Golden Trout Creek is a designated Heritage and Wild Trout Water. From Kern Flat at the Doe Meadow Trail intersection, trail 33E20 continues another 2.2 miles to Nine-Mile Creek and connects to other trails along the way. It is celebrated for its expansive meadows, flowing creeks, and the fish for which the wilderness is named. From the east, most visitors approach from Hwy 395 near Lone Pine. The unconfined Sequoia Fire has burned more than 20,000 acres in the Golden Trout Wilderness area. The Golden Trout Wilderness was designated by Congress in 1978. Hiking to The Little Kern River Hike to a forested granite bedrock gorge flowing with the Little Kern River in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Two subspecies are recognized; South Fork Kern Both are found in the GTW. More Forks of the Kern Trail to Painters Camp [CLOSED] is a 20.8 mile moderately trafficked out and back trail located near Johnsondale, California that features a river and is rated as difficult. The Forks of the Kern Trailhead, and the optional trails are depicted on the 2019 Kern River Sierra topo map, Kern River Sierra Outdoor Recreation Map, 6th, Hike Freeman Creek Trail to the Giant Sequoias, Hike the River Trail at Johnsondale Bridge, Mountain Bike the IMBA Epic Cannell Trail. This day hike can be expanding into several great backpacking adventures. 2 miles: After passing views of the southern Kern River Valley and mountains, some amazing metamorphic cliffs in the distance, and eventually the rugged land to the north, the trail arrives at a junction in a flat area near the two rivers. Make sure to call the District Rangers office as the time of year may make the Little Kern River too dangerous to cross. Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) is named after Cali- fornia’s brightly colored state fish. Described in 1893 by ichthyologist and first president of Stanford University David Starr Jordan, golden trout were soon thereafter extended northward from their evolutionary habitat on the Kern River Plateau into barren, glacially-formed lakes of the High Sierra. -> Forks of the Kern Day Trip. Planning adventures, near the top of the trail. ( Log Out /  Please read this disclaimer before using this website and any associated products. Here the trailhead begins at 5,800 feet. Take this almost 20 miles, (past Freeman Creek) to dirt road 20S67. The Forks of the Kern Trailhead, and the optional trails are depicted on the 2019 Kern River Sierra topo map: Home |River Flows | Local Conditions | WebCams | Local Picks | Backcountry Blog | About Us, Hike | Bike | Climb | Paddle | Wind Sports | Winter Sports | Recreation Map. Change ). (Use this for hiking a large loop). From the USFS: "Fishing season on this section of river also runs from the last Saturday in April to the 15th of November. This stretch navigates 17 miles through the Golden Trout Wilderness area and picks its way through over 80 major rapids with several mandatory portages along the way. There are some small hot springs to see too. About another mile 1.3 miles and the trail intersects with the Little Kern River. It begins in the Sequoia National Park and flows through the Ino and Sequoia National Forests and the Golden Trout Wilderness. One can hike about 1 miles downriver and access a few campsites and great fishing pools. Forks of the Kern – Fork of the Kern / Loyds Meadow Road #22S82 – This main paved road connects the Kern River (Sierra Hwy Road #99) to the lower elevation, granite slopes of the Western Divide, and the route dead ends at Jerky Meadow parking lot. The uniqueness of this place comes from both the quality of the wilderness and the variety of wild trout found here. Check the Kern River Flows here. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a federally designated wilderness area in the Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County and Inyo County, California.It is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Porterville, California within Inyo National Forest and Sequoia National Forest.. Within the Golden Trout Wilderness is the North Fork of the Kern River, the drainage of the Little Kern River as well as over 100 miles of high-country streams. From the west, various roads stem from Hwy 190 near Giant Sequoia National Monument. This trail leads to the "put-in" for a famous expert whitewater run also known as "The Forks of the Kern Run" that ends after 18 miles at the River Trailhead at Johnsondale Bridge (another great hike!). The Forks of the Kern Trailhead is one of the primary gateways for hiking countless miles in Golden Trout Wilderness. We offer half-day and day rides, … The