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I’ve wondered many times what the trail is at the Sweetwater Saddle. It appears to roughly parallel King Canyon Trail. I spoke to a ranger once and he said it may have been an old dirt road.

Today I took the trail about 1 mile down. It’s in perfect shape and looks well used. I noticed a short scramble marked with a cairn that led to a peak.

Does anyone know the name of this trail and if it intersects King Canyon or has a trailhead?

Thanks

@Jsaltzman
If you're referring to the one that runs along the hillside, east of King Canyon, it was a mining road, and if you look close, you can see where it actually used to cross over and into the canyon, north-northwest of the king/sweetwater junction. Long ago, my dad told me that you could drive most of that road into the early 60's, maybe early 70's. Anywho, it does intersect with the King Canyon trail down at the Mam A Gah picnic area, where the trail crosses the widest part of the wash.
As for the peak in question, it's most likely peak 4236. It's semi-popular and sometimes a trail shows there, headed east from the trail.
I was just out there today. Started at the El Camino trailhead though.

@Mountain_Rat
Thanks for the info. We started at del Cerro also. Explored the old mining road and then went up to Wasson. Were you trail running with one pole?

@Jsaltzman
No, but I started in the dark and was finishing up just around 0700. I only passed 3 people, in 2 parties - we all met at the same point on the trail at once, near the trailhead in a brief traffic jam.

You can follow it down from the saddle - it eventually ends in the wash not too far from king canyon trail and esperanza turn off

fricknaley wrote: ↑May 08 2023 9:12 am You can follow it down from the saddle - it eventually ends in the wash not too far from king canyon trail and esperanza turn off

Is that where all the curious people decide that it doesn't go anywhere?

I've poked around up there as well. As others have stated, it's an old road and generally fairly easy to follow if you don't mind bushwhacking.