Driving north on Sierra Hwy N of Kernville, California; Passing Fairview & the Johnsondale bridge; After the R Ranch @ Johnsondale, take the right fork off the main highway, which goes deep into Kern River Gorge. This narrow & winding paved road skirts the Upper Kern River Gorge & the impressive Rincon Fault. Numerous primitive camp site can be found on dirt roads off this paved route. The pavement dead ends at Jerky Meadow trail head, which accesses the Golden Trout Wilderness & the Great Western Divide. Backpackers can get to the high country Sierra Nevada & Mineral King in Sequoia National Park from these trails.

Boy Scout Camp Whitsett is one of the first places you pass, near Sentinel Peak.

The Western Divide Hwy runs parallel to road 22S82; way up above it @ 7000′ elevation – with destinations like Dome Rock & the Needles (2 very cool granite features) that overlook this Kern Gorge. The small community of Ponderosa, CA is also up there, along with the quaking aspen groves & the Trail of 100 Giants. Forest Rd# 22S02 connects paved route 22S82 to the Giant Sequoia highway above.

There are many primitive camp areas way above Kern River Gorge – all located on the right side of this road 22S82. Look for small signs for CAMP AREA #1-6. Camps 1-3 are great for RV campers with creeks & dense forests. Long Meadow Creek is one of the first of many streams, you will cross as driving this paved, winding, canyon route. Camp areas #4, 5, & 6 are the best bet for seclusion, plus awesome hiking trails to falls, granite pools & the impressive Kern gorge. Swimming holes are plentiful. Fishing can be decent at times. Many waterfalls can be found in this region as the tributary streams fall towards the deep granite gorge in the Sierra Nevada range. All roads off of 22S82 are dirt roads & most are passenger car accessible. Wetter months could be challenging. Some routes back here are considered to be 4×4 routes tho, so know your vehicles limitations. High clearance is needed to reach some camp sites. Summers can be busy.

This area was burnt from recent wildfires in 2002-2005, but the primitive, dispersed campsites near the streams are full of vegetation & making a nice comeback. Alder Creek runs down from the Sequoias, into Dry Meadow Creek nearby.

Lower Peppermint Campground @ 5300′ elevation, on the west side of the road, is the only developed camp ground on this main forest road. Lower Peppermint has 17 spots, piped water, & picnic tables. Peppermint Meadows & Peppermint Creek are adjacent to the camp area.

Lloyd Meadows @ Sequoia Forest Road# 20S67 – is the Forks of the Kern Trailhead & the dirt road that accesses it, is very popular among equestrian campers. Freeman Creek joins Lloyd Meadows Creek near Pyles Camp. There is a small developed campground called “Forks of the Kern”. Steep trail leads down to the granite gorge where Little Kern River meets the main Kern River; Rattlesnake Creek & Ninemile Creek also join the Kern River in this 10 mile stretch. Kern Hot Springs requires a backpacking trip.

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest MAP

GOLDEN TROUT Wilderness MAP USDA
GOLDEN TROUT MAP (Tom Harrison)
Closest small towns are:

• CALIFORNIA HOT SPRINGS
• FAIRVIEW
• KERNVILLE
• PONDEROSA

Rock Climbing in SoCal is limited to the awesome southern deserts with boulders, boulders & yep, more boulders. Joshua Tree is well known, but Mojave deserts boulders have much to offer, with less crowds. Meaning you’ll get more on exploring new routes, off the beaten path.

Good granite is hard to come by & big granite walls are even more scarce down south. The most popular piece of Southern California granite among climbers is that of Tahquitz in Idyllwild CA

Big Bear Bouldering

Idyllwild Rock Climbing

For more on California rock climbing places, check out a few of our favorites resources:

CA Rock Climbing Instruction

Rock Climbing Ratings

Rock Climbing Local Links

California Rockclimbing.com

Southern California rock climbing areas:

Southern California Maps that may be relevant:

• Joshua Tree National Park Map (Tom Harrison)
  
• Mojave Desert Topo Map (Tom Harrison)
  
• San Berdu National Forest Map (USDA NFS)
  
• San Gorgonio Wilderness (Tom Harrison)
• San Jacinto Peak (Tom Harrison)
• Santa Rosa Wilderness Map

Warning: You could spend a whole day just driving & sightseeing in this area! Meadows, wildflowers, dirt roads, trails, Big Creek, McKinley Grove of Sequoias, Wishon Reservoir, the list goes on. All the way out to the Wilderness boundary, Courtright Lake is not a quick or easy drive.