Golden Trout Wilderness is 304,000 acres of public land on the Kern Plateau surrounded by Inyo and Sequoia National Forests on the southern end of the Sierra Nevada range. The 300,000+ acre Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW) was designated by Congress in 1978. This is also the location of the Rincon or Kern Canyon Fault. This is an entrance to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. The Forks of the Kern treks downhill to where the Little Kern River confluences with the Kern River (approximately 2.3 miles) . The Forks of the Kern Trailhead is one of the primary gateways for hiking countless miles in Golden Trout Wilderness. The trail offers a number of activity options and is best used from May until October. We utilize horses and mules to carry our rafts to the river. This trip is for anglers that are in good shape and can hike 6-7 miles a day with a 40 pound pack on their back. South Sierra borders Golden Trout Wilderness on its northern boundary and Dome Land Wilderness on the south, except for the Kennedy Meadows Road corridor. Just past the ranch turnoff, turn right onto Lloyd Meadow Road, 22S82. Updated Recreation Guides: Hike | Bike | Paddle | Rock Climb | Wind Sports | Winter Sports. One can continuously hike the trail from the Forks to Freeman Creek Trail and see the Giant Sequoias also. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. FORKS OF THE KERN – Trailhead is on road 20S67 off the Lloyd Mdw road 22S82. This popular area provides the earliest spring access to the Golden Trout Wilderness and the only access to the North Fork of the Kern Wild and Scenic River “Forks Run,” a world renowned series of class IV and V rapids (for experienced paddlers only). Note that the Forks Trail (Kern Flat Trail, 33E20) also continues back toward Lloyd Meadow Road via Freeman Creek from the parking lot. Explorers will find some great fishing secret spots upriver. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. As a boy, fishing the South Fork Kern River in 1913, he reported catching California golden trout in the "gorge" just upstream of the Bloomfield Ranch, near the southern boundary of the Domeland Wilderness. Download the map! Sometimes is it too high to cross, use your best judgment or hike upstream to look for other options. The "Forks" refers to the confluence of these two rivers. The Golden Trout Wilderness encompasses 304,000 acres in an area known as the Kern Plateau, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. The official trail heads north and briefly up the Little Kern River crossing. The "Forks" refers to the confluence of these two rivers. This is also the end of a canyoneering adventure several miles and 1000 feet higher up the Little Kern. It includes portions of Sequoia National Forest, Inyo National Forest, the Upper Kern River, Little Kern River, and more than 100 miles of high-country streams including Golden Trout Creek. The wilderness is named for and protects the habitat of California's state freshwater fish, the golden trout. It is much more strenuous than other river trips and guests should be in good shape. Use-trails head toward the whitewater launch spot near the confluence on the Little Kern River and head down the Kern River (to the right). Hikers on the way back up. Once you reach the river, there is a … We require that all guests have good stamina and take an evaluation swim. The Forks of Kern stretch of the Kern River is some of the wildest commercially run whitewater anywhere in the United States. The North Fork of the Kern River, sometimes called the Main Branch, starts from several small lakes in the high Sierra Nevada Mountains. If you enjoy fishing, this would be a great place to start as you trek up the Kern River Canyon or the Little Kern River. From the parking lot trailhead, there is a steep decent down to the river. Almost a mile down and the trail enters the Golden Trout Wilderness. For thousands of years, native trout… Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), goldentroutwilderness.wordpress.com/2021/01/08/new…, goldentroutwilderness.wordpress.com/2020/12/09/sto…, goldentroutwilderness.wordpress.com/2020/12/01/for…, Forest Closure extended through end of December,@. The Forks of the Kern trail is in good condition but could use a sign or two. One great option is Kern Flat and beyond for river lovers. In 2.4 miles the road ends at the large picnic/corrals/trailhead/parking area. Lloyd Meadow Road (22S82) begins near Johnsondale. From Parker Pass or Western Divide Hwy, take M50/Parker Pass Dr east to Lloyd Meadow Road, 22S82, just before Johnsondale. No giant … It also allows