I didn’t know what to expect when my friend Felisha mentioned backpacking to Pear Lake via the Lakes Trail. I’d never been backpacking in Sequoia National Park, especially so early in the season (June 2025). Would there be too much snow or too many mosquitos?
The hike looked easy enough, only six miles in and 2500ft of elevation gain. In that case, would it be too crowded? Too many people? The permits are first-come first-serve. Would we drive all that way and find the permits sold out?
I was unsure about a lot of things, but I was prepared for the challenge. Even if it was busy or buggy or snowy, the Sierras are always so breathtaking and I was ready for an alpine adventure to kick off the summer.
We picked up the permits at Lodgepole Visitor Center, parked at the Lakes Trailhead at Wolverton Picnic Area, and hiked up 2,989 feet of elevation over the course of 6.22 miles. We spent one night at Emerald Lake and two at Pear Lake.
Despite the concerningly friendly marmots and mosquitos, we had an epic time and I would definitely return! It could have been the snow-fed waterfalls, but Pear Lake is the most picturesque backdrop I’ve ever seen from my tent.
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, designed to allow The Unremarkable Climber (me) to earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase through them, at no extra cost to you. This really helps support the site and lets me know you find this information valuable! That being said, all of my gear recommendations, commission based or not, are genuine recommendations for gear I personally use, so I hope you love them as much as I have! Feel free to drop any questions in the message box below.
Why Did We Choose Pear Lake?
As I mentioned earlier, my friend Felisha had already chosen the destination, but there were two lakes open for camping overnight: Emerald Lake (5 mi) and Pear Lake (6 mi). Each had a maximum occupancy of 15 people per lake per night.
When we spoke with the ranger who issued our first-come first-serve permits at Lodgepole Visitor Center, she mentioned that the Pear Lake ranger had just made it to the backcountry cabin, but had yet to report the amount of snow. She said the trail was clear to Emerald Lake, but we may or may not make it the extra mile to Pear Lake. As a result, we originally planned to camp at Emerald the first night with the intention of trying to make it to Pear subsequent nights.
Pear Lake was the ultimate destination because we heard it was the most beautiful, and why would you hike all that way to fail to complete the last mile?
Backpacking in Sequoia National Park: Permit Process
If you plan to go backpacking in Sequoia National Park, many permits are reservable in advance, but for this particular adventure, we needed permits for Lakes Trail which are all first-come first-serve. You have to either arrive at Lodgepole Visitor Center before 3:30pm the previous day or super early the morning of and hope they haven’t sold out since they only give out enough for 25 people.
We planned to drive up super early the morning of the trip, but for whatever reason, when our friends spoke with the park service employee the day before, they told them we had to pick up the permits before 8:30am. We left home at 3:30am and arrived at 8:00am just to find out we could have arrived any time before 3:30pm. Not sure what miscommunication happened there, but just get there early to avoid any issues.
Pear Lake falls within the Kaweah River Drainage area of Sequoia National Park, and the park service does a great job of updating their website with all the information you need for a successful backpacking adventure. Make sure to read up on regulations and fire restrictions before you go.
For example, fires are prohibited in most of Sequoia National Park because most lakes lie above 10,000 feet in elevation. In Kaweah River Drainage (our location), no fires are allowed above 9000 feet aka at both Emerald and Pear Lakes.
Click on the links below for more information:
When to Go Backpacking in Sequoia National Park
I’d personally say late August or September is the best time to backpack in Sequoia National Park or anywhere in the Sierras. This maximizes good weather before it snows in late September and minimizes mosquitos which are mostly gone by late August.
However, my friend planned the trip, and June ended up being magical despite the mosquitos and potential for too much snow to get to Pear Lake. The temperature and amount of snow were perfect: 70s during the day and 40s at night with barely any snow on trail, but enough to cause panoramic waterfall views from the tent as it melted quickly into the lakes. You’d really be missing out on the waterfall views later in the season.
I will say though, one week earlier and we wouldn’t have made it to Pear Lake due to the snow. Watchtower trail literally opened the morning we arrived. One week later, and the mosquitos would have been so bad that we’d have to wear the nets all day. All this to say, we got really lucky in mid-June, but late summer is a more reliable good time for backpacking in Sequoia National Park.
