Parking
Atwell Mill Campground is the NPS-listed start of the Atwell-Hockett approach. Hockett Meadow is 10 trail miles beyond it; the Blossom Lakes segment begins in the backcountry, with no roadside parking at its mapped start.
Overview
About Blossom Lakes Trail
Why go
- A quiet, high-country approach to Lower Blossom Lake
Heads up
- The 10-mile Atwell-Hockett approach is separate from the listed distance
- The exact Blossom Lakes junction and exit logistics are not clearly marked in park directions
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation8,635–9,944 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Sequoia alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are in effect due to high fire danger and catastrophic-wildfire risk; the restrictions reduce the possibility of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors…Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed burnSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed for safety during a prescribed burn and until they are cleared of hazards.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
Your drive to Blossom Lakes Trail, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sequoia 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 Sequoia audio tour- 71 audio storiesacross Sequoia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 68 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 Blossom Lakes Trail
A high-country point to pointBlossom Lakes Trail is a 3.
Blossom Lakes Trail is a 3.6-mile, one-way route from Hockett Meadow to Lower Blossom Lake, gaining about 1,340 feet as it climbs to roughly 9,900 feet. The mapped corridor measures 3.39 miles and follows the same uphill profile. Allow about three hours for this segment; that distance does not include the approach from a road.
Getting to Hockett MeadowThere is no roadside trailhead at the route’s start.
There is no roadside trailhead at the route’s start. The nearest NPS-described approach is the Atwell-Hockett Trail from Atwell Mill Campground: 10 miles one way to Hockett Meadow. Reaching the lake from the campground adds the 3.6-mile Blossom Lakes segment; returning by the same routes makes roughly a 27-mile wilderness itinerary. The exact junction for Blossom Lakes is not named in the park’s route directions, so confirm access, return or continuation, and applicable wilderness permit and campsite rules before setting out.
At Lower Blossom LakeA June trip account noted pink flowers along the lake shore; treat that as a seasonal…
A June trip account noted pink flowers along the lake shore; treat that as a seasonal observation, not a promise of blooms. This is a remote high-country route, not a lakeside walk from a car park. Dogs are prohibited on park trails.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Sequoia
691 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
17 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
18 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
20 sightingsSpotted OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sequoia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
