Parking
Park at North Fork Trailhead, at the end of North Fork Drive off Highway 198. This is the North Fork access for the lower Colony Mill route.
Overview
About Lower Colony Mill Trail to Admiration Point
Why go
- Admiration Point looks into Deep Canyon, with Marble Falls below and Moro Rock beyond.
- The route follows an early road built by the Kaweah Cooperative Colony.
Heads up
- About 18 miles round-trip with nearly 3,900 feet of climbing.
- Light maintenance and common poison oak make the approach rougher than a typical park walk.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation1,985–5,538 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Sequoia alerts
- CautionNorth Fork Road rough and ruttedMentions this trailNorth Fork Road is open, but its final miles are rough, narrow, and winding; high-clearance vehicles are strongly recommended and low-clearance vehicles are not recommended.Official details
- 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
Your drive to Lower Colony Mill Trail to Admiration Point, 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 tourMore stories near here in the app
- Crystal Cave
- Ash Mountain Historic Entrance Sign
- Foothills Visitor Center
- The Road Begun for Logging
- 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 Lower Colony Mill Trail to Admiration Point
A full day to Admiration PointLower Colony Mill Trail to Admiration Point is an 18.
Lower Colony Mill Trail to Admiration Point is an 18.1-mile out-and-back from North Fork Trailhead along the lower Colony Mill corridor to a marble outcrop above Deep Canyon. Plan on around 10 to 11 hours and close to 3,900 feet of climbing. Some route estimates are about a mile shorter; use the mapped line's longer figure to plan. This is a hard day for hikers who want the old road and canyon view, not a quick overlook stop.
The North Fork approachStart at North Fork Trailhead, at the end of North Fork Drive.
Start at North Fork Trailhead, at the end of North Fork Drive. The route climbs from the North Fork country, reaches the old Colony Mill corridor, then drops to Admiration Point before the return climb. Trails from this trailhead are lightly maintained, and poison oak is common along Colony Mill. Take a map and allow time for route-finding; this isn't a groomed frontcountry walk.
The view at the endAdmiration Point is a pale marble ledge above Deep Canyon.
Admiration Point is a pale marble ledge above Deep Canyon. Marble Falls lies below, with Moro Rock beyond. A cable railing marks the exposed edge, so stay behind it. For a photo, include the pale rock or cable in the foreground with the canyon and falls beyond; it gives the drop some scale.
The road's historyThe Kaweah Cooperative Colony built Colony Mill Road between 1886 and 1890 to reach sequoia…
The Kaweah Cooperative Colony built Colony Mill Road between 1886 and 1890 to reach sequoia timber in Giant Forest. Sequoia became a national park in 1890, ending the colony's timber plan; the park later extended the road toward Giant Forest. This route preserves a piece of that early access story.
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.
