Lion Meadows Trail

Lion Meadows Trail is a rugged 17-mile backcountry hike in California’s Golden Trout Wilderness near Pearsonville, built as a multi-day route with substantial climbing (about 2,600 ft). It’s not a casual day hike; plan for navigation work rather than relying on clear wayfinding throughout the whole line.

The route is tied into the Golden Trout Wilderness trail system, specifically connecting with Trail 32E11 and Trail 32E08, which helps define your corridor as you move between the Lion Meadow / Grey Meadow area and the Little Kern River and Grey Meadow side.

Expect long stretches where the tread becomes hard to track. In post-fire terrain, the “official” line can fade and be replaced by indistinct routes, so you’ll need to stay oriented through burn zones where signs are unreliable or absent.

Navigation difficulty is compounded by blowdowns and brush. Some sections near the Little Kern River are described as clear, but other parts can be overgrown, completely lost in brush, or obstructed by downed timber, which can force detours off the immediate line.

Route-finding on this line is described as advanced enough to require deliberate planning—carry a topographic map, compass, and GPS and be ready for unmarked or missing intersections rather than assuming every junction will be signed.

For practical planning, treat it as a pack trip with wilderness logistics: you’ll be moving between named trail areas (including the Little Kern River and Grey Meadow zones) rather than out-and-back on a maintained corridor.

More information: Visitor information, Grey Meadow | Golden Trout Wilderness, Soda Spring Creek | Golden Trout Wilderness