Hiking Map
Location Information

Main Backpacking Features

Hiking East from the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail up the Western Sierra Flank to Kennedy Lake South of Kennedy Meadows Pack Station opens up much more that a short spur trail to a beautiful lake between the Tahoe to Yosemite and Pacific Crest Trails. Compare the images of Kennedy Lake below with the map above.

Above Kennedy Lake the fine trail slowly degrades into a faint unmaintained track fairly easy and fun to follow up to where the Pacific Crest Trail turns East off a low gap along the Sierra Crestline between the East and West Flanks of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
This low spot marks the Sierra Crest dividing Kennedy Canyon running down the Eastern flank of the Sierra carrying the Pacific Crest Trail South. Kennedy Creek runs down the Western flank through Kennedy Lake and down into Summit Creek.

At the start of Kennedy Meadows the Summit Creek officially takes a promotion in status, flowing past Kennedy Meadows Pack Station as the North Fork of the Stanislaus River.

Meanwhile, back on the Sierra Crestline above Kennedy Lake we find great peaks to our North and South with valleys descending East and West.
To the North the massive bulk of Leavitt Peak blocks our way North on the Pacific Crest Trail to Sonora Pass and Big Sam carries the Tungsten Road over to its junction with the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail in Grizzly Meadow under Grizzly Peak.

Here on this low spot on the Sierra Crestline we find trails to the cardinal compass points.

The Kennedy Canyon trail junction was broken during 2012.

At this broken trail junction (the post was broken and prostrate on the trail as of July 2012) we have excellent hiking options in all directions. Oh yeah.

We're Here. Where?

Here.

Need to See it Again?

To the North the PCT crosses over Leavitt Peak towards Sonora Pass. To the South the old track of the Tungsten Road crosses Big Sam to intersect with the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at the foot of Grizzly Peak. To the East the Southbound PCT route drops down Kennedy Canyon before bending South to climb into the Yosemite backcountry through Dorothy Lake Pass.

Map Problems Solved above

TYT Trail South from lower footbridge on Summit Creek

TYT Trail route to Kennedy Lake trail junction

Unmaintained route above Kennedy Lake

PCT route down Kennedy Canyon

Mapology
Those squares breaking the USGS maps up into grids are the Universal Transverse Mercator / Military Grid Reference System, otherwise commonly known as UTM.

What's important for our general reference purpose is that each side of a square is 1000 meters, or a Kilometer.

From my point of view that is 1093.6 yards or .62 of a mile.

Diagonal: 1414.22 meters, if my trig is correct.

That converts into 4,639.8 feet or .88 of a mile.

Pick a trailhead on one highway and hike to a trailhead on the next highway. Between the first highway and the next highway switch over from the Pacific Crest to the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail to expand your view.

Standing at the trail junction between Kennedy Canyon and Kennedy Lake's Valleys puts us 7.97 miles South of Sonora Pass at the highpoint of Highway 108 crossing the Sierra Crest.

Working: Google Road Map Collection of Road Maps supplementing the Tahoe to Whitney trail guide.

Miles and Elevations
IDEAS

South from Kennedy Meadows Pack Station

Kennedy Meadows Pack Station Gate to Kennedy Lake trail junction: 2.67 miles.

Kennedy Lake trail junction to Kennedy Lake: 4.39 miles.

Kennedy Lake junction on TYT to PCT at Kennedy Canyon trail junction: 8.39 miles.

Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at the Kennedy Meadows Gate to Kennedy Canyon PCT Trail Junction is 11.06 miles.

South from Highway 108
For you circle routes between Kennedy Meadows and Sonora Pass

Sonora Pass to Kennedy Canyon trail junction: 7.97 miles.

Kennedy Meadows Pack Station to Sonora Pass via Kennedy Lake is 19.03 miles.

Let's expand the circle by a notch: South into Emigrant Basin.

Kennedy Canyon trail junction to Tahoe to Yosemite Trail at Grizzly Peak: 6.17 miles.

Grizzly Peak North to Kennedy Meadows along Tahoe to Yosemite Trail: 13.83 miles.

Emigrant Wilderness Backpacking Loop

Kennedy Meadows Pack Station loop via Kennedy Lake to Grizzly Peak to TYT North to Kennedy Meadows: 31.06 miles.

Four USGS
7.5 min Topo Hiking Maps

Northwest Map
Sonora Pass, Calif, 1979 7.5 minute Topographic Map
Scale: 1: 24 000
Contours: 80 feet

Northeast Map
Pickle Meadow, Calif, 1954 7.5 minute Topographic Map, photo-revised in '78
scale: 1: 24 000
Contours: 40 feet

Southwest Map Name
Emigrant Lake, Calif, provisional 1990 7.5 minute USGS Topographic Map
scale: 1: 24 000
Contours: 40 feet

Southeast Map Name
Tower Peak, Calif, 1990 7.5 minute USGS Topographic Map
scale: 1: 24 000
Contours: 40 feet

Compass Offset
Magnetic North is 18 degrees
East of True North,
16.5 off North Star

Standard
100% Size Map

West Side and Sonora Pass

Stanislaus National Forest Wilderness

TahoetoWhitney Contacts: Stanislaus National Forest

National Forest Wilderness Area information: Emigrant Wilderness

Ranger District: Summit Ranger District

East Side Leavitt Lake and West Walker through Leavitt Meadow

Toiyabe National Forest Wilderness

TahoetoWhitney Contacts: Toiyabe National Forest

National Forest Wilderness Area information:

Ranger District: Bridgeport Ranger District

Kennedy Meadows Pack Station Gate
6400 feet

Kennedy Lake Trail Junction
7120 feet

Kennedy Lake
7801 feet

Kennedy Canyon Trail Junction, the PCT
9680 feet

Trail Guide, Section: Kennedy Meadows to Bond Pass on the Tahoe to Yosemite Trail

Trail Guide, Section: Sonora Pass to Dorothy Lake Pass along the Pacific Crest Trail

Google Map:

Map Credit

U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior

The USGS

I love the USGS.

Free Emigrant Wilderness Backpacking Maps

USGS MAP LOCATOR

Move the Map to the Sierras. Select size of Maps you wish to locate. Click "Mark Point" on map to see the USGS map grid of the selected map scale.

USGS Topographic
Map Information