Winter did significant damage to two backcountry trail bridges key for Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail hikers/NPS
The rough winter in the Sierra Nevada has severely damaged two backcountry trail bridges in Kings Canyon National Park, both of which are key for John Muir Trail and Pacific Crest Trail backpackers.
National Park Service staff said the Woods Creek Bridge and the San Joaquin Bridge are both located in the Kings Canyon Wilderness. The Woods Creek Bridge is also critical for the Rae Lakes Loop. Neither bridge is usable at this time and timeframes for repair have yet to be established. It is not possible to safely ford the river at either of these locations, the Park Service said Thursday.
As conditions allow the park to assess more trails, more damaged trail structures are likely to be discovered. Wilderness travelers should be prepared for the possibility that streams and rivers may be extremely hazardous to cross due to high water or damaged infrastructure, and this may be true late into the season. In addition to water hazards, backpackers and stock users should expect snow and ice in the high country, and plan backup routes if intended routes are not safely passable.
“This year, even streams we didn’t think twice about crossing in past years have become raging rivers capable of knocking someone off their feet,” said Ned Kelleher, chief ranger of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. “People in the wilderness need to be prepared to change their plans or turn around if they’re presented with a hazardous crossing. It’s not worth the risk.”
The parks will be updating their website with more information about trail conditions in the wilderness as it becomes available. For the most current information, visit this page.
