Sequoia National Forest · California

Deer

1.6 mi of trail, end to end · native material surface · trail No. 32E17 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 18-24 inches wide · hiking, bike

Begins at the forest's mile 0, 36.1777, -118.5321 - no trailhead mapped Drive to where the trail begins

Deer Cove Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

Currently CLOSED due to the Happy Fire

As the entrance to the longest trail network in the Monarch Wilderness , the Deer Cove trailhead is found on the shoulder of Highway 180 approximately 1.5 miles east of the Grizzly Falls recreation area. The trail immediately heads steeply uphill for several miles through Black and Live Oaks, several Pine species, Red and White Firs, and Incense Cedars. A series of switchbacks guides the trail up above Deer Cove Creek, through dense forest and past excellent views of the Monarch Divide and Kings Canyon. Past Wildman Meadow, a very strenuous hike will take you all the way up Grizzly Lakes and the 11,000ft. peak of Mount Harrington. There are several access routes into the heart of the Kings Canyon backcountry via this trail as well.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Deer Meadow Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up

**NOTE: This trail has not been maintained and trail may be hard to follow.

Located towards the end of the Big Meadows Road, the Deer Meadow Trail takes you up into the southern edge of the Monarch Wilderness and offers some excellent views into Kings Canyon. It is part of loop connecting to the Kanawyer Trail in the Boulder Creek area, but some sections of the loop were severely impacted by wildfire and have not been repaired. This is a great isolated area for both short day hikes and easy overnight backpacking trips.

This trailhead on fs.usda.gov

Every trail in Sequoia National Forest

All 248 trails in Sequoia National ForestFind a trailForest on fs.usda.gov

About this trail's facts

The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.