Bobcat Point Loop

Bobcat Point Loop is about 1.3 miles, a circuit from Crescent Meadow Parking Area on Sugar Pine Trail, Bobcat Point Trail, and a short return on High Sierra Trail. It drops to Crescent Creek, climbs to a granite outcrop facing Moro Rock across the canyon, then returns to the same lot. Allow about an hour if you stop at the creek, morteros, and viewpoint. Route descriptions range up to about 1.5 miles; this is the shorter Crescent Meadow circuit, with the morteros spur as a short optional out-and-back. The longer lollipop from Moro Rock is a different hike.

Start south on Sugar Pine Trail and stay right at the first marked fork toward Moro Rock. Near the half-mile mark, turn sharply left onto Bobcat Point Trail. It drops to Crescent Creek, then climbs about 150 feet in a quarter mile to Bobcat Point. Continue east along the ridge; at the High Sierra Trail junction, turn left toward Crescent Meadow. At the Crescent Meadow Trail junction, turn left again to stay on High Sierra Trail and cross two wooden footbridges back to the lot.

A marked spur from Sugar Pine Trail leads to exposed granite beside Crescent Creek. The shallow bowl-shaped morteros were used by Indigenous people to grind local nuts and seeds. The source does not establish a specific community or date. Retrace the spur to continue the loop; it is not part of the distance above.

The point is a small granite outcrop, with Moro Rock rising across the canyon, Castle Rocks to the south, and the Middle Fork of the Kaweah far below. The ridge gives occasional eastward views toward the Great Western Divide. From the outcrop, frame Moro Rock with the forested slopes around it; that shows how the dome stands above the canyon rim.

Descriptions place Kaweah Vista in different spots. The broader view some hikers seek is reached by leaving the marked tread for a faint path down a pine-needle slope. It is not needed for the loop and can be difficult to find again, so stay on Bobcat Point Trail if you want the straightforward circuit.

This is a short moderate walk on dirt-and-rock singletrack, with a descent to the creek and a brief climb to the point. Pets are prohibited on park trails; trained service dogs are permitted. Crescent Meadow Road reaches the lot from Generals Highway and has a 22-foot vehicle-length limit. The road can close to vehicles when covered with snow or ice, so check current road conditions before driving up.