Parking
The trailhead is inside Buckeye Flat Campground near site 28. In winter, when the campground road is closed to vehicles, start at Hospital Rock Picnic Area and walk the road to the campground. Check current park access before setting out.
Overview
About Paradise Creek Trail
Why go
- Shaded oak woodland, a bridge, creek pools and small waterfalls.
Heads up
- Poison oak and high-water creek crossings need attention.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation2,805–3,219 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Best time to go
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 Paradise Creek 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 tourRecorded for this trailhead
Buckeye Flat and Paradise Creek0:00 / 0:28
“You're coming up on Buckeye Flat Campground, where live oaks shade tent sites above the Middle Fork Kaweah River.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Hospital Rock and Pah-din
- A Bear's Seasonal Menu
- A Sequoia's Fresh Start
- The Logger Who Changed Careers
- 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 Paradise Creek Trail
A shaded foothills creek walkParadise Creek Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back from Buckeye Flat Campground.
Paradise Creek Trail is a 2-mile out-and-back from Buckeye Flat Campground. The dirt path climbs gently through oak woodland, crosses the Middle Fork Bridge, then follows Paradise Creek past small cascades and pools. Allow one to two hours with stops. It’s a worthwhile low-elevation outing when you want water and shade, though the park rates it moderate rather than easy.
Turn around at the trail endThe park describes the trail as ending after about a mile; this route covers that one-mile…
The park describes the trail as ending after about a mile; this route covers that one-mile corridor and returns the same way. Some maps show a longer continuation up the creek, but the park says going beyond the trail end requires off-trail hiking. Don’t treat that longer line as part of this walk unless you’re prepared for route-finding beyond the maintained trail.
Bridge, creek and poolsThe bridge crosses the Middle Fork Kaweah near the start.
The bridge crosses the Middle Fork Kaweah near the start. Just beyond it, Paradise Creek tumbles into the river; a short walk upstream reaches small pools and cascades. This is the walk’s best pause: frame the moving water with the boulders and trees rather than shooting only the creek bed.
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.
