Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail [CLOSED]

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Sequoia National Park

Mineral King to Little Five Lakes Trail [CLOSED] is a 44.6 kilometer moderately trafficked loop trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from March until October.

Length44.6 kmElevation gain2,859 mRoute typeLoop
BackpackingCampingFishingHikingNature tripsForestLakeRiverViewsWaterfallwild-flowersWildlifeBugsScrambleSnowClosedFeeNo dogs
Description
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Note: As of October 2020, the Mineral King area and surrounding wilderness areas are closed due to the SQF Complex Fire. For updates, please visit https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/conditions.htm Sequoia National Park charges a fee to enter. Fees are $35 per vehicle or $30 per motorcycle. If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $20 per person. You can also purchase a park specific annual pass for $70.

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Reviews (80)
Photos (489)
Recordings (52)
Completed (160)
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Garrett Stack
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarGray StarGray StarGray StarGray StarSeptember 13, 2020
Backpacking

Smokey

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N G
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarAugust 20, 2020
BackpackingGreat!No shadeOff trailOver grownRockyScramble

Background: This trek was amazing. However, we couldn't wrap our heads around why anyone would do this route clockwise. Seriously, like another reviewer said - buck the trend, go counterclockwise, you'll thank us later. Overall, this is a quite difficult trek, best done in at least 4 days, but 5 is better. We were in adequate shape - not great, but not bad. We live at sea level and are pretty experienced backpackers. We broke camp and headed out each morning by 7:00. Day 1 - A shorter day, our first stop was Monarch lake after starting from the trailhead around 11:00. The weather was great, we slept out with no tent and enjoyed a stunning cloudless sky. No mosquitoes either! This stop was ideal while we got acclimated (coming from sea level) and rested before Sawtooth pass. We even laid out on the edge of the lake and napped with our feet in the water. Unless you're in incredible shape, Monarch lake makes for a good first stop. Day 2 - At daybreak, we tackled Sawtooth Pass in the cool morning air. Ascending Sawtooth Pass actually might be the most epic ascent I've ever done - it's treacherous, but it's not the nightmare it's made out to be. Pick your own route up, try to stick close to the All Trails route, look out for cairns, rest and reevaluate often - it's genuinely fun. After the epic views from the top of Sawtooth, the steep descent down to Columbine was welcome - there's a small body of water next to the official Columbine lake that was absolutely idyllic - perfect stop for fresh water and snacks. Heading down through Lost Canyon from Columbine was a nice change of scenery that also brought some welcome shade. We decided to stop at the closest of the Big Five Lakes, which was a good idea for us because we were pretty wiped out from Sawtooth and the steep descents afterward. This was a great stop - like Monarch, bug-free and scenic. We had thought about trying to push on to Little Five lakes to get closer to Blackrock, but it's another couple miles uphill, so we were happy with our choice. Day 3 - The best day of the trip, because this is the day that cements your delight in going counter-clockwise. The ascent up Blackrock after getting up to Little Five Lakes is a little rough, mostly because it's hot and uninspiring - and this is the easy side. It's a tough ascent over tons of sun-blasted rock, and the sun heats it up pretty quickly. However, when you get to the top, you'll shed a tear of sweet relief, because the other side of Blackrock is an absolute monster slog, and you get to fly down it. As you descend, you'll get to smile and wave to all of the poor souls that made the terrible mistake of doing this trek clockwise. After an hour of rapidly descending down that unforgiving pass, you'll meet a weary clockwise hiker that looks at you with a glint of hope in their eyes, gives you a strained smile, and wistfully asks how much farther it is to the top of Blackrock. You'll offer a few hollow words of encouragement, but you know the truth - they've barely even started, and the sun's already high in the sky. The descent down Blackrock lasts for miles, and we continued on past Pinto to make camp at Cliff Creek. This was actually our favorite night - washing up in, and falling asleep next to, a small waterfall there was the perfect last night for our trip. Finally found a few bugs here, but nothing crazy. Day 4 - An uneventful final morning for us, the hike out of that valley was challenging and lasted a while, but it was an amazing trail through miles of lush forest in the cool morning air. Reached the parking lot around 11:00am. Overall, this was one of the most epic trips I've had the pleasure of doing, and also one of the most challenging. Don't be fooled by the 28 mile length - I think 4 days is a good minimum for most people, but in retrospect we would have preferred 5 days to give ourselves a more relaxed pace overall, and to have more time and energy to explore and enjoy the places we made camp. Absolutely loved this route, and shout-out to the reviewers that help us decide to go counter-clockwise!

