Bubbs Creek Trail

Bubbs Creek Trail is a long-distance hiking route in Kings Canyon National Park, starting from the Road’s End trailhead area near Cedar Grove. The trail follows Bubbs Creek into the canyon, with a steady build in effort as you gain elevation and move from the lower forests toward higher country.

Expect sustained climbing with an overall “steep then steady incline” character. A common way to feel the pitch early is the switchbacking soon after the Bailey Bridge (around 2.5 miles), and the route ramps up again after Junction Meadow, where the climbing resumes toward the JMT junction at Lower Vidette Meadow.

For pacing, the trail’s first mile is largely switchbacks, then you settle into a steady uphill run alongside Bubbs Creek. The canyon keeps you channeling your attention to footing and route line choices rather than just walking “straight up,” especially where you have fewer places to get close to the creek.

At Junction Meadow you get a natural break: it’s around 7.5 miles into the route and offers camping there. After Junction Meadow, the final approach trends back into switchbacks again (roughly the last 2.5 miles), finishing at the Lower Vidette Meadow area where it meets the John Muir Trail.

Water access is tied to Bubbs Creek, with “ready access” to the creek along much of the route. That said, access is not uniform—there are stretches where the creek is only reachable in a few places—so plan water stops around the times the trail actually gives you usable access.

Because the route’s surface is listed as ground and the trail runs in a canyon with creek-adjacent terrain, be ready for wet-weather sensitivity: inspect any committed crossings/rock-and-log approaches and check current conditions if you’re planning to go when runoff is high or the trail corridor is muddy.

More information: Visitor information, 6-day backpacking adventure in Kings Canyon, Big SEKI Loop (as an alternative to the JMT)