The hikers trailhead is located at the end of Courtright Rd. Cross over the big dam to the right & drive approx one mile; look for signs on the right side of the road. There are minimal areas to set camp at this granite , windswept face. Good luck getting a tent stake in the ground. Rock rules here. There are a few developed Campgrounds on the opposite side of the lake which may be a better choice for car camping. This Maxson parking lot is primarily for backpackers.

nearby locales -

• COURTRIGHT LAKE
• WISHON LAKE
• SHAVER LAKE CA

maps of this Sierra region -

• Dinkey Lakes Wilderness Map
• John Muir Wilderness Map (Tom Harrison)
• John Muir Wilderness Map (USDA NFS)
  
• Sierra National Forest Map

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Dusy Ershim 4×4 route start right here too – on the opposite side of the road. It’s second only to the Rubicon Trail, as far as High Sierra rocks & terrain.

Rock Climbers also love this spot for the granite domes & walls. Hiking all the way around this lake is a full day trip, with lunch and sightseeing stops. A pleasure not to be rushed.

East of Lake Isabella, there is a small community called Canebrake along Highway 178

The graded dirt road climbs up into pinyon pine forest up to Chimney Creek Campground. Lamont Pinnacles is a great hike & rock climbers like it too. Long Valley Loop Road circles the Chimney Peak Wilderness, which skirts the Domeland Wilderness & meets J41 South of Kennedy Meadows. Long Valley Campground is tucked way back in the boonies with trail heads into the granite Dome Lands. The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) crosses this region between high desert terrain & pine forest, west of Walker Pass @ Hwy 178.

[ see the photos ]

nearby towns -

ALTA SIERRA
LAKE ISABELLA
KENNEDY MEADOWS
KERNVILLE
WOFFORD HEIGHTS

maps of the region -

SEQUOIA NATIONAL FOREST MAP
DOMELAND WILDERNESS MAP
HIKING MAP PCT #3 (PACIFIC CREST TRAIL)

When the snow melts in the High Sierra, the rush is on! This is one of the most popular backpacking trips in the Eastern Sierra, as Mt Whitney is the highest peak (14505′ elevation) in the contiguous United States of America. Day hikes to the summit should only be attempted if you are in excellent physical shape & used to high altitude hiking. There are so many folks trying to hike this sought-after peak in the warmer summer months (MAY-OCT) that the National Forest has put tight restrictions on these Mount Whitney trails. You must obtain a hiking Wilderness permit for this hike & that requires waiting in a long line of outdoor enthusiasts that also seek this prime destination. The Lone Pine Ranger station holds an annual Whitney trail LOTTERY, where you must apply a year in advance & be granted a permit before you can set foot on this popular hiking route.

An alternate backpacking route is the southern ridge line from the Cottonwood Lakes trailhead, but you still must verify with local authorities for permits & Wilderness passes.

The Alabama Hills, between Hwy 395 @ Lone Pine CA & the Whitney Portal offers camping & mountain biking trails with excellent views of Mount Whitney from below. A short drive up to the portal & you can stand in the waterfall mist & do a day hike up to Lone Pine Lake.

Now that we have you salivating for this epic adventure, you can start your dreaming & real planning by ordering hiking topo maps of the region. Then after you have thoroughly reviewed the maps, the terrain (as well as your own physical condition), you can contact the Inyo National Forest / Lone Pine ranger office for more specifics on dates & details.

• MOUNT WHITNEY High Country TRAIL MAP
• MOUNT WHITNEY ZONE MAP
• Inyo National Forest Map

The Alabama Hills sit at the Eastern Sierra base of Mt Whitney, California