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Michael Catelli
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarAugust 11, 2020
Hiking

The clockwise loop is actually more like 33 miles. We did the loop in 3 days (I don’t recommend that). This was our first backpacking trip and it was brutal but extremely beautiful. Do not go up past Pinto to Black Rock past 4pm, it will be dark by the time you get to the summit and it can be dangerous at that point.

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David Chalem
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarAugust 7, 2020
Hiking

4 days + is mandatory. First night stay at pinto not lake it’s a marsh (beware of skeeters) it’s the best before you go up black rock. 2nd night stay at one of the little five lakes they’re gorgeous and give you ample protection from the wind. 3rd night and day should be a trek to columbine, stay in the area with the sand don’t be too close to the lake the wind is a killer. 4th day descending sawtooth will scare you but just go slow and you’ll get it done. Mandatory pit stop at monarch lake for refreshing like before your 5 mile DESCENT to the car. -hiking Dave

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Corey Smith
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarAugust 1, 2020
Hiking

Mineral King to Five Lakes trail was all time! It was so nice to check-out for a few days and clear my head. This trail had it all, winding trails through whimsical forests, waterfalls, challenging accents, rocky moonscapes, massive canyons, meadows filled with wildflowers, and crystal clear high alpine lakes. I highly recommend doing the loop clockwise.

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Jordan Nishimura
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJuly 20, 2020
BackpackingGreat!

Backpacked this incredible loop clockwise 7/20/20 - 7/23/20. Day 1: 1:00pm - 6:40pm, 7.8 miles, Trailhead -> Pinto Lake Got a late start, arriving at 1:00pm, tarped my car to protect from marmots (per the rangers recommendation). Right at the start you work up a sweat as you gain about 1800ft in 2 miles. This, combined with the high altitude had me breathing heavily. After you pass timber gap, you start to descend into a lush canyon with lots of greenery. At mile 5, the bottom of your descent, you will come across Cliff Creek. You can camp here (several people did) but I chose to continue on to Pinto Lake. This is 2.9 more miles with a steady incline (around 1300ft). The hike up is very rocky, so watch your step so you don't twist anything. Day 2: 9:30 - 3:30, 8 miles, Pinto -> Upper Big Five Lakes Fill up your water at the river by Pinto. There were a few trickling streams but that might depend on the time of year, and you're definitely going to need water. This day was tough. Ascending Blackrock Pass you gain about 3000 ft of elevation in 3 miles, and it took me 3 hours. Slow down your pace, this ones a marathon, not a sprint. You basically go up endless switchbacks. But there are some things to keep you going. Each break you take, you can look back to see the picturesque green valley you just came up. And looking around you have these amazing rock faces and as you get higher you'll see a beautiful lake that you can't reach but wish you could jump in to. You might feel like quitting, but keep at it, slow and steady. After soaking in the views at the top, you'll descend towards the Little Five lakes. There were spots to camp here, but I continued on another 2-3 miles to the Upper Big Five Lakes. Day 3: 8:30 - 3:00, 10 miles, Upper Big Five -> Monarch Lake This was my favorite day. I descended down to the Lower Big 5 lake. This was also very beautiful (but I think the one I stayed at was more secluded). You'll go up a bit, see another small lake, and then descend a lot as you walk through a pine forest towards Lost Canyon. At the soda creek junction cross the river and stay to the right. You'll follow the river for the most part, crossing it once again. Walk through meadowy green scenery until finally it opens up and you are surrounded by massive mountains on either side. It feels magical. As you get to the end, you see a very steep gravely trail that leads up to Columbine Lake. As you're climbing up, be sure to look back and admire the canyon you just walked through. Finally, you'll reach Columbine Lake (so many beautiful lakes!!!). This ones a bit different, with a deep blue surrounded by gray rock. The ranger I spoke to said there were no places to camp at Columbine Lake but I passed several spots where I could have pitched a tent. There are no trees though, so you will definitely need a bear canister if you choose to. It's easy to lose the trail here, but basically you need to walk about halfway around the lake and you'll find the trail (there are some cairns) that leads you up to sawtooth pass. After a final 700ft of elevation gain, you're there. Congrats, the hardest part is done. Take some time to appreciate the views. Going down Sawtooth was fun and not too bad. Each step you take you slide about a foot down in the scree, which makes going down fairly fast (going up must be really tough). Once you reach the bottom, you're at Monarch Lake where I made camp. Day 4: 7:30 - 9:30, 4.4 miles, Monarch Lake -> Trail Head Easy, all down hill, pretty views. To answer a question below, there is no cell phone reception. It was also not very buggy where I went (though I did treat my clothes/tent with permethrin so maybe it just worked). Honestly you can't go wrong either way, clockwise or counter. They're both beautiful. It'll also be tough either way. Clockwise you have to go up Blackrock, but counterclockwise you have to go up Sawtooth, so its a toss-up in my mind. Overall I loved it. This loop has it all - meadows, forests, beautiful lakes, amazing mountain vistas, and wildlife (saw marmots, deer, chipmunks, lizards). Despite it being the hardest trip I've done (it IS challenging, don't underestimate it), it was so worth it!

