About Kennedy Meadows Trailhead
NOTE: This area was severely impacted by the 2015 Rough Fire; some sections were completely burnt out. Due to safety concerns, the Monarch Wilderness will be closed to the public until further notice.Providing access to some of the spectacular hidden gems near and within the Monarch Wilderness, The Kanawyer and Evans Grove Loop Trails are in a remote section of Giant Sequoia National Monument. The Kanawyer Trail begins at the Kennedy Meadow trailhead (off the Burton Road past Quail Flat) and winds through manificient Giant Sequoias, Incense Cedars, Pines and Firs, and then down sharply into the Boulder Creek drainage past a Manzanita-covered ridge, where Yucca, Pinyon Pine and numerous wildflowers appear. The Evans Grove Loop Trail begins off the Kanwayer Trail once you enter Evans Sequoia Grove, and also via the OHV-only old 13S05 Road beginning behind Hume Lake. See if you can find the old railroad bed in Evans Grove. This isolated wilderness area offers spectacular views into Kings Canyon and serene solitude down at Boulder Creek.
