Lower Rae Lake Loop via PCT
38.9 mi
Distance
20 hrs 6 min
Time
terrain
6,886 ft
Elev Gain
Overview
This is a difficult loop trail to Lower Rae Lake in Kings Canyon National Park.
This trail goes by Muir Rock, River Trail Info, Roads End Permit Station, Slippery Rocks, Mist Falls, Lower Paradise Valley, Middle Paradise Valley, Upper Paradise Valley, Dollar Lake, Glen Pass, and Lower Vidette Meadow.
Sights to See
Rate this Hike
★★★★★
Rae Lakes loop was a stunning 3 night backpack. The weather and sun exposure was the biggest downfall, we were told we had a heat wave. Expected much cooler temps at 10K ft of elevation, but we guessed it was 80-90 Fahrenheit the week of August 10th 2025. Overall, fantastic hike….prepare for the sun and heat.
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Rae Lakes loop was a stunning 3 night backpack. The weather and sun exposure was the biggest downfall, we were told we had a heat wave. Expected much cooler temps at 10K ft of elevation, but we guessed it was 80-90 Fahrenheit the week of August 10th 2025. Overall, fantastic hike….prepare for the sun and heat.
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Solo hike over 5 days in mid September 2024 - first night at Upper Paradise Valley -- established sites were way too close to the trail and to each other. I tramped off trail for a while to find something secluded but then couldn't have a fire. The river is especially pretty here with beautiful pools for swimming. Fishing was great.
Second night at Arrowhead Lake - this day was a bit of a slog uphill after the bridge. Nuts to butts on the JMT here - very busy part of the trail. The hike along Woods Creek is very pretty and gentle; once over the bridge and heading south it gets a bit steeper. I was racing rain and was happy to get to Arrowhead before the rain got too bad. I definitely recommend Arrowhead over Dollar. Pretty sites at Arrowhead and fishing once again amazing.
I only hiked about a mile the third day - I wanted to maximize my time in the valley and enjoy some time relaxing. Hiked just the bit to Middle Rae and scored the best site on the lake early in the am after the people before me moved on. Absolutely gorgeous lake with incredible views, especially at sunset and sunrise. Fishing incredible again - for a while I'd catch a fish every cast for a stretch of ~20 casts or so. Those fish are hungry!!
I got an early start the next morning to get over Glen Pass before it got too hot. It's a push but really not bad at all. The switchbacks are fairly gentle. After the tarns, you'll have 29 switchbacks to the top. No sweat!
Once over, it's quite literally all downhill from there. The climb down is steep, but once past Charlotte, the climb down to Vidette Meadows is even steeper. Glad I wasn't going the other way. I camped at Junction Meadows - once again they've packed all the established sites right next to each other. It's very pretty but I wish they had spread the campsites around a bit. The river here (Bubbs) wasn't quite as good for fishing and swimming was a bit tougher as the river is faster without the nice deep quiet pools of Woods Creek.
The last day I did the ~8 miles (easy fast downhill) to the car. Easy hike and got to my car in just over 3.5 hours.
No bears, great weather, amazing fishing, all good. My only complaint is that the established campsites are too dang close to the trail and to each other.
But amazing loop nonetheless.
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Public Tracks
Rae Lakes Two Night Sprint
Rae Lakes is a bucket list hike for me. Many people do it in three nights but we can do it in two. The second day will be a monster. This is maybe overly ambitious but here's how it would work:
Day 1: Drive and Hike
Hit the road at 3 am. Its a 4-5 hour drive to the Lodgepole Visitor's Center. Get our permit and drive to the trailhead. Be on the trail by 9:00 am
We'll hike ~15 miles and ~3,500' day one. We could go further if our legs will take it, but going up means sleeping at higher elevation so its a tradeoff.
Day 2: Rae Lakes
This should be the great day where we get to the lakes themselves.
We'll hike another ~15 miles with another ~3,500' up and an equal ~3,500' down. This will be a test. Crossing Glen Pass should be a delightful monster. If we're making good time we can rest and explore the lakes.
Day 3: Home
A relatively chill downhill march back to the car. ~10 miles and 3,000' down. If we get up early we can get to the car by noon and be home and showered at a reasonable hour.
