An Amazing Thru-hiking Backpack Trip: The High Sierra Trail
The High Sierra Trail begins in Sequoia National Park at Crescent meadow and eventually leads to the summit of Mount Whitney, approximately 70 miles away. This dramatic trans-sierra route crosses the Great Western Divide, drops to the Kern Canyon, and climbs again to Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous 48 states. The trail features the best the High Sierra has to offer along the way, including stunning views, high alpine lakes, and gorgeous meadows.
In this blog post, you’ll learn everything you need to know about thru-hiking the High Sierra Trail:
(click on any of the links below to jump to the section)
How to Obtain a Permit
A wilderness permit is required for any overnight travel in Sequoia and Kings Canyon. For general information about permits, click here.
To apply for a permit, click here.
When do I apply for a permit?
For the 2021 season, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are moving to Recreation.gov for their permitting process. Permits are released 6 months in advance starting February 9, 2021 at 7:00 am Pacific Time.
This means that all permits for June and July, and through August 9th will be available starting on February 9. If you’d like to start the trail on August 10, you’ll need to apply for a permit starting on February 10 starting at 7:00 am PST. If you’d like to apply for August 11, you’d apply on February 11… and so on.
How do I use Recreation.gov?
For a full blog post on navigating Recreation.gov, click here.
Your entry trailhead will be High Sierra Trail
Your exit trailhead will be Mt. Whitney Trail
How much does the permit cost?
The permit costs $15 plus a $5 fee per person. This means your permit will cost $20 if you’re traveling solo, $25 if you’re traveling with one other person, $30 if you’re traveling with two other people, and so on.
What if a permit is unavailable for the dates I want?
The second time I hiked the High Sierra Trail I obtained a walk up permit. I was prepared to be flexible with my start date in the event that I didn’t get my permit the first day I attempted, but I arrived early and was successful on my first try. It also helped that I was soloing the trail, so I was only seeking one permit. If you have a larger group, walk-up permits will be more of a challenge.
In the event that you cannot obtain your desired permit, Sequoia and Kings Canyon will be releasing a limited number of walkup permits for the 2021 season.
*Due to COVID restrictions, as of February, the park has not announced if they will be releasing permits at the ranger station one day prior to starting a trip, or if they will release permits online two weeks prior to starting a trip. They have simply stated that they will be releasing permits. Stay tuned for updated info on walkup permits.
Effective for the 2021 season: You can no longer use the Alta Peak Trailhead as your starting point for the High Sierra Trail. The closure from 7 Mile Hill to Kaweah Gap effectively prohibits backpackers from connecting the Alta Peak Trail to the High Sierra Trail. This is a response from the NPS as a result of overuse of the trail, especially due to high impact at Hamilton Lake.
Additionally, please remember that trail quotas help protect these areas. If you cannot get a permit, remember that there are thousands of miles of beautiful trails and other options are still wonderful.
Planning An Itinerary
Since the trail is 72.2 miles, most people will take anywhere from 5-9 days to hike the High Sierra Trail. You will also likely need one additional day for travel/permit pick up at the beginning of your trip. The amount of days needed will depend on your previous backpacking experience, desired daily mileage, amount of weight (mainly in days of food) that you’re able to carry, and if you’d like to take a zero day or not.
When planning an itinerary, you should consider water sources, elevation gain, total daily mileage, your pace and previous experience, and desired wilderness experience. Additionally, while there are a few bear boxes along the trail, there is no way to easily resupply, meaning your itinerary must consider that you have to carry all of your gear and food with you for the entirety of the trip.
When planning an itinerary, a map is an essential. I recommend purchasing the Tom Harrison Sequoia Kings Canyon map or the National Geographic Sequoia Kings Canyon map.
I normally lay out little post its of each campsite on my map so I can better visualize how my trip will go.
