Kanawyer Trail (Monarch Wilderness)

Kanawyer Trail is an 11.1-mile, one-way point-to-point hike from Kennedy Meadow Trailhead to Highway 180 near Cedar Grove. It passes through Evans, Monarch and Agnew sequoia groves, but it is a remote, full-day route, not a short grove walk. The Forest Service says the trail is unmaintained and can be hard to follow. I'd choose it only if you have transportation arranged at both ends and are comfortable navigating faint tread. A route account describes it as a long day; allow about eight hours.

The route heads east from Kennedy Meadow, follows an old road north, then climbs a ridge before dropping toward Evans Grove. Kanawyer meets the Evans Grove Loop twice; stay on Kanawyer at both junctions. After the second, a short ridge leads to the Monarch Wilderness boundary and a sharp descent toward Boulder Creek, about 1.2 miles below. The creek is the lowest point of the route at roughly 4,800 feet.

After Boulder Creek, the trail climbs the north side of Rattlesnake Creek. The grade eases around 6,400 feet, then the route continues through Monarch and Agnew groves. A steep climb reaches the Deer Meadow Trail junction; from there the route is mostly downhill, with a few short climbs, toward Lightning Creek. The final stretch heads east to Highway 180, with another water source described as seasonal.

The higher country holds firs, Jeffrey, ponderosa and sugar pines, incense cedar and giant sequoias. Lower in the canyon, the forest shifts to oak, single-leaf pinyon, mountain mahogany, yucca and quaking aspen, with summer wildflowers. Evans Grove also has an old railroad bed to look for as you pass through.

Start at Kennedy Meadow Trailhead, off Burton Road past Quail Flat; the Forest Service map directs drivers along Burton Pass Road and Forest Road 13S26 for about 1.5 miles to the signed trailhead. The route ends on Highway 180 near Cedar Grove. This is not a loop, so arrange a pickup or second vehicle before starting.