Bakeoven Trail

Bakeoven Trail is a named long-distance hiking route in California’s Eastern Sierra, centered near Pearsonville and the Monache Meadows area (Kern Plateau / South Sierra Wilderness). It’s mapped as a multi-use path and is open to hiking and mountain biking.

Plan on about 6.2 miles out-and-back with roughly 115 ft of elevation gain. The route follows a route line that’s classified as a path, forming a short backcountry link between meadow-country around Bakeoven Meadow and Bakeoven Pass.

Expect mostly gentle grade through meadow terrain rather than big climbs. The trail corridor is described as winding past Bakeoven Meadow and Bakeoven Pass, with midsection access through the South Fork Kern River area.

The primary way in is typically via the Monache Jeep Road / Monache OHV Trail, a rugged 4x4 dirt road that ends near Bakeoven Meadow. High-clearance vehicles are commonly needed for trailhead access in this area.

Bakeoven Trail also connects to the broader meadow-and-creek travel pattern around South Sierra Wilderness, where camping is possible in the dispersed-country setting along the route. Permits and specific access details are managed via the local wilderness/Forest Service sign-in system for the area.

From a navigation standpoint, the trail can become difficult to read at times as it approaches and skirts meadow edges; use topo map + GPS rather than relying on continuous tread. Community trip reporting also notes that the route can divide into multiple faint paths near the Bakeoven Meadow/Schaeffer Meadow area.

More information: Visitor information, Solo Hiking Adventure in Southern Sierra - Lady on a Rock, OFF-ROADING on the Kern Plateau / Sequoia National Forest