Kennedy Meadows to Relief Reservoir Backpack

Cappie’s Scoop: This is one of my favorite areas to visit now because it had lots of spots to swim, good smelling fish in the river, fun bridges to cross, tasty sticks to chew and horse poop. Although mom would not let me eat any horse poop but I tried. I was very good around the horses and let them pass me on the trail without barking at them. I also did great walking over the bridges! Usually I get nervous but I even looked over the edge at the river underneath and was just wondering when I’d get to jump in the water. There were some rocks to climb but the trail was mostly dirt. Mom said it was warmer than usual so we spent a lot of time by the water to avoid the bugs getting us and they did get me! I need to get some more bug spray because I think it’s going to be a buggy summer. Don’t hesitate to add YOUR scoop in the comments below!

Tips: The backpacker’s parking lot also has camp sites for hikers for $15/night (2 night limit) at the time of writing this post. The lot is located down the road from the trailhead, about 0.5 miles. There are also a few parking spots at the actual trailhead and an overnight parking permit can be obtained in the lobby of the Kennedy Meadows Resort and Pack Station but we noticed the spots were all filled up every time we passed by. Also, from this trailhead, the pack station leads horseback rides for a stretch of the trail. Make sure you keep your eyes open for horses, dodge the horse poop on the trail and ensure your dog is comfortable with horses passing them on the trail. Important note: there are two Kennedy Meadows that can be reached off of highway 395. The location we visited is north of the town of Bridgeport taking 395 to highway 108 Sonora Pass. The second location is south of Lone Pine. We’d recommend visiting the northern location first if you get a chance!

Directions: From 395 (north of Bridgeport), head west on CA-108 for about 24 miles. Then turn left onto Kennedy Meadows Rd and continue down the road either to the Kennedy Meadows backpacker parking lot or to the Pack Station (trailhead start) about a mile down the road. Before you go, check https://roads.dot.ca.gov to see if Highway 108 Sonora Pass is open because snow will close the road.

Planning a Backpack – April 2021 Newsletter Special Issue