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Ellen Smrekar
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJuly 18, 2020
HikingBugsRockyScramble

What an amazing time! We did the loop counterclockwise per our permit. I liked this way! Both passes were the right way up, going up sawtooth was brutal and the view was incredible. Definitely still buggy! Every lake is worth a swim.

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Dylan Taylor
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJuly 10, 2020
BackpackingBugsGreat!Rocky

Backpacked this loop from 7/10 to 7/14. We decided to backpack counter-clockwise –contrary to the popular choice – and, in my opinion, it was absolutely the correct route. ROUTE We started hiking at 2:00pm on July 10th, having driven six hours from Marin. The 4.5 mile, 2,600ft climb to Monarch took us a solid four hours to do; we were waterlogged by weak sea-level lungs and an unforgiving sun. This was by far the most physically demanding part of the trip. Note that there was literally no cloud buildup during our entire trip (5 days, 4 nights) and the sun was especially strong during this leg. Heading into this trip, I was worried about climbing Sawtooth Pass. Y'all made it seem like it would damn near kill me! In actuality, it ended up being the most fun mile of the trip – the slope was nicely shaded until 9:30am, and we had a great time working our way up. Just because it's tough doesn't mean it isn't fun as hell. Contrary to what others have said, you don't much lose the trail as much as you pick the best route. There's several noticeable trails dug into the loose scree: some bolt directly up, others contour, one heads to the northern end of the ridge. I wouldn't necessarily recommend one over the other, but we mostly stuck to the route shown on the AllTrails map. It took us about 1h45m to cover the 1400ft up to Sawtooth Pass. The descent down to Columbine was fairly rocky, with some (very) light routefinding required above the lake. Cairns mark the established path. The switchbacks down from the east Columbine shore are pretty steep – definitely enjoyed having hiking poles here – before it levels out into Lost Canyon. The first part of the canyon, by the way, is the only flat half-mile on this entire route. The climb up to Big Five Lakes from there was pleasant. Shaded switchbacks on a dirt/gravel mix made for a great time. We dropped our packs after the second set of switchbacks (above the easternmost lake) and headed into the basin. Not many people take the spur trail to visit the upper four lakes – they're missing out on a lot! We hopped in the biggest lake for a quick swim. My Garmin watch marked the temp at a perfect 70 degrees. From there, it's a pretty uninteresting climb up to Little Five. The calm before Blackrock Pass if you will. We woke up at 5:30 (15min before sunrise) to do some shooting at the biggest of the lake... some of the best photos I've ever taken, no doubt. Definitely worth being a little tired for the day's hike. Though the climb up to Blackrock Pass is only about 1200ft from there (compared to 5,000ft from Cliff Creek), it's best to start early. The sun rises early and the ground warms quickly. We took about 1h15m up this pass at a fairly conservative pace. With a pretty complete reserve of energy, we bombed down 3000ft to Pinto Lake which, if you're not camping there, is definitely worth a rest stop. The creek was 57 degrees and perfect for a quick head dip. The two miles between Pinto Lake and Cliff Creek suck. Maybe I was tired, but I did not enjoy it... 85 degrees, limited views, and an overgrown/rocky trail was not my preferred cocktail. Some of the gents heading up sure as hell weren't enjoying it either. I loved the climb up to Timber Gap. It's the ideal send-off for this route: a final 2300ft climb through forest, then above a cascade waterfall, and finally to a flat gap with wildlife aplenty. We saw a friendly deer, hummingbirds, and (unfortunately) a few flies. Finally, the descent down to Mineral King is absolutely gorgeous. You can see Farewell Gap, Florence & Vandever peaks, the White Chief granite mount, and the extensive ridge of Empire Mountain. I was able to take it down in about 45m of moving time. My recommendation is to do this route counter-clockwise. Here's why: you can climb Sawtooth Pass in the shade, you avoid the 3,000ft slog up Blackrock from Pinto Lake, and you don't have to climb over Timber Gap to start. Each foot of elevation counts heading up to Monarch – you don't lose it until after the pass – which makes it psychologically easier, if you need that. I also found that the campsites going counter-clockwise were perfectly spaced apart for a 4-night trip. Finally, getting permits for Monarch Lake may be easier than for Cliff/Pinto. Buck the trend and do this one counter-clockwise.

