Perfect head net to stop the sandflies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and more!
Mist Falls Trail is one of the best and most beautiful day hikes in Kings Canyon National Park. Although it is on the longer side, Mist Falls Trail is straightforward and not that difficult. And the payoff is quite substantial. This trail is gorgeous the whole way and takes you to the spectacular Mist Falls, one of the tallest waterfalls in Kings Canyon National Park. It is a series of smaller waterfalls cascading over a steep, rocky slope. The waterfalls pour into an enchanting teal pool at the bottom. If the South Fork of the Kings River is in high flow, Mist Falls creates a lot of mist, hence the name. If you’re up for a longer hike, you can keep going for another 40 miles or more. Mist Falls Trail is the beginning section of the 42-mile popular backcountry hike, Rae Lakes Loop Trail.
Mist Falls Trailhead:
Road’s End, Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon
36.794916, -118.583037
There is a decent-sized parking lot in front of the trailhead.
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 on horseback). For more information, click here. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use that instead.
9 miles R.T.
800 ft
Moderate
Average time is about 4 hours (we took 7 hours)
This trail is best attempted from May to October. The road to access this trailhead usually closes from November to April.
There’s a vault toilet at the parking lot.
Pets are not allowed on the trail!
Highway 180 to the Mist Falls Trail trailhead closes for the winter usually from mid-November to the end of April. The reopening is conducted by CalTrans.
Before we start, there are a few things we wanted to mention:
The trailhead for Mist Falls Trail is located at the end of the scenic Highway 180 (A.K.A Road’s End) in the Cedar Grove area in Kings Canyon National Park. There is a big parking lot in front of the trailhead. Highway 180 to Road’s End closes for the winter in mid-November through the end of April. You can check the park’s website for more up-to-date info on road conditions and closures.
Mist Falls Trail starts near the backcountry office, where you can get your wilderness permits for overnight trips. If you need to refill your water, you can find a water spigot next to the backcountry office. We recommend bringing a lot of water, especially when hiking in the summer. It can get uncomfortably warm.
The first 2 miles of the Mist Falls Trail are relatively flat. Not too long after leaving the trailhead, we entered a shady forest. The trees thin out in some sections, allowing us to get glimpses of the towering mountains. Even though we started the hike around 9 am, the bugs are still out in swarms. They were out with a vengeance. Even though these flies don’t bite, they are still very annoying, especially when one tries to get into your eyes or mouth. We were jealous of the more prepared backcountry hikers with their bug net.
At 2 miles, we reached the first and only junction for Mist Falls Trail. Here, we followed the sign to go left for Mist Falls. From this point, the trail starts its ascent. It also becomes rockier. Along the way, we get glimpses of the Kings River. Some of these sections of the river were quite calm and slow-moving. This was because we did this hike in late summer, early fall. During this time, the heavy flow from the snow melt has subsided. So, these spots can make for great places to cool off. However, please don’t attempt to go in the river in the Spring or when the flow is still high.
Soon, the trail enters the fern forest. This section of the trail was quite dense, so it got a lot darker. Because of it, there were tons of annoying flies. Even so, this section of the trail is quite beautiful. It is full of tall ferns and mossy rocks lining the trail. It reminded us of the Tall Trees Grove in Redwood National Park. If you like ferns, check out the Fern Canyon Trail. That trail is very lush and beautiful!
After this, the trail alternates between granite boulders and dense forests. As we climbed higher, we could see more of the Kings River and even some small waterfalls. Eventually, we came to the main granite section. This section is another one of our favorites. It is fully exposed. There are rock steps leading up the side of the hill. It is quite steep. This is the steepest section you will come across on the Mist Falls Trail.
The views leading up and on top of this granite section are absolutely beautiful. From the top, we could see the valley below, nestled between the imposing towering mountains. At this spot, the trail can be a bit hard to find. If you look behind you from the vantage point, there is a tall pine tree with its branches acting like a doorway. That is where you want to go, through that doorway.
The Mist Falls Trail continues to climb with even better views of the river. At one spot, we could see the small waterfalls cascading down the teal pools below. Soon enough, we got our first glimpse of the Mist Falls through the trees. A little further up, there are a few paths that you can take to the base of Mist Falls.
Mist Falls is a 100-foot waterfall gushing down the steep and smooth granite inclines. It reminds us of Rainbow Falls near Mammoth Lakes. Depending on when you visit, Mist Falls can look very different. In the spring and early summer, the water level can get very high due to snowmelt. Therefore, the area below the Mist Falls might not be safe or even possible to access. Since we visited in October, the flow was a lot less. So, there were tons of beaches right below the falls, perfect for a quick lunch break.
If you have enough hiking, you can make your way back using the same route. However, we wanted to go a bit further to check it out. We highly recommend doing so. Not that much further, we found a small trail leading down to a flat granite area. The river runs through the middle of this area. There are many sections with tiny waterfalls and teal water. From here, we have breathtaking views down the valley. The views and the sound of the rushing water… It was such a perfect break spot. We could easily spend hours here listening to the sound of water. It was so peaceful.
This is why Mist Falls Trail became our favorite hike in Kings Canyon! If you’re visiting Kings Canyon National Park, check out Zumwalt Meadow Trail. It is a short but beautiful hike. We also love Roaring River for another epic waterfall. Since you’re here, the General Grant Tree Trail and Big Stump Trail are another must.
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.
Perfect head net to stop the sandflies, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and more!
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
This thing works miracles on those pesky bug bites. A must-have on spring/summer adventure.
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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