Blue Canyon Trail

Blue Canyon Trail is a remote point-to-point route from Crown Valley Trailhead into the canyon country of Kings Canyon. The full one-way line is about 18.8 miles: roughly 7.8 miles of access to the Blue Canyon junction, then about 11 miles on the named canyon trail. That section alone climbs about 3,700 feet, drops about 2,300, and reaches 9,262 feet. Allow around 15 hours of moving time for the full line and plan it as a backpacking trip. The mapped east end has no road access or confirmed pickup, so decide how you will continue or return before leaving. Retracing the same line is about 37.6 miles total. Overnight wilderness permits are required, and the trailhead quota applies year-round.

The approach starts at Crown Valley Trailhead and follows connected backcountry paths for about 7.8 miles before the Blue Canyon trail begins. The parking area is at the start of that access walk, not at the canyon junction. The route is generally snow-limited to June through October. The long approach and remote finish make this a poor fit for a day hike from the lot.

The Blue Canyon section drops into the lower canyon, crosses a broad meadow and climbs toward its high eastern end. Old trip accounts describe the mapped tread as badly overgrown near Kettle Dome; expect real route-finding, not a clear, maintained path. A 2016 account describes an old cattleman's cabin in the meadow, with Coyote Pass above it; that pass is cross-country and is not part of this trail. The open meadow is the best place to frame the steep granite walls beyond the pines. Pets are prohibited on park trails.