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ATWELL MILL TRAILHEAD

TRIP 6

Paradise Peak

DH

DISTANCE: 10 miles, out-and-back

ELEVATION: 6,600′/9,362′, +2,990′/-185′/±6,350′

SEASON: Mid-June to late October

USE: Light

MAP: Silver City

INTRODUCTION: You won’t have to fight the crowds here, as only a few hardy souls undertake the steep ascent to Paradise Peak. However, this climb up a south-facing slope to a superb view from the site of a former lookout isn’t as difficult as it seems. Giant sequoias in Atwell Grove, some of which are among the largest in existence, provide an added bonus.

DIRECTIONS TO TRAILHEAD: From the east end of Three Rivers, leave Highway 198 and turn onto Mineral King Road. Follow the road for 8 miles to the Atwell Mill Campground entrance and then continue another 0.2 mile to the signed trailhead parking area, which has a bear box, at the east end of the campground.

DESCRIPTION: From the parking area, head back down Mineral King Road for a quarter mile to the signed trailhead, where single-track tread begins a moderate climb through a mixed forest of white firs, ponderosa and sugar pines, incense cedars, and young sequoias with an understory of mountain misery and manzanita. Soon a series of switchbacks leads farther up the slope. Medium-size sequoias begin to appear just past an opening in the forest and right before the crossing of a small fern- and alder-lined seasonal rivulet. Progressing up the hillside, you’ll eventually see even larger sequoias, a few of which are some of the largest 20 to 30 specimens in the Sierra.

The Great Western Divide from Paradise Peak Trail

More zigzagging switchbacks lead up the hillside toward Atwell Creek—contrary to the trail route shown on the USGS map. If you need water, you’ll have to thrash your way through thick brush to reach the creek, which is the only source along the entire route. Continue the switchbacking climb away from the creek to the crest of Paradise Ridge and a trail junction, 3.8 miles from the parking lot.

Amid a light forest of red firs and widely scattered patches of snowbush, chinquapin, and manzanita, the route to Paradise Peak turns west and follows gently graded tread along the ridge, a welcome change. After passing north of Peak 8863, watchful eyes may spot the crown of a sequoia growing at a higher elevation (8,800 feet) than any other, down-slope to the southeast. Continue along the ridge toward the summit over rocky terrain, where the tread falters a bit—watch for cairns or simply scramble over the rocks to the high point. The summit has a grand view to the east of the Great Western Divide and to the north of Castle Rocks and the granite domes of Big Baldy and Little Baldy.

To complete the experience, from the site of the old lookout, work your way through brush and around boulders to the base of the rock at the far end of the ridge, climb some rock steps, and then scramble up a short crack to the top. While trees block the view of the Great Western Divide, the vista to the west is quite impressive, including a glimpse straight down the canyon of Paradise Creek to Middle Fork Kaweah River. Additional points of interest include Moro Rock, Alta Peak, and the Generals Highway. You can see the Hockett Plateau clearly to the south.