Rae Lakes Loop – Day One

Day one of the Rae Lakes Loop was not at all what I or my hiking partner Heather expected! From exposed rocks filled with rattle snakes, to bamboo and areas that made us feel like we were in the Pacific Northwest, the portion of the trail from Road’s End to the Upper Paradise Valley campgrounds kept us guessing around every turn.

Most people talk about the switchbacks along Bubbs Creek, but no one talks about the ones leading to Paradise Valley. Probably because they suck. This 10.5 mile stretch was my least favorite of the loop. There were a lot of people on the trail up to Mist Falls (the first 4 or so miles) and a ton of mosquitoes. Little did I know at this point that the mosquitoes were something we’d have to live with from the start of our trip to the very end. If you’re planning on doing the Rae Lakes Loop during the summer months, 100% take bug repellent and face netting. You’ll need them!

The trail starts out in sand for the first 2 miles. The harder packed areas are on the sides, so if you don’t want to tucker out before you start, keep to the left or the right. After those 2 miles, you’ll come to your first junction: go right for a Bubb’s Creek permit or left for a Paradise Valley permit. We went left in order to do the loop clockwise. This is the preferred route so that your elevation gain is more gradual.

The next 5 miles are mostly exposed, following Woods Creek into Kings Canyon and up into Paradise Valley. You’ll know Lower Paradise Valley when you see it as the trail opens up from the Canyon views into a riparian valley. There is no camping allowed on the trail from Road’s End to Lower Paradise Valley, so this would be your first camping spot at around 7 miles from the start.

We opted to continue 3.5 miles to Upper Paradise Valley, going through Middle Paradise Valley on the way. There are bear lockers at both Lower and Upper, as well as designated camping areas at all three areas of the Valley. There is also a backcountry pit toilet at Middle Paradise Valley, but it was pretty beat up when we saw it, and I opted to pee in the bushes instead.

There are rattlesnakes all along this part of the trail. We saw one on the switchbacks just after Mist Falls, and another HUGE one at our campsite at Upper Paradise Valley. Our camp neighbor almost stepped on it as he was heading to the creek for water. So be alert. And, speaking of water, it is easily accessible along almost all parts of this part of the trail. You’d be fine taking one liter of water here and just refilling (and filtering) as needed.

For more insight into day one of our Rae Lakes Loop adventure, check out my video below. Be nice though, it’s the first one I’ve made. And, I through it together in a rush before I head out on my next adventure with Adelaide up to Lake Tahoe!

For a complete trail description, visit our friends over at Modern Hiker!