Kings Creek Trail

Kings Creek Trail is found along the park road at a well marked trailhead. From the trailhead sign, head down the steps into the fir forest. Flat at first, the trail runs along Kings Creek that is to the right/south. Lower Kings Creek Meadows with the creek running through them are soon passed. Sifford Lakes Trail is passed on the right at the 0.4 mile mark. At the 0.6 mile mark a trail fork is reached. Both directions of the fork rejoin later. To continue on Kings Creek Trail, go left at this fork. One can NOT go right at this fork - the right fork is Kings Creek Cascades Foot Trail, a one-way, narrow exposed stair step trail down along Kings Creek Cascades. When returning from Kings Creek Falls (hiking in the opposite direction from what is shown here), one can take Kings Creek Cascades Foot Trail. For the next half mile, Kings Creek Trail descends past some rocky overlooks with great views, and then winds down through the fir forest to meet up again with Kings Creek Cascades Foot Trail at the 1.1 mile mark. Continuing on in the forest along Kings Creek, a few large cascades/mini waterfalls are passed before reaching Bench Lake Trail on the right/south at the 1.3 mile mark. Almost immediately after Bench Lake Trail, one comes to Kings Creek Falls. Rocky outcrops with viewing platforms provide a place to see the falls drop their entire 40+ feet. This is a great place to take a break, admire the falls and surrounding beauty, and snack. Past the falls, Kings Creek Trail is very lightly used as it descends (mostly) gradually through the fir forest for the next 2.2 miles to the Summit Lake to Corral Meadow Trail junction. Leaving the falls, the trail veers north, away from Kings Creek. An unnamed creek is soon reached, and without crossing it, the trail swings right/east and follows it to where it empties into Kings Creek at the 3.4 mile mark. Just before the unnamed creek empties into Kings Creek, the trail crosses it. At the 3.6 mile mark, Summit Lake to Corral Meadow Trail comes in from the north/left. Kings Creek Trail then veers south/right. After a short ways further, Kings Creek Trail comes to Kings Creek and crosses it on some well placed logs. From here, the trail is almost flat as it follows Kings Creek downstream. Kings Creek is to the left/east but drops steeply in its creek valley, so the trail is soon quite a ways above it. Kings Creek Trail ends after another 0.6 miles, at a trail junction with the PCT and Grassy Swale Trail.