Big SEKI Loop

Big SEKI Loop is a roughly 155-mile backpacking circuit through the high country of Kings Canyon and Sequoia. It leaves Roads End on Copper Creek, joins the John Muir Trail near Palisade Creek, follows the High Sierra Trail south, then returns over Elizabeth and Avalanche passes by way of Deadman Canyon and Bubbs Creek. The standard route gains at least 40,000 feet. A route designer’s estimate is 7–12 days for hikers covering about 13–22 miles a day. This is a demanding backcountry trip for experienced backpackers, not a side trip from Cedar Grove.

The clockwise route begins at the Copper Creek access in the Roads End area. Follow the mapped footpath from the permit-station parking area to Copper Creek; the loop returns to the nearby Bubbs Creek trail access. That first climb is long, hot, and steep, so an early start helps you do it before the day heats up. An overnight wilderness permit is required. Permit rules and seasonal quotas change, so check the current entry instructions before you go.

Copper Creek climbs through forest to Granite Pass, then drops toward Simpson Meadow and the Middle Fork. At Palisade Creek, the route crosses an unbridged section that can be difficult when early-season flows are high. From there, the JMT carries you across Mather, Pinchot, Glen, and Forester passes, with Rae Lakes along the way. About 58 miles of the loop follow the JMT, the busiest part of the itinerary; the other trails see less use.

After Forester Pass, the route joins the High Sierra Trail near Wallace Creek. It drops to the Kern River at Funston Meadow, the low point of this stretch at about 6,730 feet, then climbs toward Kaweah Gap at 10,700 feet. The loop shares roughly 30 miles with the High Sierra Trail, so this is another more traveled section before the quieter return.

Leave the High Sierra Trail at the Elizabeth Pass junction. The route climbs to Elizabeth Pass at 11,370 feet, descends through Deadman Canyon to Roaring River, then crosses Avalanche Pass at about 10,013 feet and follows Bubbs Creek back to Roads End. These outlying trails may go years without regular trail-crew maintenance, and washouts can change the way through. Check the park’s latest trail conditions and carry detailed route maps.

There is no resupply on the standard loop; carry the food for the full itinerary from the start. Bear-resistant food storage is required in much of the park, so check the current zone rules before choosing a container. Pets are prohibited on park trails. The high passes, long distances between trailheads, and remote return make this a route to plan as one complete trip.

A roughly 130-mile Colby Pass option turns through Cloud Canyon instead of continuing over the High Sierra Trail and Elizabeth Pass. It shortens the circuit but changes the route. Decide which itinerary you’re doing and carry the matching map rather than treating the alternate as a casual side trail.