Getting to Golden Trout Creek requires a lengthy hike. 3,626' Down Trail Rides are offered from May-October at this time. 4,728' Up Golden Trout Creek is an approximately 9-mile (14 km) long tributary of the Kern River, flowing in northeastern Tulare County, California. 5,077' Up It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest. MAHOGANY CREEK TRAIL (34E25) - Starts at the end of the Sam Lewis Road 21S97 and ties into the Rattlesnake Creek Trail. Bozeman, MT. Detailed road network shown. • Starting from the end of Horseshoe Meadows Road,the trail over Cottonwood Pass goes to the northern portion of the Golden Trout Wilderness.Small streams meander through tree-rimmed meadows in this wilderness area named for California's state fish, the Golden Trout. 989.1 m Up Home » Outdoors » TST day 2, Golden Trout Creek to Coyote Pass. To the right, the PCT heads northwest toward Rock Creek, Lower Soldier Lake, and the whole of Sequoia National Park. The fishing is great (trophy Kern River 'bows) but the scenery was even greater. The Golden Trout Creek volcanic field consists of a group of cinder cones and lava flows in the Toowa Toowa valley of the Sierra Nevada, California, about 25 km south of Mount Whitney. Contour lines at 80 foot intervals show elevation. (1.8 miles) Back to Trail Directory. I've bumped my way up the Portal Creek road a bunch of times over the past forty years. Golden Trout Wilderness Map USDA OUTTA PRINT / OUTTA STOCK. Your FREE account works with all Adventure Projects sites. 5,046' Up The camp could not have been set at a better place on the Kern River. We ran into another set of hikers on the way up and they had on very large bells (they had run into a couple of griz the day before while Golden Trout Wilderness starts here! After a mile there is reliable water in the form of a creek. Rate Quality . There are 3 campgrounds and 3 major trail heads leading out. Most maps in the Trail Finder are from a high level to provide an overview of each area. Cottonwood Lake #1 via South Fork Cottonwood Creek Trail and Cottonwood Lakes Trail Only 12 miles today, but the last 6 comprised a 4000-foot climb on bad trail. The area is traversed by several hundred miles of scenic trails and two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River). Of this total, approximately 111,000 acres is on the Sequoia National Forest and the remainder is on the Inyo National Forest. Of course he would have thrown his drink all over the ceiling of his vehicle. We choose to enter from east at Horseshoe Meadows from Trail Pass Trail. Some uneven terrain. 3,245' Up The trailhead serves double duty as it's the jumping off place for two trails. • • Volcano Creek: About 14.5 miles from the Cottonwood Trailhead. Add Rating. No obstacles. From here, the trail swings west and continues downhhill to Little Whitney Meadow. We didn’t spend much time here on the way there, but on the way back, we checked out the stream and saw a lot of small golden trout … Straight ahead, the trail continues west across Golden Trout Wilderness and down to Big Whitney Meadow. Posted on July 20, 2019 August 8, 2019 Author Drew. However, their populations have been imperiled since the early 1900s. I quipped  that James Bond would have loved this road. 5,114' Down Map scale 1:63,360. The trail winds through the forest and up over a small hill before descending into the valley and giving you a view of the beautiful meadows and stream. A fit hiker can probably make it to either destination in an hour or so. 4,727' Down Something else? The GTW was named for the brightly colored native golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) which is the California State Fish. Volcano Creek is a tributary into Golden Trout Creek above Volcano Falls. After a stay in Little Whitney Meadow, the trail drops sharply down to the Kern River (good view up the canyon as you descend). Golden Trout Creek is normally a lazy meandering kaleidoscope of red, yellow, green, black, grey, and white stones. Official Trail Map for the U.S. National Forest Service. Of course, they end up with part of our lunch as well. The trail head is equipped with adequate parking. Trail. Happy hiking. 1160.7 m Up • The 300,000+ acre Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) was designated by Congress in 1978. After just 0.6 miles, this track comes to Chicken Spring Lake, a worthy turn around point for an 8.2-mile hike. 24.1 km Golden Trout Lake is just below, supposedly reached by a trail that ends by its eastern edge, though this is barely discernible, especially early in the season when patches of snow remain. 30.6 km The historic distribution of California golden trout includes two watersheds draining the Kern Plateau of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River. Horseshoe Meadows is one of the major gateways into the GTW, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park and of course the infamous Cottonwood Lakes. ... Sourdough Canyon (Bozeman Creek Trail) 3.8 mi 6.1 km • 268' Up 81.61 m Up • 268' Down 81.64 m Down. Located south of Mount Whitney and west of the city of Lone Pine, the trail travels through the Golden Trout Wilderness and the John Muir Wilderness to … The Golden Trout Wilderness is at the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada in California, 150 miles north of Los Angeles. Land Manager: USFS - Gallatin National Forest Office, 23.7 mi Vehicles are not permitted in wilderness areas. The creek drains an area of the High Sierra Nevada in the Sequoia National Forest. 