 km)
Trailheads	Crescent Meadow John Muir Trail
Use	Hiking
Elevation Change	4,000 ft (1,219 m)
Highest Point	10,700 ft (3,261 m)
Lowest Point	6,700 ft (2,042 m)

The High Sierra Trail is a hiking trail in Sequoia National Park, California, United States. The trail crosses the Sierra Nevada from west to east.

From the plateau of the Giant Forest at Crescent Meadow the trail travels high on the northern wall of the canyon of the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River to Bearpaw Meadow. This first 11 miles of the trail is a popular though strenuous two day hike. The "High Sierra Camp" (a simple tent hotel) located here dates back to 1934.

Leaving the meadow the trail climbs through the Hamilton Lakes Basin to Kaweah Gap at 10,700 feet (3,261 meters). From this pass trough the Great Western Divide the route descends into Big Arroyo and then climbs to the Chagoopa Plateau only to drop again into the Kern River Canyon. After following along the Kern River, it turns east, climbing parallel to Wallace Creek to the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail, 49 miles (79 km) from the starting point. Hikers may then follow the John Muir Trail about 13 more miles (21 km) to the summit of Mount Whitney.

For those wishing to complete the crossing of the High Sierra the Mount Whitney Trail branches to the east from the John Muir Trail 2.5 miles before it reaches the summit of Mount Whitney and descends to Whitney Portal located at the end of the road from Lone Pine, California.

Work began on the High Sierra Trail in 1928 and it was the first Sierra trail built solely for recreational purposes.

[edit] References

USGS 7.5 minute maps through which the trail passes - Lodgepole, Triple Divide Peak, Mt. Kaweah, Chagoopa Falls, Mt. Whitney and Mt. Langley
Starr, Walter A. Jr. Starr’s Guide to the John Muir Trail and the High Sierra Region ISBN 0-87156-172-7