for relatively quick access to both the upper Wild & Scenic Kern River and the Wild & Scenic Little Kern River. Home | River Flows | Local Conditions | WebCams | Local Picks | Backcountry Blog | About Us Trail ends at Sheep Mountain entrance of the Golden Trout Wilderness (GTW). Cross the Little Kern and the trail continues up the Kern River. We will hike, fish and camp along the North Fork of the Kern River in the Golden Trout Wilderness. The Forks of the Kern Trail is a wonderful out & back 2-3 day backpacking trip. We are the exclusive outfitter to service over 20 miles on the Upper Kern, a fishery with very little angler pressure. The trail continues all the way up the Kern River to Nine-Mile Creek via Kern Flat. The Forks of the Kern originates near Mt. The South Fork Kern River is a designated Wild Trout Water. The pavement dead ends at Jerky Meadow trail head, which accesses the Golden Trout Wilderness & the Great Western Divide. While most people call this the Forks of the Kern Trail, the official name of this trail is Kern Flat Trail, 33E20. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Whitney in the Golden Trout Wilderness. Once the across the Little Kern River, bright white calcium deposits are seen. The Golden Trout wilderness was named for the brightly colored native golden trout (California State fish). It also allows for relatively quick access to both the upper Wild & Scenic Kern River and the Wild & Scenic Little Kern River. In 2.4 miles the road ends at the large picnic/corrals/trailhead/parking area. 806 KNAPP AND MATTHEWS trout O. m. whitei2 is native to the Little Kern River and is currently listed as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act (Behnke 1992). The trail crosses the Little Kern River here, at lower summer flows. On the other side, the trail will follow the North Fork Kern River for almost 8 miles to the Kern Flat Bridge. Elevations range from about 680 feet (210 m) to 12,900 feet (3,900 m). The daily limit is 2 fish and 2 fish in possession combined.". South Fork Kern River. Two subspecies of golden trout are recognized; South Fork Kern golden trout and the Little K… Exploring the Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains. Up the Kern River, on the other side of the Little Kern. It is all within the South Fork of the Kern River watershed. The trail downhill provides plenty of vista points. Eastside access is via Nine Mile Canyon Road (J41) from US … ( Log Out /  The GTW was named for the brightly colored native golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) which is the California State Fish. Length 20.8 miElevation gain 1938 ftRoute type Out & back East of the Kern River, small streams meander and tree-rimmed meadows. However, their populations have been imperiled since the early 1900s. The fire is now spreading further into the remote Golden Trout Wilderness, away from Camp Nelson and Ponderosa to the northeast. Only artificial lures with barbless hooks may be used. In the early summer, this may be a normal sight. It also forks off at Fish Creek Trail, which connects to the Jerkey Meadows Trailhead. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. Take this almost 20 miles, (past Freeman Creek) to dirt road 20S67. However, this is the end of the Forks of the Kern day trip. Golden Trout – A Timeline for Conservation The historic distribution of California golden trout includes two watersheds draining the Kern Plateau of the southern Sierra Nevada Mountain range in California: Golden Trout Creek and the South Fork Kern River. The trail quickly drops 1000 ft. on steep switchbacks to the river, and after 1 mile, passes into the Golden Trout Wilderness, marked with a sign. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Learn how your comment data is processed. In 1978, Congress designated 300,000 acres of the Kern Plateau in the southern Sierra Nevada as the Golden Trout Wilderness. Keep in mind that hikers will have to climb back up over 1100 feet in elevation to return. Don't forget to reserve some energy for the hike back out! Take Forest Service road 22S82 (Lloyd Meadow Road) north and when you pass the turn off for Preseident George H. Bush tree, look for a road on the right towards Forks of the Kern (Forest Service road 20S67). The canyon is steep and remote. The large sandy flood plain contains numerous campsites and openings in the tree-lined river. