California · Trail 27E40

Kings River NRT

Kings River NRT is a 6-mile trail in Sierra National Forest, California. The Forest Service rates it trail class 3 to 4, developed to highly developed. It is open to hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking.

Trail conditions, closures and hazards are not tracked here. The Sierra National Forest official page carries current alerts and closure orders.

Map

One end Other endLine simplified to about 100 metres. Basemap from the USGS National Map.

One end36.8646° N, 119.0239° W · Directions ↗
Other end36.8626° N, 118.9442° W · Directions ↗

The ends are the two ends of the longest connected chain of segments. The record does not say which is the usual start. The trail is recorded as 2 segments.

The trail

Length6 miles
Trail class3, developed; 4, highly developed
Typeland trail
Surfacenative material
Typical grade10-12 percent
Typical tread width36-48 inches
Motor vehiclesClosed to all motorized use year-round
AccessibilityEvaluated and does not meet accessibility guidelines
Trail numbers27E40
ForestSierra National Forest (unit 0515)
StatesCalifornia
Detail publishedmanagement level, with uses

Values are the set across all segments. Class 1 is minimally developed and class 5 is fully developed. Grade and width are the forest's typical values, not measured extremes.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Kings River NRT40°50°60°70°80°90°January: 5.55 inches of precipitationFebruary: 4.91 inches of precipitationMarch: 5.05 inches of precipitationApril: 2.56 inches of precipitationMay: 1.41 inches of precipitationJune: 0.40 inches of precipitationJuly: 0.22 inches of precipitationAugust: 0.05 inches of precipitationSeptember: 0.24 inches of precipitationOctober: 1.36 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.14 inches of precipitationDecember: 4.66 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 45.5°F averageFebruary: 48.1°F averageMarch: 53.2°F averageApril: 57.5°F averageMay: 65.0°F averageJune: 73.0°F averageJuly: 80.8°F averageAugust: 81.2°F averageSeptember: 76.1°F averageOctober: 65.5°F averageNovember: 52.5°F averageDecember: 44.6°F average0 in2 in4 in6 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Balch Pwr House, 7 miles from the trail midpoint at 1,735 feet, station USC00040449 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 29 inches a year.

Allowed uses

HikingAllowed year-round
Horse and pack stockAllowed
Mountain bikingAllowed year-round

A use is listed when the Forest Service records it as managed, accepted or discouraged on any segment. Discouraged still means legal. Uses marked restricted are left out. Where the forest publishes a Motor Vehicle Use Map, that map governs motorized use.

Trailheads

Kings River Trailhead
No season published
0.2 mi

Distance is from the point to the nearest part of the trail line. Season text is what the forest wrote and is often a season name rather than a date.

Trails nearby

Camping nearby

Campsite Atlas cards carry site counts and booking links from Recreation.gov. Forest Service cards come from the recreation layer and link the agency page.

Fire nearby

  • Prescribed
    Grant Grove Fall Rx

    8 mi from the trail midpoint · 466 acres

  • Prescribed
    Rx White Deer

    12 mi from the trail midpoint · 35 acres

Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge. Closure orders are on the forest's official page.

Explore

Guidebooks for California

We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.

  • Walkabout Northern California
    Tom Courtney, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Backpacking California
    Wilderness Press, 2019
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Coastal trails of Southern California
    Linda B. Mullally, 2018
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking northern California
    Bubba Suess, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org
  • Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail: Southern California
    Shawnte Salabert, 2017
    Find at Bookshop.org

Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject heading or by title.

Reference

Questions people ask

How long is the Kings River NRT?

The Forest Service records 6 miles under this name in Sierra National Forest, the sum of 2 segments.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

What is allowed on the Kings River NRT?

Hiking, horse and pack stock and mountain biking are allowed. The trail is closed to motor vehicles year-round.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Where does the Kings River NRT start?

The line begins at 36.8646° N, 119.0239° W and ends at 36.8626° N, 118.9442° W. The nearest recorded trailhead is Kings River Trailhead, 0.2 miles from the line. The record does not say which end is the usual start.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Kings River NRT in a wilderness area?

No. The trail line does not cross any polygon in the National Wilderness Preservation System layer.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Where can I camp near the Kings River NRT?

Bear Wallow Camping Area (3.7 mi), Princess (4.1 mi) and Mill Flat Campground (4.1 mi) are within five miles of the trail. The camping section lists all 6 with site counts and booking links.

Source: Campsite Atlas

How developed is the Kings River NRT?

Trail class 3 to 4, which the Forest Service describes as developed to highly developed. Class 1 is a minimal, unimproved route and class 5 is fully developed, often paved.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

How steep and how wide is the Kings River NRT?

The typical grade is 10-12 percent. The typical tread is 36-48 inches wide.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Is the Kings River NRT accessible?

No. The Forest Service evaluated it and found it does not meet its accessibility guidelines.

Source: Forest Service trail layer

Who manages the Kings River NRT?

Sierra National Forest, Forest Service unit 0515. The trail is in California.

Source: Sierra National Forest official page

Is there a fire near the Kings River NRT?

The interagency feed shows 2 active incidents within 50 miles of the trail midpoint as of 2026-11-01, the nearest Grant Grove Fall Rx at 8 miles. Check the forest's closure orders before you go.

Source: Fire nearby

Source

This page is built from 2 segments named Kings River NRT in the Forest Service TrailNFS_Publish layer, administrative unit 0515. Wilderness overlap is tested against the National Wilderness Preservation System layer from Wilderness Connect. Trailheads and Forest Service campgrounds come from the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer. Data refreshed November 1, 2026. The methodology page explains how segments become trails.