Parking
There is no road trailhead or parking at Dragon Lake. The spur begins at a faint junction on the John Muir Trail and Rae Lakes corridor; reach it on foot.
Overview
About Dragon Lake Trail
Why go
- A rocky alpine lake beneath Dragon Peak
- A north-side view back over the Rae Lakes basin
Heads up
- The faint junction and steep, loose slope make route-finding consequential
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kings Canyon map
Full mapElevation10,558–11,097 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Kings Canyon alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are active because high fire danger raises the risk of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors and employees.Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed fireSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed during an active prescribed burn; stay out until crews clear hazards and reopen them.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kings Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Dragon Lake Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kings Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kings Canyon audio tour- 55 audio storiesacross Kings Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mule Deer, Marmot, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 77 trails, 61 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…The kids and my husband and I all agree that the narration really added to our experience driving through the parks. We learned so much about the history and the flora & fauna.”
Trail guide
Hiking Dragon Lake Trail
A high Sierra side tripDragon Lake Trail is a steep out-and-back from the John Muir Trail corridor by the middle and…
Dragon Lake Trail is a steep out-and-back from the John Muir Trail corridor by the middle and upper Rae Lakes. The mapped spur is 1.48 miles round trip from its junction; that figure does not include the much longer approach to the Rae Lakes basin. Allow around two hours for the spur itself. It starts above 10,500 feet and climbs toward 11,100, so the short mileage does not make it an easy walk.
Finding the turnExpect some route-finding: the junction may be unmarked and the tread is faint in places.
Expect some route-finding: the junction may be unmarked and the tread is faint in places. A stream cascades down the slope nearby, but following the water is not the trail; a detailed account describes steep, loose ground where the line was lost. Stop and reorient to your offline route if the tread disappears instead of descending the slope.
The lake below Dragon PeakDragon Lake sits in a rocky basin beneath Dragon Peak, with steep walls, snow patches and a…
Dragon Lake sits in a rocky basin beneath Dragon Peak, with steep walls, snow patches and a small outlet. The mapped spur ends at the lake; Dragon Pass and Dragon Peak are separate climbs, not part of this trail. Walk a little north of the water for a view back across the Rae Lakes basin.
Access and rulesThere is no road trailhead or parking at Dragon Lake.
There is no road trailhead or parking at Dragon Lake. Reach the spur junction on foot from the Rae Lakes and John Muir Trail corridor, and treat it as a backcountry detour rather than a standalone stop. Dogs are prohibited on park trails. Overnight wilderness trips require an NPS permit, and bear-resistant food canisters are required in the Rae Lakes area.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Kings Canyon
227 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
385 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
188 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
118 sightingsPikaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsGolden TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
32 sightingsRainbow TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kings Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
