December 18,2018-
The Tulare County Board of Supervisors honored the birthday of the the Pacific Crest Trail this week celebrating its 50th birthday this month. The 2650 mile trail extends from Mexico to the Canadian border crossing through Tulare County’s Sierra wilderness.
Starting from this section’s lowest point at Walker Pass in Kern County (elev. 5,246′), the trail enters a roadless and scenic area, hugging the relatively dry crest through the Chimney Peak Wilderness before reaching the South Fork of the Kern River near Kennedy Meadows in southern Tulare County.
The route alternates between expansive meadows and conifer forests, and then onto a 3,300-foot ascent to Cottonwood Pass. To the north is the majestic, glaciated High Sierra. The glaciers formed shallow basins that filled with water to create thousands of lakes and tarns. In Sequoia National Park, the popular John Muir Trail descends from nearby Mount Whitney (elev. 14,494′) to join the PCT. The two trails merge and share the same path for most of the way to Highway 120 in Yosemite National Park in Fresno County.