KERN CANYON AND MOUNT WHITNEY
The entire upper watershed of the Kern River, and the widely known Kern Canyon, added to the park in 1926, is a spectacular area containing the roughest and loftiest peaks of the entire Sierra Nevada, with Mount Whitney at 14,494.7 feet elevation, the highest point in continental United States, only barely thrusting its head above many others of nearly equal height. In the center of this mass of mountain wonderland is the Kern Canyon, with its colorful walls 3,000 feet high extending north and south 25 miles. Hot springs and mineral springs are added attractions, while fishing is unsurpassed anywhere in the Sierra. A minimum of 2 weeks for a trip either by pack or foot is necessary adequately to cover the wonders of this region, but it may be reached in 1 day from Mineral King to Kern Canyon Station (Camp Lewis or Soda Springs). The new High Sierra Trail has linked the Big Trees of Giant Forest to the Kern Canyon by a graded trail. It is a good 2-day journey from Giant Forest to Kern Canyon.