Most beautiful hike I’ve ever experienced! I broke down and cried while my boyfriend held me. The weather was awesome (fresh 75 degrees or so) and partly cloudy with some distant thunderstorms. It's really diverse going from soft ground in the forest to big rocks that requires small amounts of climbing. Photo by N. Ver Wilderness permits are required year-round for all overnight trips in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks' wilderness. ig: @harrishikers, Great trail. Bibi made a great selection in picking this hike for us today. We took a quick swim in the chilly water and then hiked down. It was a zen feeling. Proceed at your own risk. Make sure you have the right gear because I sure didn’t. Mineral King Valley, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Picture: Hike to Eagle Lake - Check out Tripadvisor members' 9,635 candid photos and videos. Layers are also a good idea as it gets chilly once you’re at the lake. It’s true that the road to the trailhead is long, winding, and narrow. But we loved the hike and want to do it again. We saw marmots and deer. There were plenty of beautiful waterfalls, meadows, and wildlife to view along the way. The hike back down is a lot easier. The route to both of these lakes follows the same trail for the first 2 miles, ascending steadily up the west side of the Mineral King Valley. Mineral King Valley, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Picture: Hike to Eagle Lake - Check out Tripadvisor members' 9,402 candid photos and videos. Length 6.5 miElevation gain 2214 ftRoute type Out & back The road can be challenging to navigate especially at night. Trail: Eagle Lake from Mineral King Valley. Will do again! The hike up was hot; the hike down was pleasant. I also went early and there were a lot of people headed up as I was heading out. I read about seeing Pika and grouse on modernhiker.com and the trail did not disappoint. My only recommendation would be to take breaks and enjoy the meadow parts of the hike more don’t feel like you have to rush to the top. Difficult . The lake was cool and refreshing and the dip was needed after the strenuous hike in the heat. Overall, this is a beautiful hike. I read about seeing Pika and grouse on modernhiker.com and the trail did not disappoint. Layers are also a good idea as it gets chilly once you’re at the lake. Took just as much time coming down as it did going up but with a lot less sweating lol. You need to stay on the left trail to head to Eagle lake. Bibi made a great selection in picking this hike for us today. Start from Eagle-Mosquito Trailhead at the end of Mineral King Road and commence hiking up the west rim of the valley. Once you get to the lake there are areas you can camp at. Backpacked up to Eagle Lake in Mineral King, near Sequoia National Park. Then we climbed some more. Mineral King to Eagle Lake Trail est un sentier allez-retour de 6.5 miles très fréquenté situé près de Three Rivers, Californie. The trail to Monarch Lakes begins at Sawtooth Trailhead in Sequoia National Park's scenic Mineral King Valley. The elevation gain is about 2,000 feet. Wonderful views of waterfalls, meadows, some wildflowers and beautiful trees. Took me almost two hours to get up. . All around great hike, BEAUTIFUL, with just enough challenge and relaxation. We're avid hikers and found this trail to be really great! It was really worth it! I went on this hike with the intention of wanting to find myself. Be a king and go conquer MINERAL KING! Once we turned at the sign to go right towards eagle lake was when our troubles REALLY started. The view right at the beginning of the trailhead also made for some great photos. After my crying, I just wanted to get to the lake, didn’t want to stop when I was so close. Then we kept going up and up and up and people were so sweet and told us we were almost there. The hike from Mineral King to Eagle Lake is short and steep. The rock scramble towards the end was very challenging, but not overly difficult. Watch the weather. The quality of the road shifts from decent to dirt and back again. though, I will not lie this trail is a HOE. The drive up to Mineral King is long and windy, and took about 90 minutes at a modest pace, so be prepared for that. Bring some music and enjoy the ride. If you are entering on foot or bike the fee is $20 per person. But good. The climb up was SUPER STEEP and I needed to stop every .25 miles to take as much of a breath the nature would allow me. There are sections where the climbing is challenging, but in the end the lake is worth the effort. Mineral King - Topic; About; Home Trending History Get YouTube Premium Best of YouTube Music Sports Gaming The trail starts from the Eagle-Mosquito parking lot. I also went early and there were a lot of people headed up as I was heading out. The trail starts from the Eagle-Mosquito parking lot. The ranger station is located near the Coldcreek campground. We took the hike to Eagle Lake - 3.4 miles one way - very steep, goes thru granite boulder field and meadows, streams - all while climbing 2200 feet to about 10,200 foot level. It’s also pretty rough, would definitely recommend taking a vehicle that can handle steep inclines, pot holes, sections of very bumpy dirt road. The drive is a long one so plan accordingly if planning to hike in and out in one day! Mineral King will remain closed for the season and some wilderness closures will be in place. The way back I rolled my ankles a few times and considered how much I would have to pay to get a helicopter to come pick us up. Mineral King / California's Southwestern Sierra; Why Hike Franklin Lakes . After it reaches the lower rim of Eagle Basin, the trails split. Mineral King to Eagle Lake. The lake is nice. Go do some laps too. Apparently the Marmots of Mineral King chew up your radiator hoses early Spring/summer but is not usually a problem late in the summer. Wonderful trail we did this afternoon. The road is narrow with a sharp drop off and there is no buffers or railings between you and the drop off. Do this hike but just be prepared with water and supplies and the right shoes and the mindset to conquer this mountain! Bugs were not too bad but I could see them being bad at dusk. The drive out Mineral Ridge Rd isn't great because its basically wide enough for one car in most spots and there were a few people going fast around the corners coming from the other direction. All in all it was a beautiful scenery once you actually get there and do it but I’d never do this hike again. Bibi made a great selection in picking this hike for us today. This is the first split of the trail. The quality of the