Find the Best Hikes and Backpacking Trips in California’s Sierra Nevada
The rush of trekking through nature, the thrill of experiencing new places, the reward of discovering beautiful sights—all of this awaits in the Sierra Nevada. For more than 50 years, this definitive guidebook has led readers along the top trails between Walker Pass and the southern border of Yosemite National Park. Now, with the revised and updated edition, let hiking experts Elizabeth Wenk and Mike White show you the way.
Sierra South is the award-winning guide that features 80 meticulously selected trips, from new routes to old favorites. Traverse the stunning wilderness areas and national forests of the region, including Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, John Muir Wilderness, Ansel Adams Wilderness, and many more. The trips are organized around major highways and roads, so it’s easy to choose your next adventure. Just pick an area, drive there, and go hiking.
Inside you’ll find
- 84 trips that range from quick overnighters to 12-day excursions
- Complete trip details, including day-by-day trail descriptions, GPS waypoints, and elevation data
- 41 trailhead maps that show the routes for every trip
- Beginner tips and trusted advice on camping, fishing, and bear safety
- Information on side trips, geology, natural history, and more
Planning your trip into the southern Sierra backcountry is easier than ever before. For additional hiking and backpacking opportunities, see the companion guide Sierra North. Both titles are recipients of a National Outdoor Book Award.
Table of Content
Acknowledgments
Sierra South Locator Map
Going High to Get High
Trip Cross-Reference Table
Introduction
- Updates for the Eighth Edition
- Care and Enjoyment of the Mountains
- Safety and Well Being
- The Bear Problem
- Wilderness and Campfire Permits
- Maps and Profiles
- How to Use This Book
WEST SIDE
State Highway 41 Trips
- Fernandez Trailhead
- Granite Creek Campground Trailhead
State Highway 168 West Side Trips
- Wishon Reservoir—Woodchuck Trailhead
- Courtright Reservoir—Maxson Trailhead
- Courtright Reservoir—Cliff Lake Trailhead
Kaiser Pass Road Trips
- Potter Pass Trailhead
- Deer Creek Trailhead
- Florence Lake Trailhead
- Bear Dam Junction
- Lake Edison Trailhead
State Highway 180 Trips
- Lewis Creek Trailhead
- Roads End—Copper Creek Trailhead
- Roads End—Cedar Grove Roadend Trailhead
Generals Highway Trips
- Big Meadows Trailhead
- Lodgepole Campground Trailhead
- Wolverton Corral Trailhead
- Crescent Meadow Trailhead
State Highway 198 Trips
- Sawtooth-Monarch Trailhead
- Cold Spring Trailhead
State Highway 190 Trip
- Summit National Recreation Trailhead
EAST SIDE
Horse Meadow Road Trip
- Gibbs Lake Trailhead
State Highway 158 Trip
- Rush Creek Trailhead
State Highway 203 Trips
- Agnew Meadows Trailhead
- Devils Postpile Trailhead
- Fish Creek Trailhead
- Duck Pass Trailhead
- Crystal Lake Trailhead
Mc Gee Creek Road Trips
- Mc Gee Creek Roadend Trailhead
Rock Creek Road Trips
- Hilton Lakes Trailhead
- Mosquito Flat Trailhead
- Pine Creek Pack Station Trailhead
State Highway 168 East Side Trips
- North Lake Trailhead
- Sabrina Basin Trailhead
- South Lake Trailhead
Glacier Lodge Road Trips
- Big Pine Creek Trailhead
Sawmill Creek Road Trips
- Sawmill Pass Trailhead
Onion Valley Road Trips
- Kearsarge Pass Trailhead
Whitney Portal Road Trip
- Mt. Whitney Trailhead
Horseshoe Meadow Road Trips
- Cottonwood Lakes Trailhead
- Cottonwood Pass Trailhead
Kennedy Meadows Road Trip
- Blackrock Trailhead
Index
Map Index
About the Authors
About the author
Since childhood, Elizabeth “Lizzy” Wenk has hiked and climbed in the Sierra Nevada and continues the tradition with her husband, Douglas Bock, and daughters, Eleanor and Sophia. As she obtained a Ph D in Sierran alpine plant ecology from the University of California, Berkeley, her love of the mountain range morphed into a profession. But writing guidebooks has become her way to share her love and knowledge of the Sierra Nevada with others. Lizzy continues to obsessively explore every bit of the Sierra, spending summers hiking on- and off-trail throughout the range, but she currently lives in Sydney, Australia, during the “off-season.” Other Wilderness Press titles she has authored include John Muir Trail, One Best Hike: Mount Whitney, One Best Hike: Grand Canyon, 50 Best Short Hikes: Yosemite, and Wildflowers of the High Sierra and John Muir Trail, the latter a perfect companion book for all naturalists. Mike White was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He learned to hike, backpack, and climb in the Cascade Mountains, and he honed his outdoor skills further while obtaining a bachelor’s degree from Seattle Pacific University. After college, Mike and his wife, Robin, relocated to the Nevada desert, where he was drawn to the majesty of the High Sierra. In the early 1990s, Mike began writing about the outdoors, expanding the third edition of Luther Linkhart’s The Trinity Alps for Wilderness Press. His first solo project was Nevada Wilderness Areas and Great Basin National Park. Many more titles for Wilderness followed, including the Snowshoe Trails series; books about Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Lassen National Parks; Backpacking Nevada; Top Trails: Northern California’s Redwood Coast; Best Backpacking Trips in California and Nevada; Best Backpacking Trips in Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico; 50 of the Best Strolls, Walks, and Hikes Around Reno; and Afoot & Afield: Reno-Tahoe. Two of his books, Top Trails: Lake Tahoe and 50 Classic Hikes in Nevada, have won national awards. Mike has also contributed to the Wilderness Press classics Sierra South and Sierra North, as well as Backpacking California. In addition to his books, Mike has written for Sunset, Backpacker, and the Reno Gazette-Journal. A community college instructor, Mike is a featured speaker for outdoors groups. He and Robin live in Reno; his two sons, David and Stephen, live in the area as well.More ebooks from the same author(s) / Editor
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