Numerous trails cross the park boundary from all directions. The South
Fork, or Hockett Trail, starts at the end of the South Fork Road 13
miles above Three Rivers at the Clough Cave entrance to the park. This
is a main-traveled trail to southern points in the park--Garfield Grove,
Kern Canyon, and Mount Whitney.
The south trail entrance is reached from the end of the automobile road
at Camp Nelson, in the national forest east of Porterville; thence by
trail to the Kern Canyon station at Golden Trout Creek. The Kern Canyon
entrance is reached also by trail from Lone Pine and other Inyo County
points via Cottonwood Pass on the main crest of the Sierra, somewhat
south of the park line. The higher reaches of the Kern River within the
park may be reached from this trail by a direct route crossing Siberian
Pass on the park boundary, where this is defined by a secondary divide.
A foot-and-horse trail runs to the summit of Mount Whitney (14,494.7
feet) from the Owens Valley side. It connects with the main park and
Kern watershed trail system at Crabtree Meadows on the west side of the
crest. Here it is possible to go over the "top of the United States" and
down the other side. Mount Whitney may therefore be reached from Lone
Pine via Cottonwood Lakes and Army Pass, or direct via Lone Pine Creek
from the east. It may be reached from the west by starting at Giant
Forest, or Mineral King, or by way of Camp Nelson from the south. This
latter trail is used particularly in the early spring and summer.
[Illustration: _Hammond photo._