Explore Sequoia National Park - view hand-curated trail maps and driving directions as well as detailed reviews and photos from hikers, campers and nature lovers like you.
reviewed Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake Loop via Elbow Pass Trail
September 10, 2020Did the loop in 2 days with a overnight at Tombstone Campground which is a awesome backcountry campground. Beautiful valley, gorgeous Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake is a nice extra. lots of snow on Sept 8th but pretty much all gone by Sept 9th. trail is easy/moderate, follow the AllTrails map as some of the trails are not obvious.
reviewed Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake Loop via Elbow Pass TrailSeptember 3, 2020Three beautiful lakes in 15 easy km. Excellent effort to reward ratio! The turnoff for Rae lake is easy to miss - AllTrails saves us from going to the other two lakes up there by accident.
First to ReviewDone in August 2020 in the clockwise direction over 11 days without resupply. This hike takes you through some of the best parts of SEKI, but it's a tough journey. Expect to climb and descend 2000-4000 feet per day. The beginning (Road's End via Granite Pass to Palisade Creek) was a particular slog, especially given the weight of our packs. The trail was hot, steep, sandy, and had long stretches without access to water. Views along that section were also mostly underwhelming. But once we hit the JMT, the scenery became spectacular and unforgettable, and it stays that way during the remainder of the loop. Trail was generally in good shape, although the non-JMT/HST sections tend to be overgrown with a lot of brush. The mile south of Elizabeth pass can be hard to follow but has a fair amount of cairns to help you navigate. I also recommend bringing a resource that shows where campsites are along the trail, some sections of the trail are more amenable to camping than others. Overall, a challenging hike that was well worth it.
June 15, 2020First to ReviewFrom the parking lot to elbow lake, the trail is forested (can’t really see anything) and quite steep. However after elbow lake the trail really levels out. Super beautiful trail especially between elbow lake and the sheep river junction. Lots of alpine meadow in the foreground and towering snowy mountains in the background. The snow crust does support you with just hiking boots up to tombstone lake campground. Most of the trail was completely dry but there were two stretches over a kilometre long with significant snow. However, the snow did support my weight and there were only a few sections where I was sinking in more than a few inches. Although you could technically drag a bike through the snow, I’d wait at least at least a week if not more for it to really be bike-able. At this point you’d be carrying your bike for a significant portion of the trail. Be advised that to reach the “first” tombstone lake you’ll be post-holing in sections unless you have snowshoes. The “second” tombstone lake is realistically unreachable without snowshoes as of June 13. Additionally, the lakes are still covered in snow so I’d wait a few weeks so that you can actually see them. Be wary of bears as this is a major bear corridor. I saw a LOT of bear scar and tracks between Elbow lake and the tombstone lake campground.
September 10, 2019You should really do langley if you go that far. But doing the extra cirque with Langley, which was great (if you have the legs and time)
reviewed Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass TrailsJuly 10, 2019Did this hike from the Cottonwood lakes basin and up and over New Army pass on 7/7/19. Still good amount of snow on top of New Army pass and Ice axe and crampons needed. Snow on top of New Army pass but clear heading towards Cirque Peak. Great views circling around towards the Peak. Scramble down through the boulders off the Cirque Peak face to head back to the Cottonwood lakes basin.
reviewed Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass TrailsJune 27, 2019Amazing trail. Some of the most beautiful backcountry I’ve been in. Lots of wild life and incredible views. Was a little snowy still so the trail disappears in places. The views on top of cirque peak go forever. You can see Mt Langley and Mt Whitney from the top. Perfect backpacking area.
reviewed Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass TrailsAugust 14, 2018Horseshoe Meadow Walk-in Camp to New Army Pass Roundtrip.
First to ReviewDay hike from long lake to high Lake and back again. This is one way from high to long.
reviewed Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake Loop via Elbow Pass TrailSeptember 25, 2020 reviewed Tombstone Lakes and Rae Lake Loop via Elbow Pass TrailSeptember 20, 2020August 13, 2020 reviewed Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass TrailsJuly 12, 2020 reviewed Cirque Peak Via Cottonwood Lakes and New Army Pass TrailsSeptember 6, 2019
