We wanted to get out of our normal Northern California area and explore an area we haven’t been to, and we headed to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Tuolumne County off of Highway 108 to hike to Relief Reservoir.
We pulled in at the Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station, and we hiked out from there. This Kenndey Meadows is not to be confused with the Kennedy Meadows along the Pacific Crest Trail.
The hike starts out behind a locked gate on a mountain road at about 6,400 feet and eventually climbs to a little more than 7,300 feet. But don’t be fooled; the elevation doesn’t offer much summer heat relief.
The hike starts off on a small climb and then a descent, and at about a mile, the real climbing begins over nearly 1.75 miles where it can feel like it’s much longer. Along the way, there are some great views of the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River and Summit Creek. There is a mixture of shade and exposure on the trail, and we stopped a couple of times on the way up to rest in the cooler areas.
At the time of the year, we really didn’t see many wildflowers, but in places, the trail was forested with Jeffery Pine, Lodgepole Pine, and White Fir trees, among others. Along the way, we also saw an abandoned Donkey Engine from old logging days gone by, and we also came across what looked like the remains of a mine, but we didn’t venture in for fear of what could have been inside… though I wanted to.
There were a couple of times on the trail we had to step off to the side as groups on horseback passed us. They mainly rode out from the Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station.
From when we were first able to see Relief Reservoir, we came in above it and looked down on it. We stayed on the end where the dam was located (looking down on it), and we could not easily find a way trail or a way to access the reservoir. Trail maps suggest a trail is at water level, but this was not case, as the water further down rock walls falling into the water. From looking at the satellite imagery, it appears there might some water access near the middle of the lake, but we’re not sure. Given the time of the day we reached lake, it would not have been wise to attempt to further without hiking back in the dark. The reservoir was beautiful to see and surrounded by granite cliffs and rocks.
This hike is worth doing, but for me it’s a one and done. The meadow near the beginning next to the Middle Fork of the Stanislaus River was the highlight. It was still green with mountains in the background and forest surrounding it. Though not shaded, it would have been a nice place to sit by the river and have lunch and watch the angles as they attempted to catch trout. It was very pleasant and peaceful.
Directions: From Strawberry on California Highway 108, drive east for 25.8 miles and turn right onto Kennedy Meadows Road. The parking area is past the Kennedy Meadows Resort & Pack Station near the beginning to where the trail starts.
The Skinny
Trail: Kennedy Meadows To Relief Reservoir
Trailhead Coordinates: 38.310650, -119.744933
Trailhead Elevation: 6397 Feet
Distance: 5.9 Miles
Level of Difficulty: 🟡
Average Grade: 6.6%
Steepest Grade: 24.3% Over 266 feet
Ascension: 1004 Feet
Trail Condition: 🟢🟢🟢🟢
Scenery: 🟢🟢
Nearest Town: Strawberry
Challenges: Climbing
Traffic: 🥾
Highlights: Meadow At Middle Fork Of Stanislaus River
Best Time: Late Summer, Fall
Hazards: Exposure, Heat
Wildlife Concerns: Black Bears, Mountain Lions, Rattlesnakes
Cell Service: 📵Verizon
Would I Do This Hike Again?: Probably Not
Parking: Free, But Be There Early As It May Be Filled.
Restrooms: Near The Trailhead