Rae Lakes Loop – Day 1

Welcome to Travel Tuesday! If you recall the gorgeous photos I shared once upon a time back in the August coffee date, guess who’s finally scrounged up some time to write about the Rae Lakes Loop in Sequoia + Kings Canyon National Park?!

This was the 3rd backpacking trip I’d ever taken (the others were in Laguna Mountain and Henry Coe State Park) and definitely the most intense (thus far — I’d like to go on more,  but with more preparation next time…). Since I took 293847204 photos and we took 4 days to hike it, I’ll be splitting this into 4 different posts!

Rae Lakes Loop in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park (Day 1)

Distance: ~39.1 miles (loop)
Elevation: 7670 ft elevation gain
Difficulty: Difficult!
Duration: 3-5+ days (We took 4 days).
Trailhead Address: 36.794390, -118.583630
Parking: Lot available a short walk away from the trailhead. Fee required to enter the park (free if you have the annual pass).

The evening before we embarked on our journey, we drove the ~4.5 hours over to our campsite after I finished work that evening and slept overnight in the car.

Day 1: Road’s End to the Upper Paradise Valley (~8.5 miles, ~1900 ft elevation gain)

We started off at the Road’s End ranger station. The trail leads you along somewhat exposed areas and you get amazing views of the granite formations from all around.

Like most others, we took the clockwise route! Although there’s more climbing involved, the ascents are more gradual overall (especially along the way up to Glen Pass).

The trail becomes more shaded as you continue. When you get to a 3-way junction, take a left for the clockwise route and continue ascending alongside the Kings River.

Truth be told, we shouldn’t have stopped as many times as we  did to hang out in the water, but that beauty is hard to resist! (If we do this again, I’d really like to add a 5th day just so we can chill and play in the lakes/streams more.)

Please be aware that there are a lot of bears in the area. (We saw 4 on just the first day.) If you keep your food and any scented products securely stowed away in bear canisters farther away from your campsite, they should not bother you. If they get used to human food, they can lose their preference for natural food sources and may start going after human food, which can lead to injury and property damage. Since they can then become a public safety concern, they are often euthanized as a result. Please do not be the cause of this.

We also kept up conversations or would say “Bear, bear, bear” periodically in case there were any nearby so that we wouldn’t take them by surprise (or vice versa). One was ambling down the trail no less than 20 feet away from me (I was at the back of the group) when we forgot to do this, so we did this much more regularly after that.

You’ll encounter Mist Falls (a popular day hike!) along this trail and as you continue to ascend, you’ll come across Lower Paradise Valley. Eventually you’ll make a right onto the Woods Creek Trail.

We camped out at Upper Paradise Valley and refilled our hydration packs + ate our dinners of Mountain House packs. (One of these days, I’m hoping to put my dehydrator to use so I can make dehydrated meals at the ready for future backpacking trips! The Mountain House packs were fine, but so expensive — I’m certain I could do it for cheaper.)

If you’re planning on doing this trip, some things to note about the Rae Lakes Loop trail…

• Wilderness permits are required to camp from Kings Canyon National Park (jointly managed with Sequoia National Park).
• This is not an easy trail but it is absolutely worth the trip! It’s one of the most beautiful trails I’ve ever hiked thus far.
• There are a lot of bears. There are food storage lockers placed at almost all the developed camping areas, but bear canisters are absolutely required. (Bear spray is not allowed.) You can rent these from the ranger station if needed.
• A bug headnet will make your life better, especially around dawn/dusk.
• Bring a water filtration device! We spoke to a couple people on the trial who hike this regularly and drink the water straight. However, I’d recommend to err on the side of caution. You don’t want Giardia, parasites, or viruses/microorganisms hanging out with you where they don’t belong.
• Fires are not allowed above 10,000 feet.
• Camp only at established campsites or flat ground not covered by vegetation.
• Practice the Leave No Trace principles  (here and everywhere). Pack out what you pack in — this includes used toilet paper!

• Have you ever been backpacking?
• Stay tuned next week for Day 2 of the trip!