“I’m trying very hard not to connect with people right now.” ~David from Schitt’s Creek

Golden Trout Big Meadow Route Overview

The Golden Trout Wilderness is an area known as the Kern Plateau, at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada. The area features two wild and scenic rivers (North and South Forks of the Kern River) and is named after California’s brightly colored state fish. The Golden Trout Wilderness is a newer wilderness area, designated in 1978 and has miles of maintained and unmaintained trails. Many of my favorite backpacks and peak climbs have been in this fine landscape. I return year after year.

This route starts at the north end of Kennedy Meadows campground at the Pacific Crest Trail sign-in board. It then follows the PCT north for 38 miles, turns south on the remote Mulkey Meadows Trail passing through Mulkey, Ramshaw, Templeton, Strawberry, Brown and Monache Meadows. The route then meets up with the PCT, retracing the hiker’s steps south for 15 miles returning to Kennedy Meadows Campground, completing the 75 mile semi-loop. The complete trip is on maintained and unmaintained trail with no technical climbing. After leaving the PCT, the trail can be faint at times in the large meadows. A good map and GPS are very helpful.

Last June, I jumped at the opportunity to hike solo on this section of the PCT during the time of COVID. On a normal year, the trail would have been busy with hikers. I was lucky to have it to myself. A rare treat. I needed a hard reset to deal with all that the world was spitting out and just “BE“. Walking long and hard was the ticket. This was probably one of my favorite trips of the year. I would like to go back.

On route, I experienced incredible sunrises and sunsets, springs generously flowing from the ground, foxtail pines (my favorite), saw only 2 hikers (on day 3), viewed spectacular cloud shows, felt 2 earthquakes (one under my feet and the other while in my tent), trekked through large green meadows, passed through a burn area during a wind/rain/thunderstorm and hiked hard from sunrise to sunset.

Route Details

• TRIP DATE  June 3-5, 2020
• DISTANCE 75 miles
• ELEVATION 10,685 feet elevation gain, 10,682 feet elevation loss
• ELEVATION RANGE Lowest 6,146 (Kennedy Meadows trailhead) – Highest 10,666 feet (Mulkey Pass)
• TRAILHEAD Begin and end at the Pacific Crest Trail sign-in board at the north end Kennedy Meadows Campground.
• DIFFICULTY Moderate, on maintained trail and unmaintained trail.
• NAVIGATION  Overview map critical, GPS track helpful
• BEST TIME TO HIKE Spring and Fall (summer can be hot with dry seasonal water sources).
• WATER Creeks and springs. In low rain years seasonal water sources are usually dry.
• PERMITS There is a sign-in board at trailhead. No formal permits required.
• CELL SERVICE None

Guidebooks, Maps & GPS

• Tom Harrison Golden Trout Wilderness Map
• The Kern Plateau: and Other Gems of the Southern Sierra by Joe Fontaine
• Exploring the Southern Sierra: East Side by J. C. Jenkins and Ruby Johnson Jenkins
• GPS track I created on Cal Topo loaded on my phone app Gaia GPS

Click blue “Open in “CalTopo” in upper right hand corner of map to view and download GPX.

Video Highlights

Route Description

Day 1: Kennedy Meadows Campground to Ridge Above Gomez Meadows

June 3
23 miles

I hit the trail at about 8:00 am, after a 2 hour drive from home to the trailhead at the Kennedy Meadows Campground. I knew it was going to be warm temps and wanted an earlier start. Hoisting on my pack was what I looked forward to the most. All the food, gear, and open land I needed for a few days.

The hike north on the PCT is gentle and well-maintained. A couple miles in, I stopped at the footbridge over the South Fork of the Kern River and felt shaking under my feet. I thought I was imagining it and went on ahead.

The trail enters a burn area at mile 5 and it doesn’t end for almost 3 miles. It is exposed, uphill, and hot. At the top of the ascent, the forest is once again thick and healthy and views of Beck and Monache Meadows open up.

Swallows are common at the bridge over the South Fork of the Kern River, but the sheer number of them on this day surpassed my other visits to this site. I stopped gathered water and started the long climb into the high Sierras.

I intended to camp at one of my favorite waterless spots, the Olancha Peak saddle, but decided to hike on into the late evening. The air was cool and I was getting into the hiking zone.

I made camp while enjoying an amazing sunset. After dinner and tying my Ursack with all my food and smelly things to a tree nearby (there are bears in Golden Trout Wilderness), I sat down to get organized in my tent. It was then that the ground shook beneath me. I quickly messaged my family through my Garmin Mini to get updates. My father in law, John, a retired ranger and great supporter texted that there had been 4 earthquakes in my area that day! So crazy. It has crossed my mind numerous times while climbing on large boulder fields in the Sierras, that this would be a horrible place to be during an earthquake!

Highlights of the day:

• Cloud formations
• Swallows at the Monache Meadows bridge
• Feeling an earthquake while sitting in my tent
• Tonight’s sunset

Photos of Day 1:

Day 2: Ridge Above Gomez Meadows to Templeton Meadow

June 4
25 miles 

Hit the trail just in time to witness first sunlight over the Sierras. This is my best time of the day. The air is crisp, animals are out making all kinds of noises, and it is soooo still.

