Haiwee Pass Trail
Haiwee Pass Trail is a primitive route in the eastern portion of the South Sierra Wilderness, starting near Haiwee Creek at about 4,940 ft and climbing to Haiwee Pass at 8,500 ft. Expect canyon live oak woodland and multiple crossings of Haiwee Creek along the way.
The trail is steep and can be difficult to follow: it may be overgrown or faint in sections, and current guidance notes flood damage that affects the first two miles. That damaged tread is not stock passable and can be hard to locate even on foot.
A practical way to plan is around the core work of the day: you climb roughly 3,300 ft over about 6 miles from Haiwee Creek to the pass. Once at the top, the route can continue west toward the South Fork of the Kern River or head north toward Olancha Pass and Summit Meadows.
Water is typically treated as backcountry water (from creeks, lakes, and springs) rather than a reliable “grab and go” stream. Expect the route to involve wet seasons and variable creek conditions given the repeated creek crossings.
Because it’s a wilderness primitive trail, overnight trips can involve wilderness permitting rules/requirements depending on where you continue; for trips that go beyond Olancha Peak into Golden Trout Wilderness, a permit is required. Bear-proof storage rules for food/trash and restrictions on group size apply.
Trail and trailhead conditions are subject to event-driven change: the most prominent recent issue is flooding damage with severe tread loss early in the route, so expect navigation friction on that lower section and plan accordingly with maps and route-finding technique.
Difficulty
Moderate