List of all potential campsites:
*those listed with an asterisk feature bear boxes
Panther Creek
9 Mile Creek
Bear Paw
Hamilton Lake*
Precipice Lake
Arroyo Junction
Moraine Lake*
Kern Hot Springs*
Junction Meadow*
Wallace Creek
Crabtree Meadow*
Guitar Lake
Trail Camp
Outpost Camp
Potential Itineraries
Transportation
Because the High Sierra Trail is a thru-hike beginning at Crescent Meadow and ending at the Whitney Portal, you’ll need to figure out how you'll get your car to you, or yourself back to your car at the end of your trek. There’s a few answers to this question including having someone drop you off/pick you up, using public transportation options, or hiring a private ride service.
*Please note COVID restrictions may affect travel for the 2021 season, and some public transportation options may not be viable or available this year. Please follow all local regulations regarding travel, including quarantining regulations and mask policies.
For a fabulous overview of transportation to and from the trailheads, I highly recommend joining the High Sierra Trail Facebook group, and checking out this file.
Having really good friends is priceless.
A lot of people rely on friends to get them to either the start, finish, or both. When I solo hiked the High Sierra trail, I convinced my mom to drop me off and my brother to pick me up. I’ve also heard of friends renting a car to get them to the start or finish of the trail, and having friends drop them off or pick them up on the other side, so only one good friend is necessary.
If you’re coming from “too far to drive”, most people fly into Fresno airport, rent a car to travel to Visalia, and then take the Sequoia Shuttle from Visalia into the park. After walking across the Sierra to Mt. Whitney, you can either take the bus system back around to your car in Visalia (detailed below) or you can take the Eastern Sierra Transit up to Mammoth where there are rental cars available to drive back to Fresno.
Public transportation Details to get from Mt Whitney back to a staged car in Visalia or Crescent Meadow:
After hiking down from Mt. Whitney at the end of the HST, it is fairly easy to hitch a ride from the trailhead into Lone Pine. Once you're in Lone Pine, your first step will be to take the Eastern Sierra Transit South from Lone Pine to Mojave. Please note that the Eastern Sierra Transit system only operates Monday through Friday.
The Eastern Sierra Transit leaves at 10 a.m. from the front of the McDonald's in Lone Pine. You'll arrive in Mojave around 12 p.m. and will then catch transit from Mojave to Bakersfield. From Bakersfield, you can take a greyhound to Visalia. From Visalia, you can take the Sequoia shuttle from Visalia to giant forest. Sequoia shuttle from giant forest to Lodgepole to get your permit. Sequoia shuttle back to giant forest then Sequoia shuttle to Crescent Meadow.
Information on Sierra Transit:
Only operates Monday through Thursday
Find information on costs here
Due to COVID restrictions, buses will not be loaded to capacity, masks are required, and reservations are recommended. Click here to make a reservation.
Public transportation to get from Visalia to Crescent Meadow:
Sequoia Shuttle: https://www.sequoiashuttle.com
Cost: $20
*Sequoia Shuttle has announced they will be operating for the 2021 backpacking season.
What to Eat
7 days worth of food for myself, 2018
When planning your food for the HST, you’ll need to consider your calorie to weight ratio as you’ll be carrying it and all your gear for the entire trip and consider that all your food must fit in an approved bear canister.
In order to fit all your food in your bear canister, and minimize trash, I highly recommend repackaging all your foods.
Additionally, I recommend carrying one extra days worth of food in case of emergency (or you’re just extra hungry one day).
To read up on what I eat while backpacking, check out this blog post.
If you’re looking for a good resource for all things backcountry eating, I highly recommend checking out The Backcountry Foodie.
Other Resources
For general questions, you can call Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park at: 559-565-3766 or email seki_wilderness_office@nps.gov
Sequoia/Kings Canyon Park Overview
Overview of HST
Permit Info
Paper Maps
Digital/GPS Map via Gaia
Map of Wilderness Closures
NPS Wilderness Conditions
High Sierra Trail Facebook Group
