EVENT: Sequoia National Forest Camping Trip, Aug 31-Sep 3

• August 1, 2018
• CalWild

Join CalWild and the Community Hiking Club for a fun-filled holiday weekend exploring the wild places of the beautiful Kern Plateau on the Sequoia National Forest. We will be camping at the Horse Meadow Campground on the Sequoia Forest. This camping trip is free of charge (except for USFS campground fees), limited to 20 participants, and RSVPs are required. Participants are responsible for their transportation, camping and hiking gear, food, water, and firewood. Participants will also be required to sign a liability release when they join the trip.

We’ll be camping at 7,600 feet elevation in the Horse Meadow Campground on the Kern Plateau in the Sequoia National Forest (see directions below). Temperatures will be in the mid-high 70s during the day and low 60s at night. The campground has 37 sites, some suitable for RVs. Each site has a picnic table and fire pit/grill. There are vault toilets but there is no potable water or trash removal. Campsites are non-reservable.

We have no planned activities on Friday and Saturday morning, to allow people to arrive at their convenience. On Saturday afternoon, we can take a short 3-4 mile round trip hike with minor elevation gain and loss along Salmon Creek (a potential wild and scenic river, partially located in the proposed Cannell Peak Wilderness). On Sunday, we’ll carpool a few miles to the Sirretta Trailhead and hike up towards Sirretta Peak, to explore the headwaters of Salmon Creek in the potential western addition to the Domeland Wilderness. This moderately strenuous hike will be at least six miles round trip with a minimum 1,600 feet elevation gain/loss. On Monday, people can pack up for the long drive home.

In addition to your camping/hiking gear and food, please be sure to bring drinking water. The campground water system is currently non-functional. Also, it would be good to bring some local firewood for the campfire.

For more information and to RSVP, please contact Steve Evans of CalWild at sevans@calwild.org or call (916) 708-3155.

Directions to Horse Meadow Campground, Sequoia National Forest

From Highway 99 in Bakersfield, take the Highway 178 exit and drive east 41 miles to Lake Isabella. Take the Highway 155 exit, turn left over the freeway. Drive north 6.2 miles on Highway 155 to the small community of Wofford Heights. Highway 155 turns west at this point, but you continue north on what is now Wofford Boulevard and drive 4.7 miles north to Kernville, which is your last opportunity to buy supplies or fuel. Cross the North Fork Kern River in Kernville and turn left onto Sierra Way. Drive 19.8 miles north along the North Fork Kern and turn right onto the Sherman Pass Road. Drive 6 miles east on Sherman Pass Road, turn right onto Road 22S02 – a.k.a. Cherry Hill Road (there should be a sign indicating this is the way to Horse Meadow Campground). Drive 9.3 miles south on Road 22S02 and turn right on Road 23S10 (there should be sign indicating Horse Meadow Campground). Drive about 1.5 miles to Horse Meadow Campground. The last 5 miles on Roads 22S02/23S10 are dirt surface roads passable by highway vehicles.