I descended to Gomez Meadow, enjoyed breakfast and started the climb to Mulkey Pass, the highest point of the trip. This is probably one of my favorite sections of the length of the PCT featuring granite, foxtail pines, and all the views.

At Mulkey Pass, I turned south on the Mulkey Meadows Trail. The trail descends and crosses through gigantic sagebrush filled meadows: Mulkey, Ramshaw, and Strawberry. This trail is largely unmaintained and is very faint in low areas where water settles.

The area between the meadows was not flat. This is where good map reading helps. I decided to push on to dependable water in Templeton Meadows. Just as light was fading, I quickly scouted out a suitable and sheltered camp on a rock outcropping at the edge of Templeton Meadows.

Cold set in quickly! I was so glad I was able to get to higher ground. Camping in the meadow would have been a large mistake, as cold air accumulates in low damp areas such as meadows.

I received a Garmin message from Ranger John that incoming snow and hail was forecasted for the next day from 1:00 – 4:00 in the afternoon. Seriously??? Seriously.

Highlights from the day:

• Breakfast at Gomez Meadow
• Foxtail pines
• Views, views, views
• That sunset over Templeton Meadows!

Photos of Day 2:

Day 3: Templeton Meadow to Kennedy Meadows Campground

June 5
24 miles 

Cold start, but the view of the frozen meadow and mist in the distance made me feel pretty lucky.

After a few miles, the trail crosses a special spot I have camped at many times. The intersection of the South Fork of the Kern River at the tip of Strawberry Meadows. There are some lovely camps above the west side of the river.

The trail then leads through Brown Meadow, historic Brown Cow Camp, and then up and over to Monache Creek. At that crossing, there is 4WD access, a camp, and ranger station. It appeared to be a very popular area, but today I had it all to myself.

This is where I should have checked my map ahead of time to realize that I had another significant climb up and over, back to the PCT, my intermediate destination.

It was hot, the clouds were building and I was discouraged. So I stopped, regrouped, made a cup of coffee, and checked the weather on my Garmin. I needed to hoof it to get back to my car before the storm hit.

I picked up my pace, reached the PCT, turned south, and got water from river at the Monache Meadows bridge. After that little break, wind hit, temps dropped, and by the time I reached the old burn area everything broke loose. I was in the worst place to be in a wind, rain, and hail storm and I knew it. I managed a slow jog for a few miles until the end of burn area. At Crag Creek, I took cover, drank water, and had a snack. This is where I met my first 2 humans of the trip, northbound PCT hikers. 🙂

The wildness of the storm made for an epic end. Especially since I had snacks and dry clean clothes waiting at my car.

Highlights from the day:

• Morning mist on Templeton Meadow
• Intersection of South Fork of Kern River near Strawberry Meadows
• Hiking through a burn area in a wind, rain and hail storm

Photos from Day 3:

Trip Itinerary Options

I hiked this trip in 3 days, averaging 25 miles per day. This backpack could easily be a wonderful 4 or 5 day trip. Here are some options for nice camps along the way. Mileages are approximate.

Along the PCT: Mile 5 – Crag Creek (water), Mile 12 Kern River Monache Meadow (water, nice views and camp), Mile 15 – Cow Creek (water), Mile 19 – Olancha Peak saddle (dry camp, views for days), Mile 26 – Death Canyon (water)

On the Mulkey Meadow Trail: Mile 44 – southwest end of Mulkey Meadow (water in creek but is fenced off for a majority of the meadow), Mile 46 – north end of Ramshaw arm (possible water in meadow), Mile 48 – rock islands in Templeton Meadows (water), Mile 52 – South Fork of Kern River at Strawberry Meadows (water and a beautiful area), Mile 58 – Monache Creek (water, can be crowded)

Recommended Side Excursions

• Climb Crag Peak
• Visit and/or camp at Summit Meadow
• Climb Olancha Peak
• Climb Trail Peak
• Fish in the South Fork of the Kern River

Recommended Gear

• Add a 2 liter Platypus Ultralight Collapsible Water Bottle to haul extra water for years that springs and seasonal creeks may be dry
• Store your food in a bear proof sack or plan to camp in areas that you can hang your food There are bears in Golden Trout Wilderness. Especially in meadows and on the remote unmaintained trails. I use the URsack Major with the Odor Barrier Bag (OP Sak 12 x 20) or be prepared to hang your food from a tree. I use this bear bagging kit for hanging.
• I carry a Garmin Mini Satellite Communicator and highly recommend it, especially on a solo remote trip.
• It is important to get your backpacking kit as light as possible for safety, comfort, and your health. Here is my lightweight gear list and My Personal All-Time Favorite Hiking Gear

Photo/Video

• View all photos from the trip on Flickr
• View video on You Tube

If you hike this trip, tag @christyrosander on Instagram and use the hashtag #ladyonarock so I can take a look!

Happy Adventuring!

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