Kern Canyon [Suggest Edits]

Description

Kern Canyon is a very special place. A deep, remote backcountry canyon in Sequoia National Park, Kern Canyon stretches almost 20 miles from the Lower Kern Bridge at the Canyon's southern end, to its northern end at Junction Meadow trail camp.

What makes it special? Its many superlative features:
- Walls of cliffs as tall as 3,000 feet, on both sides of the Canyon for its entire length.
- The wild and beautiful Kern River, with its rapids and calm stretches, that runs down the Canyon floor.
- Small, pretty, grassy meadows with the Kern River meandering through them, in places on the Canyon floor.
- The Canyon floor is relatively narrow for such a large, tall canyon, making for dramatic scenery.
- Beautiful, old growth sequoia forest. These sequoias are TALL.
- Waterfalls. Chagoopa Falls is one of the tallest waterfalls in the Sierras.
- Kern Hot Spring. In a cute meadow, this is a wonderful place to soak tired feet.

And all in a remote, pristine, true wilderness backcountry area of Sequoia National Park. Its untouched nature is what elevates it to being a truly SPECIAL place.

Overnight Trip: A one to two day hike is needed to get to Kern Canyon.

The High Sierra Trail can be used to reach Kern Canyon from either the west or east High Sierra Trail trailheads. One can also hike through the Golden Trout Wilderness from the Horseshoe Meadow trailhead, to the Kern River at the southern end of Kern Canyon. Other routes can be discovered with a good trail map.

Gem Type: Geologic Feature