Hike to the Bald Mountain Botanical Area

Date and Time:
Sat, Jul 11, 2026; 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM (Pacific)

Add to Calendar Hike to the Bald Mountain Botanical Area

Hike to the summit of Bald Mountain in the Sequoia National Forest.

2PJM+JH Kennedy Meadows, CA, USA

Webinar URL:

36.03173300,-118.26432700 Paul Gipe pgipe@igc.org MM/DD/yyyy amOUuwqNAzpGSXwtHmnd12740

Organized By: Kern-Kaweah Chapter

Location: 2PJM+JH Kennedy Meadows, CA, USA

Map | Directions

Event Organizers:
Paul Gipe
pgipe@igc.org
661 325 9590

Moderate 4.2 miles total round-trip hike to the 9,400-foot summit of Bald Mountain in the Sequoia National Forest, requiring an 800-foot gain in elevation. The Bald Mountain trail head is 100 miles from Bakersfield on Sherman Pass Road (22S05) beyond Sherman Pass. The drive from Bakersfield takes three hours.

The trail to the summit is a road (22S77) to the occupied fire lookout tower. The summit is botanically rich with spectacular views of the Domelands Wilderness. Bald Mountain is an island of metasedimentary rock in a sea of granite. It is this substrate that gives Bald Mountain its diversity. The summit includes the largest known population of Horkelia tularensis (Kern Plateau Horkelia). See Bald Mountain Botanical Area for more information.

The area was extensively burned 10-20 years ago.

Bald Mountain Lookout road (22S77) begins at the parking area: https://maps.app.goo.gl/L9CbwH2MJqkeCA1v5 .

Fire lookout tower on Bald Mountain with sulfur buckwheat in the foreground.

View of the Domelands Wilderness from Bald Mountain.

Level: Moderate

Cost: None

Recommended Items: Water and lunch.