High Sierra Topix

I'm planning a Boy Scout backpacking trip to Sequoia National Park Labor day weekend. Myself and other Scout Masters are not familiar with the overnight backpacking trails. We're estimating 15 to 30 scouts and adults. I'm thinking 5 to 8 mile hike one way. Does anyone have some trail route suggestions? Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

Have you called SEKI yet to see how that works for 30 people? And if you you can even get a permit for something like that? They approve permits and can tell you the parameters your group needs to work within. 30 is big, and they may need to split you into multiple groups and possibly go different places.

A bit late for a Labor day permit for that size.

https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/ ... ermits.htm

Firstly - you are not taking more than 15 people anywhere in designated wilderness areas, as the permitting rules restrict group size to that number across the board. You can get two permits but the two groups must remain apart (cannot camp together) for the duration of the trip. The only place you will find exceptions to this are Point Reyes, where you can reserve designated campsites for up to 50 people, or Big Basin where you can get multiple designated campsites in the trail camps for large groups.

Secondly, the reservation period for Sequoia NP started in March - you will have a tough time finding someplace to go with a large group. The exception you may have some luck with if you start midweek might be the Lakes Trail which is always a walk in - you can camp at Emerald or Pear Lake. No campfires allowed, but there are bear boxes.

You might consider Jennie Lake - no permits, but the group size remains the same, 15. You could send the stronger hikers to Jennie Lake and the less athletic to Weaver Lake. But you will find a ton of competition for campsites.

An alternate might be to find a location in a National Forest area. There are no group limitations and no permits needed. If you find a lake where you can hike in on, say, an OHV route, there will likely be a campground (very Primitive) that OHVers use at the end. But again, Labor Day will be crazy busy for those as well.

Hi Jack,

Welcome to HST! Click on this link, scroll down to "Wilderness Trip Planner" for information: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm

Does your trip have to be in Sequoia National Park? Where are you coming from?
-Phil

I was at Jennie on a Friday a couple of weeks ago, and by mid-afternoon all the campsites were taken (larger ones were all full by the time we got there at around noon, and there were more people coming in behind us), so I would think Labor Day weekend would be much worse for competition for sites. The JLW is technically a wilderness, but it sure didn't feel that way with all the people.

Still a quota of 15 but you might consider Lillian Lake loop and split the group in two, but you still have to call. It's out of the Clover Meadow ranger station.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/p ... ev7_018115

rlown wrote:Still a quota of 15 but you might consider Lillian Lake loop and split the group in two, but you still have to call. It's out of the Clover Meadow ranger station.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/sierra/p ... ev7_018115

Good luck getting two permits for 15 people - you have to use two trailheads - and I bet you they are pretty well reserved, and there are not enough walk ups.

I have the feeling what is sensible at this point would be to call Sierra National Forest and talk to them about trailheads with enough space on them. See if you can send a group to Cliff Lake from Courtright Reservoir, another group to Twin Lakes in Kaiser Wilderness, and if necessary a third group to Lillian Lake Loop - if there are sufficient chaperones to drive these groups around. You'll want rugged vehicles for anything going toward LIllian Lake, the roads to trailheads out that way are not paved and rougher than your average gravel road.

Check here, then click on "A Group Group Campground" they can accommodate larger groups: https://www.fs.usda.gov/activity/sierra ... 0&actid=33
Forget about getting on the trail with that amount, especially on Labor Day.