Parking
The mapped start is a junction on the Pacific Crest Trail, not a car park. Reach it on foot as part of a larger backcountry itinerary; parking is at the trailhead for that approach, not at this segment.
Overview
About Rock Creek Trail
Why go
- Creekside meadows and two high-country lakes
- A useful PCT connection into the Soldier Lake basin
Heads up
- Remote, one-way access with no road-side trailhead
- High altitude, creek crossings and a steep final climb
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation9,948–11,289 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 Rock 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 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 Rock Creek Trail
The routeRock Creek Trail is a 4.
Rock Creek Trail is a 4.7-mile one-way backcountry connector from the Pacific Crest Trail through the Rock Creek drainage toward Soldier Lake. It follows Rock Creek through open meadows, passes Rock Creek Lake, then makes a steep final climb beside the Soldier Lakes outlet. The stored line stops at the nearest mapped tread about 100 yards from Upper Soldier Lake's shore; that final approach is not mapped. This entry covers the PCT-to-lake segment, not a longer continuation toward Kern Canyon.
What the climb is likeThe route rises from roughly 9,950 feet at the PCT junction to about 11,290 feet near its…
The route rises from roughly 9,950 feet at the PCT junction to about 11,290 feet near its mapped end. Allow around four hours for this one-way stretch: the lower creekside walking is relatively mellow, but the last climb is steep and the air is thin. There are creek crossings along the way; one crossing was muddy after rain, so high water can make footing slower.
Access and rulesThis is a wilderness connector, not a road-access day hike or loop.
This is a wilderness connector, not a road-access day hike or loop. Reach the start on foot from the Pacific Crest Trail and plan the larger route that gets you there and brings you back or onward. Overnight travel in Sequoia wilderness requires a permit, and an approved animal-resistant food-storage container is required in the Rock Creek drainage. Pets are not allowed 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.
