Farewell Gap Trail

Farewell Gap Trail is a demanding long-distance out-and-back hike in Sequoia National Park that climbs to Farewell Gap at 10,580 ft. Expect a hard day in the high country, with a total trip around 12.8 miles and roughly 2,867 ft of elevation gain.

The route starts from the Mineral King area via Mineral King Road and uses the Farewell Gap–Franklin Lakes corridor. For the first 2.8 miles, Farewell Gap Trail and Franklin Lakes Trail share the same trail tread before Farewell Gap Trail leaves to the right and heads for Farewell Canyon.

After the split, the trail climbs the east slopes of Farewell Canyon and continues in a way that keeps you gaining as you work up toward the pass. The high point is right at Farewell Gap near the Sequoia National Park / Sequoia National Forest boundary.

The route has known mining history along the way: you can see evidence of miners’ activity as you progress toward the gap, including mineshafts you pass by from a safe distance on the approach side of the hike.

As a long-distance climb into wilderness access terrain, it’s commonly used as a stepping-stone for backpackers targeting Franklin Pass and farther south and along the Kern Canyon / Mt. Whitney direction; many parties do a first leg to Franklin Lakes before continuing over higher passes.

Season matters. The approach road to Mineral King and the upper elevations of the trail can be subject to winter closures (often about October through June), and early summer trips may still run into lingering snowpack at higher altitude.

More information: Wikipedia, Visitor information, Details: Franklin Lakes - Mineral King