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Thor Swanson
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJuly 5, 2020
HikingBugsOver grownRockyScramble

Completed 6/28-7/1. Absolutely amazing. Don’t be fooled by the short mileage, the elevation gain/altitude make it TOUGH, but the views make it worth your effort. Camped at pinto, Lower big 5, and lost canyon. Sawtooth pass is a gnarly scramble where it is easy to lose the trail

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Bonnie Cheung
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJuly 3, 2020
HikingBugsRockyScramble
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Cami Hastings
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJune 29, 2020
BackpackingBugs

Did the loop going clockwise in 4 days (6/25/20-6/28/20) and it was incredible. For a group of relatively inexperienced but reasonably fit backpackers, this was tough but doable. If we could do it again, I'd add in a zero day at big 5 lakes for some fishing and resting. I'd definitely recommend going clockwise - going up to Sawtooth Pass on the first day would be … rough at best. Trail is well-maintained and well-marked, except for section from Sawtooth Pass down to Monarch Lakes which is just a big hill of loose rock and sand. We camped at Pinto Lake, Upper Big 5 Lakes, and Columbine Lake. I'd recommend camping at Lower Big 5, that way you stay on the main trail, there is a bear box, and it seemed like there were less mosquitoes. Columbine Lake was absolutely amazing, if a bit windy, and the fishing was really good. We had pretty much perfect weather, however we were informed by a ranger that it was unseasonably hot so make sure to check weather & snow level before you go if it's early in the season. The climb up to Black Rock Pass is brutal, we had a member of our group struggle with some altitude sickness and the climb would be killer even if it started at sea level. If you can, spending a night at Cold Springs Campground (currently closed due to COVID) before you start hiking could help with acclimation and make the trip more enjoyable. Overall, a truly incredible trail if you are prepared and patient.

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Julio Sandoval
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarJune 25, 2020
HikingBugsScramble
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Nicholas Lo
Yellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarYellow StarGray StarGray StarJune 21, 2020
BackpackingBugsNo shadeSnow

Will not recommend this to first timers. Very difficult because of the altitude & elevation gain, on the second day especially. Bring lots of deet spray, sunscreen, electrolytes. On the second day, start as early as possible (sunrise would be best), as the hike towards Black Rock pass gets increasingly steeper and more difficult. Fill up water at all available streams on the second day, at some point before you summit the pass there won't be any water until way past when you arrive at little five lakes. Overall a fantastic hike, views & stargazing at Columbine lake were amazing, but just know what you're getting yourselves into!

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