These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
Hume Lake is a small yet beautiful lake nestled in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. To get to Hume Lake, you’ll have to enter either through Kings Canyon or Sequoia National Park. Hume Lake is a very popular place, especially in the summer, for fishing, swimming, and boating. There is also a hiking trail, the Hume Lake Loop Trail, that circles around the entire lake. Considering it loops around a very popular lake, we initially didn’t have high hopes for this trail. However, the further we hiked, the more we were impressed with this short and easy trail. The views on this hike were spectacular, especially near sunset. And if you’re up for it, there are many awesome spots to take a short break or go for a swim.
Hume Lake Loop Trailhead 1
Hume Lake Day Use Area
36.792266, -118.906827
Hume Lake Loop Trailhead 2
36.789460, -118.912766
Hume Lake Loop Trailhead 3
Sandy Cove Day Use Area
36.788966, -118.900993
There is a medium-sized parking lot at the trailhead.
Hume Lake can only be accessed through the entrance stations for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Kings Canyon National Park charges a fee to enter. The fee varies depending on the vehicle used to enter the park (car, motorcycle, bike, on foot, or horseback). For more information, click here. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use that instead.
2.9 mile R.T.
150 ft
Easy
Average 1-2 hours
May to October. It is especially beautiful near sunset.
There are restrooms along the trail.
Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
The road to Hume Lake, Highway 180, might be closed in the winter. Please check with the Kings Canyon National Park for more info.
The Hume Lake Loop Trail goes around the entire lake. Therefore, you can easily hop onto the trail from many other spots along the lake. However, there are 2 main access points that we listed above. We prefer the trailhead 1, at the Hume Lake Day Use Area, because there’s a restroom there, and we wanted to check out the Dam first. You can use the coordinates above to map your way there.
After spending most of our day hiking the General Grant Tree, North Grove Trail, and Big Stump Trail, we still have plenty of daylight left. Therefore, we decided to check out the easy Hume Lake Loop Trail. As mentioned above, we started our hike from the Hume Lake Day Use Area.
From the parking lot, we couldn’t quite tell where the trail was. However, once we made our way toward the water, the trail became clearer. Here, we went left toward the dam.
The Hume Lake Loop Trail runs along the lake, under the canopy of trees. After a short distance, we crossed over a small wooden bridge spanning a small stream. This stream led out to the lake. Along the way, there are benches and scenic views of the lake.
Soon enough, we got our first view of the Hume Lake Dam. Hume Lake Dam was the first reinforced concrete multiple-arch dam in the world. It was built in 1909 to impound a reservoir for the Hume-Bennet Lumber Company. This dam only took 114 days to complete and is the only major surviving structure representing the King’s River Basin’s redwood logging industry nowadays. The Hume Lake Dam is notable for its inventive use of reinforced concrete. Although it cost approximately $46,000, its design was much less expensive than if they were to build the dam the conventional way.
From the top of the dam, the trail veers left and zigzags its way downhill. Regardless of what direction you’re hiking, this section is the steepest part of the Hume Lake Loop Trail. Once we reached the bottom of the hill, there was a long metal bridge spanning across the Tenmile Creek. From this bridge, we could see the multiple arches of the dam more clearly. It was quite impressive. After crossing the bridge, there are a couple of switchbacks as the trail climbs back up to the top of the dam. Along the way, there are viewpoints for hikers to look down Tenmile Creek and the dam.
Once we got to the top of the dam, we stayed right, following along the side of the lake. There is a restroom here if you need to use it. From here, the Hume Lake Loop Trail opens up to even more amazing views of the Lake. We took our time to take in the breeze and the incredible sight of the clear blue water, cradled between tall trees.
After a short distance, we reached a small boat launch ramp. If you’re driving in from the other side, this is where the road ends. The boat launch ramp is a perfect spot to launch your kayaks or paddleboats. We saw 2 people launching their kayaks here. We were kind of sad that we didn’t bring ours. The water condition was perfect! From the boat launch, the Hume Lake Loop Trail shares its path with the Sandy Cove Road for a short distance. Even though we didn’t see a soul when we were there, make sure to watch out for cars when hiking on the road.
After a short walk, the Hume Lake Loop Trail goes right to part ways with Sandy Cove Road. This section of the trail is particularly scenic. It traces along the side of the lake before reaching Sandy Cove Beach. Sandy Cove Beach is a great spot for a quick break, a small picnic, or if you want to go for a swim. There is tons of room to put out your towel, and the water is very calm.
Once leaving Sandy Cove Beach, we got back on the Hume Lake Loop Trail for a short distance before reaching another one of our favorite sections. Here, the Hume Lake Bridge connects to a wooden pathway elevated above the water. This pathway runs along the side of the hill. We were there closer to sunset, and the sun was at the perfect position. It was peaking over the trees on the hillside, adding extra charm to the already spectacular scenery. This hike remind us of the Convict Lake Loop, another beautiful lake hike in Mammoth Lakes area.
After the wooden pathway, the Hume Lake Loop Trail once again ducks in and out of the trees with many more views of the beautiful lake. Eventually, we reached the “town” area of Hume Lake, where the Hume Lake Christian Camp is. Here, you can also find a snack shop, a general store, a gift shop, and a gas station. This is the only gas station around here in Kings Canyon National Park.
At the Christian Camp, we followed the main road to curve around and found our way back to the Hume Lake Loop Trail. This last stretch of the trail is the least scenic one. It once again ducked in and out of the trees with some lake views. However, the views were nowhere as beautiful as before. The Hume Lake Loop Trail also goes behind a campground before getting to the parking lot for the Hume Lake Day Use Area, where we parked.
For an easy hike, the Hume Lake Loop Trail has a lot to offer, from many scenic spots to a historic dam and, of course, a swimming spot! We wish we had gotten here earlier when it was warmer. We would have loved to go into the water. If you’re visiting Kings Canyon, we recommend checking out some of our other favorite hikes, such as Mist Falls Trail, Zumwalt Meadows, General Grant Tree Trail, and Big Stump Trail. Oh, don’t forget Roaring River Falls. It is a very short trail, yet the view is totally worth it!
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
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Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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