A spectacular option to leave the busy JMT and head down the Kings River into Muro Blanco. There is a faint and intermittent use trail for the first mile or so. You can follow and make your route down through fabulous Muro Blanco until you reach the Wood’s Creek Trail just upstream of Paradise Valley. The route is suitable for backpackers with excellent cross-country skills, not for beginners. Muro Blanco is one of the finest canyon descents in the Sierra: beautiful, remote, devoid of people and surprisingly straightforward to travel through. There is a benefit to doing this late in the season when the water level in the Kings is lower, making the descent less challenging as crossing the river repeatedly helps avoid thick vegetation.
There is no continuous trail through Muro Blanco. At the east end of the canyon, there is a faint use trail that comes and goes and ultimately leads to the old abandoned trail over Cartridge Pass. The original JMT crossed Cartridge Pass prior to being moved to Mather Pass. Below the Cartridge cut-off, the trail disappears.
The most difficult section of brush is just prior to reaching the Wood’s Creek Trail. Crossing the river and/or moving upslope helps to avoid most brush in the main portion of the route. There are several large boulder fields created by rockslides that have to be crossed carefully with some unstable rocks.
Overnight hiking requires obtaining a permit early online, which can be a little difficult due to the popular Rae Lakes Loop nearby, or early in line at the Road’s End Ranger Station.