Golden Trout Wilderness Loop

7-Day Mule-Supported Hiking Trip · Inyo National Forest

Starting at $3400 per person

South of Mount Whitney, the Sierra opens into the Kern Plateau, a country of wide meadows, slow creeks, and old cinder cones. This is the home water of the golden trout, California's state freshwater fish, and one of the gentlest ways into the High Sierra.

Our packers carry camp from meadow to meadow while you walk with a daypack. Hiking days are short, and with one full layover day the itinerary leaves plenty of room to fish, explore, or do nothing at all and enjoy the mountains. On this trip you will hear stories of the land: the 1886 tunnel dug to steal Golden Trout Creek for the Kern, the lava flows that reshaped the creek long before, the Native Americans who traded across these passes, and the Hockett Trail, one of the first routes that the white settlers found across the range.

Who it's for: First-timers to mule-supported travel, families, anglers, and anyone who wants the High Sierra without a heavy pack. Hikers should be comfortable walking 4–8 miles at elevations between 8,400' and 11,160'.

At a glance

• 7 days / 6 nights · ~31 miles · 1 layover day

• Start and end at Horseshoe Meadows, near Lone Pine, CA

• Daypack only; packers carry camp, kitchen, and personal sleeping gear

• Dates: June 20-26, 2027

• Group size: up to 11 guests with 2 guides and 2 packers

• Starting at $3400 per person

The route

• Day 1: Over Trail Pass to Mulkey Meadows

• Day 2: Along the South Fork Kern to Tunnel Meadow

• Day 3: Down Golden Trout Creek to Little Whitney Meadow

• Day 4: Layover at Little Whitney Meadow with side hikes to Ramshaw Meadow or Rocky Basin — or simply stay and enjoy camp!

• Day 5: Up to Big Whitney Meadow

• Day 6: Over Cottonwood Pass and back to Horseshoe Meadows

What’s Included:

• Each trip includes:

  • All meals from lunch on Day 1 through lunch on Day 6

    • Breakfast and Dinners all are 3 courses

    • We cater to vegetarian, gluten free, and vegan diets.

  • All permits and wilderness logistics

  • Professional guiding with deep knowledge of Sierra geology, ecology, and history

  • Tents and all group camp gear, including camp chairs, handwashing stations, and a group privy (aka toilet, which is cleaned daily!)

  • Professional mules accompanied by professional mule packers!

  • Shuttling from end point back to the start

• Max group size: 6 guests per 1 guide (total of 11 guests with 2 guides and 2 packers)