Inyo National Forest / Kings Canyon National Park – Kearsarge Pass - Member Hike

Hike Name:	Inyo National Forest / Kings Canyon National Park – Kearsarge Pass
Country:	United States
State:	California
Nearby Town:	Independence
Rating:
Directions:	Off of US-395/Edwards Street in the center of Independence, California, turn onto West Market Street, which after two tenths of a mile, turns into Onion Valley Road. Stay on Onion Valley Road for approximately 13 miles until you reach the Onion Valley Campground. Park in the parking lot.
Total Hike Distance:	25.40 miles
Hike Difficulty:	Difficult
Permit Required:	Yes
Hike Type:	In & Out, Backtrack Hike
Hike Starts/Ends:	Onion Valley Campground
Trails Used:	Kearsarge Pass and Pacific Crest / John Muir Trails
Backcountry Campsites:	Yes
Backcountry Water Sources:	Streams, Lakes
Management:	U.S. Forest Service
Contact Information:	Eastern Sierra InterAgency Visitor Center US-395 and SR-136 Lone Pine, California, 93545 Phone: 760-876-6200 http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/inyo/recarea/?recid=20698 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks 47050 Generals Highway Three Rivers, CA 93271-9700 Phone: 559-565-3341 http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm
Best Season:	Spring, Summer, Fall
Users:	Hikers
Road Conditions:	Primary Paved Roads, Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary:	This particular hike begins at Onion Valley Campground on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Inyo National Forest. It includes an east to west traverse up and over Keasarge Pass into Kings Canyon National Park with a night’s rest at Charlotte Lake. It is then followed by a south to north trek to Rae Lakes via Glen Pass. After a night’s respite at Rae Lakes, the hike backtracks out along (almost) the same route with the third night being spent at Kearsarge Lakes prior to the final push back up over Kearsarge Pass and the harrowing (to some) decent back down to the Onion Valley Campground. The air above the passes is dry and thin, but there’s no shortage of water at the lesser elevations. The lakes are pristine and plentiful, the trout are beautiful and bountiful, and the acquaintances, well, they can be interesting. See the trip reports for more details.