Parking
Start at Lakes Trailhead in Wolverton Picnic Area, off Wolverton Road. The area has auto parking and flush toilets; picnic tables make a useful meal stop before or after the hike.
Overview
About Watchtower Trail
Why go
- Ridge panorama over Tokopah Falls, the Marble Fork and Lodgepole.
Heads up
- A long, sustained climb for a single viewpoint.
Watchtower Trail is the high granite ridge branch of the Lakes Trail, starting at Wolverton and heading to the Watchtower viewpoint. The mapped out-and-back is about 7.7 miles round trip, with roughly 1,900 feet of climbing; give it five to seven hours. It suits hikers who want the panorama more than a lake destination: the longer Lakes Trail continues beyond this branch toward Heather, Emerald and Pear lakes. Published estimates range from 7.4 to 8.6 miles; this route follows the Watchtower branch to its high ridge viewpoint and turns back there.
Parkwolf’s verdictIs the ridge worth the climb?Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation7,365–9,209 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 Watchtower 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
Wolverton Meadow and Lakes Trail0:00 / 0:28
“Wolverton is coming up, with picnic tables beside a wetland meadow. It's a good lunch stop without committing to the big hikes that start here.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lodgepole Village
- Lodgepole and Tokopah Falls
- The Songbird That Dives
- The Red Plant Without Chlorophyll
- 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 Watchtower Trail
From Wolverton into open graniteStart at Lakes Trailhead in Wolverton Picnic Area.
Start at Lakes Trailhead in Wolverton Picnic Area. The climb begins under alpine forest, mostly on dirt, with a steady rise and some switchbacks. Meadows break up the trees along the way. Higher up, the route gets more sun and weather; near the Watchtower, the dirt tread gives way to granite. Follow the Watchtower branch at the split and retrace it to Wolverton rather than continuing on the longer Lakes Trail.
The view is the reason to goFrom the ridge, look across to Lodgepole, the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and Tokopah Falls.
From the ridge, look across to Lodgepole, the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River and Tokopah Falls. The Watchtower is a prominent granite outcrop above Tokopah Valley, and it gives the hike a clear destination. For a photo, include the rock in the foreground with the valley beyond; it shows the scale of the ridge better than a tight shot of stone.
Snow and ice change the choiceThe upper Watchtower section is open to sun and weather.
The upper Watchtower section is open to sun and weather. The National Park Service warns that this ridge is extremely treacherous when any snow or ice is present; use the Hump Trail alternative in those conditions. Check the forecast before setting out and carry what you need for an exposed high-elevation walk.
Start and finish at WolvertonWolverton Picnic Area has parking, picnic tables and flush toilets, so it works well for a meal…
Wolverton Picnic Area has parking, picnic tables and flush toilets, so it works well for a meal before or after the climb. Pets are prohibited on park trails; service dogs are permitted.
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.
