Sequoia National Park, CA
A creek corridor climbs toward Columbine's granite and alpine lakes.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
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 tourMore stories near here in the app
“…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
Lost Canyon Trail is a 4-mile, one-way backcountry connector between the Lost Canyon/Big Five Lakes junction and the Columbine Lake–Sawtooth Pass side. Allow about 3 hours for the crossing; reaching either end from Mineral King adds substantial mileage. At roughly 9,600 to 11,000 feet, this short map distance is still a serious high-altitude outing.
From the Big Five junction, the route passes through forest and open creek meadows, then climbs toward the Great Western Divide. The upper canyon gets steeper and rockier near Columbine, where cairns help mark the way. Its greener creek corridor is a quieter change of pace between the more open alpine basins.
There is no roadside trailhead at this connector. Reach the Big Five junction on foot from Mineral King by the Timber Gap or Black Rock approaches; the far end links toward Columbine Lake and Sawtooth Pass. The four-mile figure covers only this one-way segment. Overnight travel requires a wilderness permit, and pets are prohibited on park trails.
Keep the Lost Canyon connector distinct from the separate route from Columbine toward Monarch Lakes over Sawtooth Pass. That continuation is steep, loose, unmaintained and hard to follow. Snow can linger early in the season, and natural water should be treated or filtered before drinking.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingSoda Creek Trail6.7 mi · 7 hr · 1.5 mi awayA high Sierra connector through canyon creeks to alpine lakes.
ChallengingBig Arroyo Trail8.8 mi · 8 hr · 2.8 mi awayA remote 8.8-mile route from Kaweah Gap to Little Five Lakes.
ChallengingShotgun Pass Trail3.9 mi · 4.5 hr · 4.5 mi awayA rocky pass crossing with a steep, loose descent to Silver Lake.
ChallengingKern Canyon Trail9.3 mi · 5 hr · 4.7 mi awayA long wilderness leg with a soak at Kern Hot Springs.
ChallengingMoraine Lake Trail8.3 mi · 6 hr · 5.1 mi awayA high-country climb to a lake beneath the Great Western Divide.
ChallengingMonarch Lakes Trail8.4 mi · 6 hr · 5.5 mi awayA high climb to two lakes beneath Sawtooth Peak
ChallengingFarewell Gap Trail12.4 mi · 7.5 hr · 5.6 mi awayA high alpine saddle with mining history and a long climb
ChallengingFranklin Lakes Trail10.8 mi · 7.5 hr · 5.6 mi awayTwo alpine lakes reward a steady climb into high country.
Sight · 4 mi awayMonarch LakesTwo alpine lakes below Sawtooth Peak after a hard climb.
Sight · 4.9 mi awayFranklin LakesA long climb to twin lakes beneath the Great Western Divide.
Restroom · 5.6 mi awayEagle-Mosquito Trailhead RestroomA practical restroom before the strenuous Eagle and Mosquito Lakes hikes.
Sight · 5.6 mi awayHoneymoon CabinA cabin shifted eight to ten feet in a slow snow slide.
Ranger station · 6.4 mi awayMineral King Ranger StationA useful stop for maps, permits, trail advice, and marmot tarps.
Campground · 6.6 mi awayCold Springs CampgroundA quiet, tent-only base for Mineral King hikes.
Sight · 7 mi awayEagle LakeBlue water at the end of a steep Mineral King hike.
Sight · 7.3 mi awayMosquito LakesA small alpine lake reached by a long Mineral King climbParkwolf’s Sequoia ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
