Hite Cove Trail
Photos Maps Summary: Considered one of the best wildflower hikes in all of California, this hike does not disappoint (at least during early spring). Literally within a few hundred feet of the trailhead are several varieties of wildflowers, but the poppies steal the show by covering the slopes above and below the trail. If you continue past the first few hundred feet you could see more than 20 species in one day. The wildflower displays usually begin in March and last into May, but that varies from year to year and the same flowers do not last throughout this period. Near our turnaround point is a great place to hang out along the South Fork Merced River. A serious downside to this trail, which contributed to us ranking this wildflower hike behind Sagehen Creek, is the proximity of poison oak to the trail along the entire hike and the presence of ticks. The poison oak lines the trail almost every foot of the way and in some places hangs over it. Therefore, dog owners need to keep their dogs close (leashes required) and on the trail at all times and check them periodically for the little blood suckers.Distance: 3.60 miles round-trip (~9.0 miles round-trip to Hite Cove)Elevation Gain/Loss: 425' totalSeason: March-early May for wildflowers (snow free virtually year-round)Fees & Permits: None
Finding the Trailhead: 37.6544 N, 119.88746 W (Hite Cove Trailhead). Parking (w/ porta-potty) is available for the Hite Cove Trail along the northside of CA-140 directly across from the trailhead (~10.6 miles west of the west entrance to Yosemite; ~0.7 miles east of the eastern end of the CA-140 detour around the rock slide; ~250' east of the bridge over the South Fork Merced River).
The Hike: Carefully cross CA-140 to the south and follow the paved side-road (parallels CA-140) a short distance to the east and uphill before turning right to follow the trail. The first ~3/4 of a mile are on private property, so please respect the land surrounding the trail. Less than 400' from the trailhead the trail climbs up to the first exposed hillside covered in Tufted Poppies. If you look closely just before reaching this opening you'll also see Dove's Foot Geranium, Blue Dicks, Caterpillar Phacelia, Giraffe's Head, Owl Clover, and Foothill Sunburst among many other wildflowers. The slopes are very steep pretty much along the entire trail, so be careful. The trail continues to the southeast and passes in and out of patches of poppies, other flowers, and trees. Always watch out for poison oak right along the trail. At ~0.6 miles are some great Redbud bushes. At ~0.85 miles is a seasonal creek where more moist soil loving plants can be found before it moves into the trees briefly. As the trail continues be on the lookout for large patches of Bird's Eye Gilia along with poppies. At ~1.4 miles another seasonal stream is crossed. From here the trail heads south and comes to a relatively flat area near the river at ~1.6 miles. This is a nice place to hang out or even swim when the temperatures are hot enough and the flow in the river isn't too high (pick a slow moving pool). We continued another ~0.2 miles (we were looking for Chinese Pagodas) before turning around. The old mining site known as Hite Cove is reached if you keep hiking a further ~2.7 miles. If you're checking out the wildflowers (as you should), expect this hike to take much longer than a normal ~3.6 mile round-trip hike would. Try and enjoy the views of the South Fork Merced River as well as the wildflowers on the way back. Remember to check yourself and your dog(s) for ticks back at the trailhead.
