Baxter Pass and Baxter Lakes Trail

This is a remote out-and-back from the end of North Oak Creek Road, crossing the Sierra Crest at Baxter Pass and descending to Baxter Lake in Kings Canyon National Park. The full route is about 16.5 miles round trip. For a same-day return, allow roughly 14 hours; the steep climbing and high elevation make this an outing for hikers already comfortable with long days in the mountains. If you only want the pass, turn around there: that version is about 14 miles round trip, but still gains more than 6,000 feet.

The trail starts near 6,000 feet and climbs to Baxter Pass at about 12,300 feet in roughly seven miles. The trail is steep and rugged, and some sections can be hard to locate. Keep an offline route map handy; the tread is not consistently obvious, especially as you near the crest.

From the pass, the route continues down the west side into Kings Canyon and reaches Baxter Lake, part of the high-country Baxter Lakes basin. This short continuation is less distinct than the main east-side climb, so follow your route line closely. Baxter Lake is the turnaround for this hike; the longer continuation toward the John Muir Trail is outside the route stored here and can be harder to follow.

Follow Fish Hatchery Road from Highway 395, then take North Oak Creek Road to its end; the trailhead is about five miles from the highway. Food lockers are available there, with no other services. Day hikes do not need a permit. Overnight trips require a wilderness permit year-round, and from May 1 through November 1 the daily limit is eight people. Campfires are prohibited above 10,400 feet, and food, trash, and scented items must be stored in bear-proof containers or counterbalanced. Pets are prohibited on trails in Kings Canyon, including the park portion of this route.