Day 1: Backpacking Lakes Trail to Emerald Lake
Hiking Lakes Trail via Watchtower Trail (instead of Hump Trail)
This is by far the best way to go.
We began hiking around 10am and hiked consistently uphill through a peaceful pine forest for the first two miles. We crossed four or so seasonal streams which were flowing pretty heavily and offered a nice place to rest and cool off.
When we reached the fork for Watchtower Trail, we were surprised to find the sign hadn’t been updated, but the ranger said it had just opened that morning. We were so glad it was open because the Watchtower was a pretty incredible lunch spot, and we could see day hikers below on their way to Tokopah Falls.
Hiking to Heather Lake via Watchtower Trail
After lunch, we had about a mile left until Heather Lake. This was the steepest section of trail, but was short-lived and by far the most scenic! Soon enough, we’d arrived at Heather Lake where we met up with our friends and dipped our toes in the lake. Heather Lake would have been a beautiful destination in itself, but camping isn’t permitted there.
Finding a Campsite at Emerald Lake
By midafternoon, we were ready to push on to Emerald Lake, only one more mile up the trail. We made pretty good time and began looking for a campsite. The permit says you have to camp in designated sites, but since the map on the signpost seemed to have disappeared a long time ago, we found a spot with minimal vegetation that had obviously been used before.
The camping area boasted one dilapidated bear box (I couldn’t open it) and one pit toilet. The expectation is for backpackers to pack out toilet paper so that it doesn’t fill up quickly. The ranger at the visitor center even had black zippered bags to use when we asked since we had only brought clear bags (very grateful!).
After setting up camp, we went for a quick swim and enjoyed watching the glow on the granite mountains around us slowly fade from orange to pink to gray. The only other person camping at Emerald Lake that night was a ranger who was scattering illegal fire rings with a calm vengeance. The least you can do while visiting these pristine places is follow the regulations to help keep them that way.
My first day backpacking in Sequoia National Park was tough but very rewarding. Emerald Lake was so beautiful and I wasn’t sure how Pear Lake could be any better.
Day 2: Backpacking to Pear Lake
Exploring Emerald Lake
We took it easy the next morning and leisurely had breakfast in the sun before traversing around Emerald Lake to explore the other side. Our goal was to scramble to one of the waterfalls! After finding one, we sat up on the granite and watched the morning pass before breaking camp and completing the final mile of our journey to Pear Lake.
Hiking from Emerald Lake to Pear Lake
At this point in our adventure, we’d seen one small patch of snow near the trail and were quite sure we’d have no problem making it to Pear Lake. Our thoughts were correct. The only snow we had to even step on was a small ten foot section roughly two inches deep. I was thankful for my waterproof hiking boots though, because much of the trail was akin to a small creek from all the now-melted snow.
The last section of trail led us up into this incredible valley of granite where Pear Lake was located. Unbelievably, everyone was right and Pear Lake was somehow even more breathtaking than the other lakes. The three large waterfalls and remaining snowdrifts across the lake helped with that.
Finding a Campsite at Pear Lake
Pear Lake was also missing its old campsite map, but it was obvious where backpackers had stayed before. We found the perfect site (or so we thought) up on a hill overlooking the lake. The bear box here was somewhat more useable, but had a sludgey gunk on the floor of it that we needed to avoid. Although we brought our required bear canisters, this box came in very handy later.
Our Biggest Challenge Backpacking in Sequoia National Park:
Our biggest challenge backpacking in Sequoia National Park was the marmots.
While we saw no bears the entire time, the marmots were out in full force. They lived in the rock wall next to our campsite and harassed us incessantly. They chewed one of Felisha’s hiking poles to the metal, almost chewed my backpack strap off, almost chewed a small hole in one of my hiking boots, and every 30 seconds would make a break for the tent and try to chew through the side.
They were relentlessly in search of salt anyway they could get it. The mother was nursing at least three small marmots as far as we could tell, which meant anything with sweat remnants was fair game. We couldn’t leave our gear unguarded without consequences, even inside the tent.
