Trail to Jenkins Hill, in the Stanislaus National Forest...

The trail to Jenkins Hill is short, steep, and offers very easy four wheeling, and a spectacular view of the Merced River Canyon, and a peek into Yosemite Valley, where Half Dome is clearly visible. You can also look across the canyon to the seldom-visited Ferguson Dump, on the south side of the river, and look down upon the Cedar Lodge, which was made infamous a few of years ago by serial killer Cary Staynor.

Photo: The final short, steep section of the trail to Jenkins Hill.

To get to Jenkins Hill, cross the Merced River at Briceburg, and head northwest on the Burma Road. When you reach the top, continue northwest a few miles until you come to the first major intersection, where a another road crosses the Burma Road. This is Stanislaus National Forest road 3S01, and its usually marked by a typical brown, lowdown Forest Service sign, but frequently the signs have disappeared. Turn right, or geographically east on this road, and proceed toward the top of the river canyon about a mile or so. The road will swing to the north, and soon you'll arrive at the trail to Jenkins Hill. Look to your right, and you can see the road, as it climbs straight up the hill. If you have a GPS, your coordinates will read N37.39455, W119.56317, at an elevation of 3360 feet. Engage your four wheel drive, as you'll need it to climb the short, steep hill. One half mile later, you're at the top of Jenkins Hill, elevation 3431 feet, located at GPS N37.39180, W119.55768.

Photo: As we almost reached the top, I stopped to snap this photo out of the windshield. I'm sure glad that my truck is equipped with a slush pump, as the trail is very loose, and the grade is around 25% in this spot.

Photo: At the top of the hill, Paul and Michael admire the view of Yosemite, and the Merced River.

Besides the fun little hill climb, the attraction of Jenkins Hill is the spectacular view down into the Merced River Canyon, which is an almost sheer drop of nearly 2000 feet, and the great view into Yosemite Valley. Half Dome and North Dome are plainly visible, along with a small portion of El Capitan. Half Dome is only about 20 air miles to the east, and in this part of the country, unless a storm has blown in, the air is always fresh and clear. If you're a Amateur Radio operator, this is an outstanding place to work VHF or high frequency, as it's extremely remote, and the noise level is zilch. It's also a great place for target practice, as there lots of things to plink away at, and you might get the opportunity to bag a coyote, or one of the numerous ground squirrels that populate the area.

Photo: The unmistakable view of El Capitan, to the left, and Half Dome in the center of the photo, in Yosemite National Park, as seen from Jenkins Hill.

Because of the relatively low elevation, snow is seldom a problem, as the area only averages four or five decent snow storms every year, and the snow generally only lasts for a few days until it melts. During our most recent visit, on Sunday, May 25, 2009, the weather was clear, sunny and a little breezy, and the temperature was in the low 80's, which is perfect for me.

Photo: Looking west, down the Jenkins Hill trail, with Black Mountain in the center, distance of the photo.

Jenkins Hill isn't a destination trail, as it's short, steep, but very easy. Any four wheel drive vehicle, with a low range transfer case, can easily make the trail. It's an easy Class 3 trail, and it's only rated with that degree of difficulty due to the fact that four wheel drive is absolutely necessary to climb the short, steep hill. If you like solitude, Jenkins Hill is for you, as the location is very remote, and seldom visited. I have gone for days without seeing another human being, except during deer season, when the area becomes quite active.

If you're in the mood for a easy, fun little hill, take a trip to the Stanislaus National Forest, and enjoy the trail up Jenkins Hill.

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