Hites Cove Trail

Hites Cove Trail follows the South Fork Merced River just west of El Portal, tracing an old miners' path through a canyon that turns gold and orange every spring. It's mostly flat, mostly exposed, and one of the most reliable wildflower hikes in the Sierra foothills.

What You'll See

The trail runs high along the river, opening up long views down into the canyon and the water below. Wildflowers peak from late March through April, with California poppies, fiddleneck, lupine, redbud, and popcorn flower covering the slopes. Near the trail's end sit the remains of the old Hite mining camp — foundations and rusted equipment left from a gold-rush settlement that grew up around the Hite Mine after its 1862 discovery and burned down in 1924.

Trail Details

• Distance: about 3.6 miles one way (7.2 miles round trip) to the historic townsite; turn back earlier for a shorter wildflower walk.
• Terrain: mostly flat, following the river canyon with very little shade.
• Managed by: Sierra National Forest's Bass Lake Ranger District — the trail sits just outside Yosemite's park boundary, so there's no park entrance fee or wilderness permit to worry about.

Before You Go

Poison oak grows along parts of the route, and there's little cover from the sun, so plan for exposed hiking no matter the season. The trailhead sits on Highway 140 a few miles west of El Portal, near Redbud Campground.