Cold Springs Nature Trail
What to Expect
Safety Advisory
Marmots in Mineral King are notorious for chewing on car wiring and radiator hoses — wrap your vehicle's undercarriage with a tarp and secure it with rocks before hitting the trail. This is not a joke; the rangers sell tarps for this reason.
The trail sits above 7,500 feet — if you drove up from the valley floor the same day, take it slow and watch for signs of altitude discomfort, especially in kids.
Trail Details
- 1
Use this trail as a warm-up on your first evening at Cold Springs Campground — it starts right from the campground loop, so you can be on the trail within minutes of setting up camp.
- 2
Mineral King Road is 25 miles of white-knuckle switchbacks with no guardrails — budget at least 90 minutes from the turnoff on Highway 198, and do not attempt it in a low-clearance vehicle or after dark.
- 3
The interpretive signs along the trail are genuinely informative, not the usual 'this is a tree' variety — they cover the area's mining history and ecology, so slow down and actually read them.
Photos
NPS