We honestly didn’t know if we’ve be able to go on a day hike the next day, but we managed to put the rain fly up, pile rocks around the outside, and fit our backpacks into the bear box to help dissuade them from chewing through the tent. The rocks did nothing, and we returned to find tiny dusty footprints completely surrounding the bottom six inches of tent (inside the fly) like wallpaper. Luckily, our only casualty was a quarter-sized hole in the mesh that was easily repaired with some tape.
Day 3: Day Hike up the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River
Scrambling around Pear Lake
Despite our reservations leaving our tent to the marmots, we went exploring up the Marble Fork of Kaweah River drainage for the day. We decided we don’t get to go backpacking in Sequoia National Park every day so we had to take a look around!
First, we made an unsuccessful attempt to circumnavigate Pear Lake. We passed a ranger along the way who was literally cleaning up someone’s soiled toilet paper that they’d left behind. I’m usually not one to judge, but that’s definitely the wrong way to backpack.
Anyway, we comically recounted our marmot struggles then continued on our scramble until we reached a cliff we couldn’t cross, so we started making our way up the hill above Pear Lake. Soon, we found a nice lunch spot overlooking the lake and spent a while there enjoying the view.
Exploring up the Kaweah River Drainage
After lunch, we weren’t quite done exploring, so we traversed the ridge and dropped into the Kaweah River drainage where the Lakes Trail Pass Through Permit applies. Without the mosquitos, this place would have been the most perfect camping area with a crystal clear creek winding through the pines. It was so serene.
Unfortunately, we recovered and packed out a mylar balloon that we found in the creek. Everywhere I’ve been backpacking, I’ve found at least one, so at least I got to keep my streak intact.
Seriously though, mylar balloons are terrible single use items that amount to nothing more than a plastic bag released into the air once all the toxic paint quickly chips off. Balloons blow, don’t let them go!
Day 4: Last Day Backpacking in Sequoia National Park
After a quiet evening, we awoke on our final morning not quite ready to leave. However, the exponentially increasing number of mosquitos quickly got us in the mood for packing up. Soon enough we were off on our downhill slog out of the backcountry.
Passing everything in reverse was much quicker. Since it was now Saturday, we passed at least three dozen hikers along Lakes Trail rather than the three people we saw on the way up to the lakes three days earlier.
After arriving at the car, we caught a glimpse of the Sequoia National Park that most visitors get to see: rangers putting out “full parking lot” signs, chaotic scenes of cars in every pullout all fighting for “the shot” between the giant sequoias, and hoards of tourists at every trailhead.
How lucky we were to get to explore the more remote (and much larger) portion of the park with just a little extra effort than the average day hiker. Backpacking in Sequoia National Park is definitely the best way to explore the park if you ever get the chance!
Backpacking in Sequoia National Park: Pros and Cons
Pros of Backpacking in Sequoia National Park
There are a ton of places to backpack in the Sierras let alone California. Sequoia National Park is a great place to backpack because of the beautiful areas like Pear Lake that have rangers consistently checking conditions and giving reports to backpackers. The trails are well maintained and you feel safe with ranger presence many places in the backcountry.
Unlike National Forests, it’s easier to get critical and up-to-date information for a successful backpacking trip in Sequoia National Park.
Cons of Backpacking in Sequoia National Park
There are a few cons to consider when backpacking in Sequoia National Park. The first con that usually steers me away from national parks in general are the crowds. EVERYONE wants to visit national parks, even if for good reason.
As a result, permits are often tougher to get and there are often more requirements like the requirement for hard-sided bear canisters. We chose to get a first-come first-serve permit midweek to avoid the chaos.
Additionally, there’s no free dispersed camping nearby to acclimatize the night before. I don’t like paying high prices for campgrounds, so we chose to sacrifice sleep and acclimatization and drive up at 3:30am. Some might not agree with the decision, but these are all things I consider when choosing a backpacking destination.
Looking for more epic adventures?
Check out our most recent posts below and subscribe at the bottom of the page so you don’t miss our next adventure!