Lost Lake Trail

From Rowell Meadow Trailhead, this is a 15.6-mile out-and-back to Lost Lake, crossing from Jennie Lakes Wilderness into Kings Canyon National Park. The mapped line is 7.8 miles each way and includes the final half-mile Lost Lake spur; return on the same route. Allow about 10 hours. It is a hard day at high elevation, best for hikers comfortable with a long backcountry outing.

The line leaves Rowell Meadow on Sugarloaf Entrance Trail, joins Belle Canyon Entrance Trail and its short cutoff, then follows Silliman Pass North to the branch for Lost Lake. The lake spur is about half a mile. Use this Rowell Meadow approach rather than the cross-country shortcut described from Ranger Lake in one trip report. The NPS calls Belle Canyon a moderate trail and says its first two miles are the hardest; that rating describes one part of this longer lake outing, not the full round trip.

The route rises from the 7,900-foot trailhead into forested high country. A 25-point terrain profile suggests roughly 3,160 feet of cumulative ascent for the out-and-back; small ups and downs between samples may not be captured. The destination sits near 9,100 feet, so the distance and altitude make this much more demanding than the Belle Canyon segment alone. Other published versions give roughly 17 to 20 miles, but their access points and distance conventions are unclear; this entry uses the connected mapped route from Rowell Meadow.

The approach travels through the Jennie Lakes Wilderness, a mostly high-elevation mix of alpine and subalpine forest, meadows, lakes, and streams. The Forest Service describes red and white fir, lodgepole and other pines, with abundant spring and summer wildflowers. Lost Lake is the endpoint and turnaround, not a loop; keep time for the return across the same ridges and junctions.

This route begins on Forest Service land and enters park wilderness. The NPS directs hikers entering from Jennie Lakes to obtain a wilderness permit for the relevant Belle Canyon or Sugarloaf entry point; check the current entry process before starting. Dogs may use Forest Service trails but are prohibited on trails inside the national parks, so pets cannot accompany this full route. If you turn the hike into an overnight trip, follow wilderness food-storage rules.