Big Baxter Loop

This hefty loop through the Sierra Nevada is nearly 104 miles that begins and ends with Baxter Pass Trail. There is significant elevation change throughout this journey, and can take anywhere between 5-10 days to complete, depending upon the hiker and their preferred pace. As with any route in the High Sierra, there are ample opportunities for off-trail scrambling and peak bagging. The loop aspect of this route can be taken in either direction, but will be briefly described here in a clockwise direction. 

The trail up to Baxter Pass is steep and rugged, and it takes a mere 6 miles to travel from the trailhead to the pass. From this orange-rocked pass, the route zig zags down the north face of the Sierra crest toward Baxter Lake, and on to eventually join the Pacific Crest Trail near Dollar Lake. Note that the trail in this section from Baxter Lake to the PCT can be difficult to follow. We head north on the PCT until its junction with Woods Creek and the Woods Creek Trail, which we follow west and then south, eventually paralleling the South Fork of the Kings River, to meet the parking lot at Road’s End. We quickly leave this symbol of civilization onto the Copper Creek Trail, which is a seemingly relentless climb up toward Granite Basin and the Monarch Divide. Camping is quite limited between Paradise Valley (Woods Creek Trail) and Upper Tent Meadow, so plan accordingly. From the Monarch Divide, we join the Simpson Meadow Trail, which descends toward Simpson Meadow (the trail again becomes difficult to follow at times on this descent). We then follow the Middle Fork of the Kings River for around 8.5 miles until again joining the PCT at Palisade Creek. In heavy snow years, Palisade Creek can be difficult to cross. Our route takes the PCT southbound for nearly 30 miles to again with Baxter Pass Trail, crossing both Mather Pass and Pinchot Pass along the way.

Hikers will pass through the John Muir Wilderness in Inyo National Forest and enter Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park. Wilderness permits are required for backcountry camping, which can be found at www.recreation.gov. For more information regarding advisories, weather, road conditions, campgrounds and more, check out the Inyo National Forest website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/inyo, and the Sequoia-Kings Canyon website at https://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm. Practice the principles of leave no trace, and take action to defend threatened wilderness areas (wildernesswatch.org).