Jackass Creek Trail

Jackass Creek Trail (35E13) is a 5.5-mile hiking route in Sequoia National Forest. It runs on a maintained OHV trail corridor and is open to hikers along with motorcycle trail riding and mountain biking.

The route is point-to-point and follows Jackass Creek’s canyon. Expect a mostly flat-to-moderate overall grade, with steeper, rockier pockets that can turn challenging even though the distance is short.

Route character is shaped by unpaved trail surfaces and scattered rocky patches, including sections that get described as steep or rocky. The mapped trail is on terrain managed as a standard/terra trail, with soil as the primary surface type.

Share the corridor: the trail is used by motorized traffic as well as bikes, so plan for encounters if you’re on foot. The route is also tracked as “beginner +” in the OHV trail directory context, while still noting a steep section that can challenge less-experienced users.

Use seasonal timing and route planning seriously. The Sequoia National Forest trail listing shows May–November season of use, and because it’s point-to-point, you’ll want a vehicle plan (or a shuttle) rather than relying on a loop return.

Before you go, confirm current district recreation info for the Kern River Ranger District (including fire restrictions and closures) through the contact listed for that district; the trail listing directs visitors to check local restrictions and current conditions. If you start from the Fish Creek side, the trail directory notes that a temporary reroute has been used around sections near where Jackass Creek Trail intersects Albanita/Jackass Road 21S01.

More information: Visitor information, Sequoia National Forest OFF-HIGHWAY TRAIL GUIDE, The Ultimate Off-Road Guide to Kennedy Meadows, CA