Rae Lakes Loop, Kings Canyon National Park

Caduceus

Adventurer
I know it wasn't asked, but we did it in 8 days with one day layover in Rae Lakes. It's about a 60 mile loop. 5 days is pretty quick, 6 or 7 would be nicer. Depending which way you go, the first day is a real PITA. The way they show, going past Mist Falls on Day 1, is the easier of the 2. If you go the other way, it's something like 130 switchback gaining 2000 feet in a few miles. Going on in that direction, it's a long push (8-10 miles, IIRC) to cross up and over the divide and into Rae Lakes. If you go the Mist-Falls-First way, from Rae lakes it's a 2 mile jaunt up a glacier over the divide, and nearly all downhill to that distant camp site.

As you can probably guess, it was a phenomenal trip. I don't remember a lot of details from most of my camping trips like this one.
 

defrag4

Road Warrior
5 days was just right, You could certainly do it in 4 though. Hell some crazy trail runners complete the entire thing in 1 day, in good conditions of course
 

psykokid

Explorer
Great TR, I love Kings Canyon.. The hour drive into the actual canyon itself weeds out a lot of the day trippers that you encounter up in Sequoia.
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
This was taken near Rae Lakes this past Summer. Great area with lots of climbing potential but a long way to haul all that gear in. We exited over Sawmill Pass and Woods Lake Basin, great fishing in Woods Lake Basin BTW.
 

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