Mineral King's tighter loop delivers five turquoise lakes in a granite cirque with almost nobody around.
Mineral King's shorter, more focused loop. All about the lakes. Big Five Lakes are among the most beautiful in the Sierra: turquoise water, sandy shorelines, steep cirque walls, and almost nobody around. Black Rock Pass delivers you to the lake basin with a bang, and the descent down Sawtooth Pass on boot-skiable scree is an adventure in itself.
Start: Sawtooth/Timber Gap TH, Mineral King (7,800ft)
End: Same
Water: Cliff Creek, Pinto Lake
Clockwise recommended (descend Sawtooth scree, do not climb it). Climb over Timber Gap (9,450ft), descend to Cliff Creek. Continue climbing through trees and an exposed wash paralleling Cliff Creek to Pinto Lake. Camp lakeside; water comes from Cliff Creek behind the campsites. Bear boxes at most established camps.
Water: Little Five Lakes, Big Five Lakes outlets
Wake up early to tackle Black Rock Pass (11,630ft) before the sun hits the exposed switchbacks. From the pass, expansive views of the Kaweah Range, Sawtooth Peak, and the Big and Little Five Lakes basins. Descend past Little Five Lakes (worth exploring if you have time), then climb again to the Big Five Lakes junction. Take the spur trail to the upper lakes (about 0.75mi off the main trail); campfires are only allowed at the lowest lake. Camp on the north shore of the middle lake.
Water: Lost Canyon Creek
Morning swim at Big Five. Backtrack to the main trail and continue on the Big Five Lakes Trail to the Lost Canyon Trail junction. Descend into Lost Canyon, a pretty stretch of forest and meadow that follows the creek. Camp in Lost Canyon before the Columbine Lake and Sawtooth Pass push. Rest up for a big day four.
Water: Columbine Lake, Monarch Creek, Monarch Lakes
Climb to Columbine Lake (10,980ft, camping no longer allowed here). Continue steeply to Sawtooth Pass (11,700ft); the trail is unmaintained above Columbine, so follow cairns carefully. Descend Sawtooth Pass on scree (much easier than climbing it), staying right of a direct line to Monarch Lakes before tight switchbacks bring you down. Pass Monarch Lakes, worth a stop, then switchback down through forest to the trailhead.
Monarch Lakes as separate overnight (4.7mi RT, moderate); Crystal Lakes (spur from Monarch trail); Sawtooth Peak scramble (class 2 from pass); extend to include Nine Lakes Basin via Kaweah Gap (6-7 days, expert)
MARMOTS: Mineral King marmots chew car wires and hoses, wrap your vehicle undercarriage in a tarp (tarps available at the ranger station); mainly an issue before mid-July. Mineral King Road is 25mi of narrow, winding road from Three Rivers (1.5-2 hours), and is under construction through fall 2027 with periodic delays and closures on weekdays, check the current NPS schedule before you go. Silver City Mountain Resort is the only food or lodging in the valley (seasonal). Camping no longer allowed at Columbine Lake. No campfires above 9,000ft in this part of Sequoia National Park (west of the Great Western Divide), and fires are barred outright at Pinto Lake and in Mineral King Valley above the ranger station. Bear canisters are strongly recommended but not a legal requirement on this route; bear boxes are available at some camps. Sawtooth Pass trail is unmaintained above Columbine, follow cairns carefully.
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