Theodore Solomons Trail

The Theodore Solomons Trail is a 252.8-mile point-to-point route from Glacier Point south to Cottonwood Pass at Horseshoe Meadow. It links existing trails across Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, national forest and wilderness lands; only part of the full route lies in Sequoia. The route shown here is one measured itinerary. Published route lengths vary from about 246 to 280 miles because hikers take different loops and detours. The stored line measures 252.8 miles one way. Through-hike accounts describe 16 to 19 walking days; plan for the longer end. This is a remote backcountry expedition, not a park day hike.

The TST is not one continuously maintained tread. Some sections use well-built park trails; other stretches fade into brush, deadfall or open cross-country travel. In some places a map line is the only clear guide. Take current topographic maps and be comfortable navigating with a compass and terrain, and leave room for much slower progress than ordinary trail miles suggest. The high passes top 11,000 feet, and you cross many rivers and creeks. A lower overall route than the John Muir Trail does not make this an easier trip.

Read northbound from Horseshoe Meadow: Cottonwood Pass starts near 10,000 feet, then the route crosses Big and Little Whitney Meadows and descends to the Kern River around mile 24. After the river comes a long climb of roughly 3,700 to 4,000 feet toward Coyote Pass. The route continues through Hockett Meadow and Mineral King; Redwood Meadows is a remote grove of giant sequoias along this stretch. North of Mineral King, the climb toward Elizabeth Pass gains about 4,700 feet over 10 miles and tops out around 11,300 feet. From there the route drops through Deadman Canyon to Roaring River, then crosses Avalanche Pass on its way to Road's End.

The trail was laid out in 1974 as a more westerly, lower-elevation alternative to the John Muir Trail and named for early Sierra explorer and Sierra Club member Theodore Solomons. It still crosses high passes and deep river canyons. Its appeal is the variety: high meadows, sequoia groves, granite walls, and remote river valleys, including the canyon country around Tehipite Valley. The western Sierra feels different from a single polished through-trail because the TST is a chain of older routes with very different upkeep.

The Middle Fork Kings crossing at Simpson Meadow is the biggest safety question on the line. Older thru-hike accounts report the former footbridge gone; one described fording thigh-deep water. The river can rise with snowmelt, and those reports do not establish the crossing's condition today. Check directly with Kings Canyon National Park before committing to this section. Do not assume the mapped line means a bridge or a safe ford is present.

For this mapped direction, start at Glacier Point. Glacier Point Road is seasonal, usually opening in late spring and closing in fall as conditions require. Finish at the Cottonwood Pass Trailhead at Horseshoe Meadow, at the end of Horseshoe Meadow Road; that road is also seasonal. Overnight wilderness permits are required in Yosemite and Sequoia/Kings Canyon and for Inyo National Forest wilderness trips, so check each unit's current rules and your entry permit before planning the through-route. Pets are not allowed on the full route because they are prohibited in the wilderness portions of the three parks. Resupply is limited and often needs advance arrangement; plan food carries and transport between the two distant endpoints before you leave.