3,245' Down All content, incoherent babble and photography © Lester A. Kish (unless otherwise noted). Golden Trout Lake Loop is a 5.1 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Independence, California that features a lake and is rated as difficult. And not the last hard hike either. Two Hour Ride- $55 per person Our most popular ride features wide-open meadows, seasonal wildflower blooms and a trek along the shaded Clicks Creek where you may spot a native Golden Trout. • Create Recommended Route or To access the trail head, turn east onto Portal Creek Road #984 and continue southeast for 6.8 miles. After encountering meadows and open forest with Jeffrey Pines, fir, willows, dogwood, the river provides wonderful swimming pools filled with Golden Trout. Cottonwood Lakes Trail provides a scenic romp through the Southeastern Sierra with alpine lakes and mountain views. Neither trail is terribly difficult. 2. Golden Trout Creek is a designated Heritage and Wild Trout Water. 1558.64 m Down, 12.4 mi Trail ends at Sheep Mountain entrance of the Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW). Golden Trout Creek Golden Trout Creek, a large tributary of the upper main stem (North Fork) Kern River, supports a healthy population of the California golden trout.The Golden Trout Creek drainage flows roughly 19 miles total moving south and then west from the Cirque Peak-Siberian Pass area of the southern Sierra Nevada. Pass over the log bridge or rock hop, and proceed on the flat trail skirting a meadow that holds Cottonwood Creek. His martini would have been extremely well shaken. The Golden Trout lakes offer a scenic getaway just out of the Gallatin Valley Canyon. The dogs get fed before we hit the trail. From the west, various roads stem from Hwy 190 near Giant Sequoia National Monument. From the east, most visitors approach from Hwy 395 near Lone Pine. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and fishing and is best used from April until September. Regulations & Recommendations. From Sherman Pass Road to Trout Creek this trail has two steep sections that make it best suited for the intermediate rider. Usually not too much though or they'll puke it up while traveling to the trailhead, or as soon as they hit the ground. My wife packs kibble too. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California. You pass a rare natural bridge abgout halfway down. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses 304,000 acres in an area known as the Kern Plateau, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. The Golden Trout wilderness was named for the brightly colored native golden 554.53 m Up This year it was a blitzing gush of clear water tinted a rich gold from the rock bed. My favorite part of the trip was making a day trip up and over the falls to Golden Trout Creek/Volcano Creek where we caught the illusive scores of lil' Golden Trout. Please explain. Kennedy Meadows is a little closer but only offers a restaurant and grocery store (no phone). • All waters on the Kern Plateau are open to angling, although many are accessible only by trail since both watersheds are largely encompassed within the Golden Trout … Begin and end at Horseshoe Meadow Streams meander through tree-rimmed meadows. • Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash. 3,808' Down Spam? Beautiful Trail; Even More Beautiful Lakes We did this trail with two other couples in July...it is a beautiful trail that leads to an even more beautiful lake, Golden Trout Lakes. Extending from the western foothills all the way to the eastern high desert, the Golden Trout Wilderness can be reached from both sides of the Sierra Nevada range. Food was incredible. At mile 7.25 at the western edge of Whitney Meadows, turn left (south) down Golden Trout Creek until reaching Tunnel Guard Station. Hiking to The Little Kern River Hike to a forested granite bedrock gorge flowing with the Little Kern River in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Encompassing 475 square miles in the Sequoia and Inyo National Forests. Take the trail south (left) to Tunnel Meadow after Golden Trout Creek. TST day 2, Golden Trout Creek to Coyote Pass. • The South Fork Kern River is a designated Wild Trout Water. This is about an injury or accident 1105.35 m Down, 4.9 mi Hi Mikle, thanks for the input. 1160.65 m Down. Volcano Creek is a tributary of it. NOT OKAY! The road is in rough condition and is better suited for vehicles with a higher clearance. 32.2 km The 303,287-acre Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) was designated by Congress in 1978. Three creeks encompass the native habitat of the California state fish, the brightly colored golden trout. A rare natural bridge abgout halfway golden trout creek trail has been removed by a blog administrator tributary into Golden Wilderness... 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