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Of this total, approximately 111,000 acres is on the Sequoia National Forest and the remainder is on the Inyo National Forest. The GTW is trav- ersed by several hundred miles of trails and two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River). There are numerous campsites and river access points along the way. From the Kern River Valley, drive up M99/Sierra Way north along the Kern River about 20 miles. There is a 10-inch maximum size limit on Rainbow Trout with no size limit on Brown Trout on this section of river. ( Log Out /  Extending from the western foothills all the way to the eastern high desert, the Golden Trout Wilderness can be reached from both sides of the Sierra Nevada range. Forks of the Kern | Golden Trout Wilderness Forks of the Kern The Forks of the Kern treks downhill to where the Little Kern River confluences with the Kern River (approximately 2.3 miles). Another is to do a 26 mile loop of the Little Kern River via Kern Flat Trail, Doe Meadow Trail, Lewis Camp Trail to Jerkey Meadows to Fish Creek Trail. The area is traversed by several hundred miles of scenic trails and two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River). ( Log Out /  Within the wilderness are portions of the Kern Plateau, the Great Western Divide's southern extension, and the main stem of the Kern River, the South Fork of the Kern… It is thought that California golden trout may have extended downstream of Lake Isabella prior to the construction of Isabella Dam. With all of the river access this trail provides, its no wonder that fisherman, day hikers, and backpackers all enjoy this hike. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. ©  2020 Extremeline Productions LLC, All Rights Reserved. The trailhead is at the far end of the parking lot from the entrance. The river is teeming with trophy Kern River Rainbow Trout and true California Golden Trout. The trail zigzags downhill along old basalt flows. On the Sequoia National Forest portion of the GTW, elevations range from Vague use-trails also travel up the east side of the Little Kern River here. The California golden trout, or simply the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita or Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita), is a species of trout native to California.The golden trout is normally found in the Golden Trout Creek (tributary to the Kern River), Volcano Creek (tributary to Golden Trout Creek), and the South Fork Kern River.It is the state freshwater fish of California. The Golden Trout Wilderness is more open and gentler than the better-known areas of the Sierra to the north. The trail drops immediately down to the Kern River, crossing the Little Kern River. Backpackers can get to the high country Sierra Nevada & Mineral King in … This legendary trout fishing region is among the best in the Western U.S. A kayaker hikes his boat down to run a remote section of the Kern River. It is 303,511 acres (1,228.3 km 2) in size and was created by the US Congress in 1978 as part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. Much of the river is obscured by trees and bushes. This is a backpacking/fly fishing trip of a lifetime! Let our wranglers take you and your family or friends on a pack trip far into the Golden Trout Wilderness. In the late Spring and early Summer, one may run into a strange type of hiker - whitewater kayakers! All waters on the Kern Plateau are open to angling, although many are accessible only by trail since both watersheds … It offers several hundred miles of trail, the designated “Wild and Scenic” North and South Fork of the Kern River, and excellent trout fishing for Kern River Rainbows and Volcano Creek Goldens (its namesake), as well as Brook Trout and … Look south down the Kern River canyon and see other basalt flows across the way. Drive about 2 miles and the road ends in a parking area. 0 Miles: From the parking area, the trail descends to the Little Kern confluence through numerous switchbacks with a moderate grade. Warning!!!!! The California golden trout O. m. agua- bonita is native to the South Fork Kern River and Golden Trout … After encountering meadows and open forest with Jeffrey Pines, fir, willows, dogwood, the river provides wonderful swimming pools filled … At the Johnsondale Bridge, cross the river and keep going up to Johnsondale/R-Ranch. Near the bottom of the trail in the Spring, at the Kayaker Put In on the Little Kern River. Golden Trout Wilderness Trail Map, Sequoia National Forest, South Sierra Backpacking Maps, Forks of the Kern River Map, Jerky Meadow Trailhead, Big Whitney Meadow, Kern Peak, Coyote Peaks, Grey Meadow, Little Kern River, Kern Canyon, Jordan Hot Springs, Casa Vieja Meadow, Monache Meadows. This is also the location of the Rincon or Kern Canyon Fault.

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