road shifts from decent to dirt and back again. Saw a lot of people with wrapped cars for marmots but we just popped our hood up and we were fine. Mineral King to Eagle Lake Trail [CLOSED] is a 10.5 kilometer heavily trafficked out and back trail located near Three Rivers, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. Mineral King Road, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Picture: The trail crosses a rock field on the way to Eagle Lake - Check out Tripadvisor members' 9,839 candid photos and videos of Mineral King … The Farewell Gap Trail begins at the end of Mineral King Road and leads into the Sequoia National Forest. All in all, gorgeous hike, beautiful views, and the lake at the end was wonderful to swim in. This trail follows the path to Eagle Creek for the first 2 miles and then crosses Miner’s Ridge to the Mosquito Lake #1, a small, shallow lake surrounded by red firs. Took a little less than 4 hours - beautiful meadows, rivers and views along the way. This trail follows the path to Eagle Creek for the first 2 miles and then crosses Miner’s Ridge to the Mosquito Lake #1, a small, shallow lake surrounded by red firs. The lake is nice. I read about seeing Pika and grouse on modernhiker.com and the trail did not disappoint. There are some beautiful spots for backpackers as well. Got a rock wedged in my wheel well in the dirt road section of this road that disabled my car until I removed it, and I was going much slower than average. The trail is primarily used for hiking and running and is best used from May until October. After my crying, I just wanted to get to the lake, didn’t want to stop when I was so close. The ranger station is closed because of COVID so make sure you have your own map. Day hikes of varying length can also be enjoyed along Farewell Gap Trail. The mountain is super steep. The trail, and the small dam on Crystal Lake were built by the Mt. Mineral King - Topic; About; Home Trending History Get YouTube Premium Best of YouTube Music Sports Gaming Mineral King Hiking. Other than that, great hike. You do have to scramble rocks a little but the views are amazing. NO SOUND whatsoever from nature. Some cars in the parking lot weren’t covered in tarps, but most cars were, and I sure didn’t want to risk it with those pesky car-eating marmots everyone talks about! Le sentier est principalement utilisé pour la randonnée et la course à pied et … the air quality here was surprising good at the time, even when the surrounding areas were really smoky. Pasando del bosque al claro y viceversa, el sendero suele estar sombreado. There were plenty of beautiful waterfalls, meadows, and wildlife to view along the way. It's not too cold and extremely refreshing! There is a trail along the right hand side of the Eagle lake but the official trail ends there. Apparently the water to the spring creek is provided by Eagle lake (See sinkholes POI below). We did this trail on 08/14 to 08/15. Monarch Lakes Trail This 9.4-mile hike visits a spectacular pair of lakes high above Mineral King Valley. My big piece of advice is be careful with the altitude. All in all it was a beautiful scenery once you actually get there and do it but I’d never do this hike again. I would recommend the following: bring plenty of water, snacks, good hiking shoes and bug repellent. The final mile is the most challenging. The ranger station is located near the Coldcreek campground. This trail was awesome! My best friend and I decided to tackle this trail absolutely beautiful! The views amazing! There is a trail along the right hand side of the Eagle lake but the official trail ends there. This trail has waterfall views, creeks in certain areas (eagle creek), forests, a huge rocky area just before the lake, wildlife, awesome mountain views and of course the awesome lake area. Mineral King Road, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Picture: The trail crosses a rock field on the way to Eagle Lake - Check out Tripadvisor members' 9,839 candid photos and videos of Mineral King … Talk to a ranger to find out if there have been any recent incidents. Bear containers are required and can be rented at the Ranger Station. Did this hike on 9/6. you’re missing out if you skip this one! We saw several deer and the views were beautiful. Got to the lake in about 2 hours with a few five minute breathers. Completed the hike and got back to the car with a total of 9 miles hiked/walked, so it’s definitely not 6.5 miles. I wish they'd re-pave it all the way through. Mineral King Road, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park: "Does the trail lead to the Eagle Lake? Took us about 1.5 hours to the trailhead from Visalia. Mineral King is a subalpine glacial valley located in the southern part of Sequoia National Park, in the U.S. state of California. This trail can be challenging for some, as it is mostly uphill and it has a rock scrambling section towards the latter half of the climb. Something about the bare granite bowl makes it less attractive than other lakes in the Sierra, but it is nonetheless a worthy destination. Once we turned at the sign to go right towards eagle lake was when our troubles REALLY started. Trust me, it’s cold but it feels amazing after that climb. A day hike from Mineral King Valley to Eagle Lake and back. I read about seeing Pika and grouse on modernhiker.com and the trail did not disappoint. Unfortunately there was a group of 8 people arriving at the same time as us being incredibly loud and obnoxious, so we didn’t really get to peacefully soak the views in as much as we’d have liked, but was definitely a cool hike. Just after this are the Eagle sink holes where the creek from the Eagle lake disappears into a large sink hole and is never seen above the ground again. I took my truck and had no problems, just keep an eye on the road and go slow. Bear containers are required and can be rented at the Ranger Station. Long and windy 1.5 lane road but if you have experience driving mountain roads it’s very doable. The Eagle sinkhole is a unique attraction just before the junction with the Mosquito Lakes trail. from the Eagle Lake trail, with Sawtooth Peak and Mineral Peak in the background, and clouds. Parking lot was pretty full and we got there at 8:30am. The meadows are beautiful, the lake is beautiful, the deer are magic, the stream sounds like ASMR and the nature is amazing. This will take you up the Eagle canyon towards the Eagle Sink holes. Climbing down the boulder field felt more treacherous than climbing over it. That being said, the trail is well maintained and easy to follow. 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