Driving the Hite Cove Jeep Trail...

There are only two ways to get to Hite's Cove: a) Hike four miles up the South Fork of the Merced River from Savage's Trading Post, along State Highway 140, or take the steep, narrow, three mile Hite Cove Jeep Trail that begins where Jerseydale Road ends. On Saturday, May 23, 2009, during a camping trip to Jerseydale Campground, we chose to take the jeep trail, rather than hike the four, dusty miles.

Photo: We're parked at the junction of several Forest Service roads, before the road degenerates to a 4WD trail, and descends down the steep canyon to the river.

John Hite discovered gold in a wide spot in the narrow South Fork of the Merced River Canyon, four miles east of the confluence with the Merced River, in the 1860's. At one time, Hite's Cove had a population of about 100 miners, and a 20-stamp mill. Because of the very isolated location, drinking and gambling were popular diversions, but it all came to an end when all of the buildings burned in a 1924 wildfire. Nothing remains of the mill and buildings except a few rock foundations, and numerous rusted cans. To bring supplies in, and to bring the gold ore out, a wagon road was built from the end of Jerseydale Road to the mining camp. This wagon road must have provided a rather interesting ride down to the mines, as it descends over 2000 feet in a little under four miles! Today, it's know as the Hite Cove Jeep Trail, and like the name implies, it's best suited for Jeeps and other short wheelbase vehicles, as the trail is extremely steep, narrow, with too many tight switchbacks to count.

Although little remains of Hite's Cove Mining Camp, the trail remains a draw for local four wheelers, due to it's remote location, the challenge of the narrow, steep, winding trail, and the breathtaking mountain scenery. There are also seasonal draws, such as the spectacular displays of wildflowers in the Spring, great fishing in the river during the summer, and deer and bear hunting in the fall. Late summer is my favorite time to visit Hite's Cove, as I'm a huge fan of snorkeling, and by late summer, the flow of the river is greatly diminished and the water is a tad warmer, so you can swim without a wet suit. Despite the fact that the water level is lower, the river is still clear, very clear, as you can see for nearly 40 feet, and the deep holes remain. I've explored holes as deep as 25 feet, and swam with the many Rainbow Trout that inhabit the river. There are numerous places to camp, but absolutely no facilities. You must pack in what you pack out, and be respectful of the beautiful Sierra National Forest.

Photo: Michael managed to spot me, as I negotiated the tight quarters of an uprooted pine tree. I managed to clear the tree by about an inch, on the passenger side of the truck.

Photo: This photo gives an idea of the difficult terrain, and the condition of the trail, but really doesn't give justice to the steep drop-off into the canyon below.

Besides the hazards of the narrow, steep, rough trail down to the river, you also need to be on the lookout for two dubious items that are in great abundance at Hite Cove: Poison oak and rattlesnakes. The trail begins to descend into the canyon at about the 4000 foot elevation, which is about as high as poison oak grows in this part of the Sierra Nevadas, but by the time you're at the 3000 foot level, you see more poison oak than manzanita, toyon, greasewood, or any other native vegetation. If you're allergic to poison oak, you may regret the fact that you tackled Hite Cove trail. Be forewarned.

On the subject of rattlesnakes, during a September, 1992 camping trip to Hite Cove, we set up our camp near the river on a broad sandbar-like peninsula, as everywhere we turned, there were rattlesnakes. Hite Cove is NOT a place for small children, or anybody who doesn't take precautions in snake country. We're familiar with snake country and rattlesnakes, so when we weren't swimming in the river, or lounging around camp, we wore snake boots, and avoided rocks and shady spots, where rattlesnakes like to hide. We also brushed up on our first aid procedures, with special emphasis on how to treat snake bites.

Photo: Here's a typical section of trail, which clearly illustrates that you need all of the clearance that you can get.

Photo: This is as far as we got, on this trip, as the trail was too washed out for our full sized truck to safely negotiate. The South Fork of the Merced River can barely be seen near the lower left corner of the photo. The grade is about 25% in the location where this photo was taken.

Your cell phone DOES NOT WORK at Hite Cove, due to the remote location, and the fact that you're 2000 feet down in a narrow river canyon. Satellite phone and Amateur Radio are the best ways to communicate to the outside world. If you have a ham license, you'll find that the high frequency and 70 cm bands work the best, as the popular 2-meter band is useless in the narrow canyon.

Hite's Cove Jeep trail starts about four miles from the Jerseydale Campground, and is marked by a brown Forest Service sign that reads, "Hite's Cove 4WD Road." If you have a GPS, you'll find the coordinates to be N37.37062 W119.50595. Just before descending to the point of no return, the trail is marked with another sign that warns the explorer that it's for four wheel drive only, and they mean it! You have about the length of a football field to turn around before the descent begins. And boy, do you descend, as you loose about 2,000 feet of elevation in the next four miles or so before coming to the South Fork of the Merced River. Also keep in mind that turnouts are practically non-existent and there is NO place to turn around, until you're about halfway down the canyon.

Photo: This diamondback rattlesnake is a resident of Hite's Cover trail, and has managed to find himself a flat and sunny spot to enjoy the beautiful 85 degree day.

Photo: I took this photo through the windshield of the truck as we were climbing up the trail, about to encounter a couple of nasty-looking rocks, and an off-camber portion.

I would rate the trail as a difficult Class 3, or an easy Class 4. Practically any four wheel drive vehicle can make it, but smaller vehicles, such as a Jeep will have an easier time, especially if you meet another vehicle, as pullover areas are few and far between, and the trail is VERY narrow. There are a few scary off-camber sections where your passenger will get a real good view of the river on the way down. Near the end of the trail there is a crossing of a dry creek that will cause lots of grief to long wheelbase vehicles that aren't lifted, and probably stopping Hummers, Suburbans and full size trucks.

Photo: Coming back, we encountered a Jeep, and we actually found a little room at the right of this photo, to pull over. Note the poison oak in the left of the photo... Beware! It's everywhere on this trail!

During our visit on Saturday, May 23, 2009, the trail was in exceptionally poor condition, and after negotiating a fallen tree, we elected only to drive about halfway down, find a place to park, and hike the rest of the way. We didn't even make the river, as we had other pressing business, but we did shoot a few photos and manage to avoid the poison oak and rattlesnakes.

I think I'll wait until I finally get that Jeep Rubicon that I've been lusting for before I tackle the Hite Cove trail again!

Web page design has been created by eRench Productions, Inc., custom photography for any occasion...