A while back, my coworkers (Fred, Thuan) and I planned to do a hike to Mist Falls in the heart of Kings Canyon National Park. Since the rain was very good last year, the falls have been very full, according to reviews of the trail on AllTrails. Chris and I were picked up by Fred and Thuan on what seemed to be a cool Sunday morning. On the drive to the park, we stopped by for breakfast at Sierra Inn, located off the US-180.
Along the way, we stopped by Roaring Falls which was a little park-and-see attraction.
The drive to Road’s End, which is basically where the trailheads are located was horrible. The roads were winding and tiny, and it took a two hours to get there. By the time we were at the trailhead, I felt miserable and the heat was getting to me. Sadly, we decided not to do the hike to Mist Falls since it was a 8.1 hike out and back; instead, we did a shorter hike to Bubbs Creek Trail, which was approximately 3 miles roundtrip. However, according to AllTrails, the actual Bubbs Creek takes 24.6 miles so the trailhead sign may have been lying, ha.
While I enjoyed the company, this hike fell short of expectations for me. I was disappointed in myself for not pushing through to see the falls, but the long drive along with the heat really put me in mood. It’s moments like these where I have to remind myself that there is always beauty in everything – with that in mind, I still got to enjoy the view as well as playing in the cold water. I should also mention, the water in the park is without a doubt the cleanest water I have ever seen. The water actually flows into the Kings River, which runs for a total of 133 miles, draining from the Sierra Nevada mountain ranges.
On the drive back, we stopped by a lodge/campground and made use of the clean restrooms and stocked up on snacks for the drive back. While we were walking back to the parking lot, we noticed some beach chairs laid out by the side so we walked over and spent a few minutes just enjoying the sound and view of the river. I saw this as a perfect opportunity to run back in and purchase an ice cream cone.
Still disappointed with the lack of Mist Falls pictures but still proud of myself for coming out in this hot weather and making the most of it. Until the next adventure!
