Cherry Creek Canyon is a granite moonscape with fascinating glacial features and stunning scenery that is unlike anywhere else in the Sierra. In other words, it’s ridiculously cool! Located in the Emigrant Wilderness near the border with Yosemite National Park, it’s surprising this canyon was not included within the park, but I’m guessing the line-drawers had no idea what the terrain was like. The ice-polished granite that characterizes 99% of the surface area in upper Cherry Creek Canyon is so white and smooth that it’s easily recognizable from space on visible satellite, clearly standing out from the rest of the range. On the way out via the Kibbie Ridge Trail we learned that Cherry Creek Canyon is known as the “miracle in the Sierra” or the “holy grail” in the whitewater kayaking community and is among the best in the world for Class V+ expedition kayaking (a group from New Zealand was preparing to put in the next day). It’s not easy to access this trail-less canyon on foot either with portions of thick brush, rock scrambling, and route finding, especially in early season when the stream cannot be forded. However, high flow is the most picturesque time to visit the Canyon as the watercourse becomes a trickle in late summer. The highlight of the route is known as the “Cherry Bomb,” a spectacular narrow “S” shaped gorge with sheer granite on both sides. While we visited the canyon in the short period when the water flow is ideal for kayaking, we did not see any active kayakers on the stream, and in fact, we didn’t see anybody until we were descending the Kibbie Ridge trail.
Most of the complexities in the canyon are located in its lower portion, including annoying and unavoidable brush patches, routefinding, and a rock scramble. The upper part of the canyon is fairly striaghtforward cross-country travel on granite slabs. I noticed a potential route into the upper part of the canyon that would avoid most of the complexities but not sacrifice the best part of the scenery in the upper canyon. This route would utilize the Kibbie Ridge trail up to Lookout Point and then descend through forest and slabs to a part of the canyon known as the Flinstones. I will likely try this approach next time. We found that Cherry Creek was not fordable and when we encountered an impasse about three-quarters of a mile from the top of the Canyon, we instead ascended the ridge line to Mercur Lake. Along the ridge there were breathtaking views of Cherry Creek Canyon and granite as far as the eye could see. The region also contains some spectacular lakes nestled amid the granite slabs. Last year, we visited Big Lake and Hyatt Lake and I look forward to returning to the region to explore Boundary Lake, Spotted Fawn Lake and Inferno Lakes. 
Leor Pantilat's Adventures
I love you blog. You have great photos and visit places that I don’t think I’ll ever get to.
Thank you!
Leor,
Did a top down upper Cherry Creek canyoneering trip last week. It was spectacular! Floated the gorge and jumped some shallow pools (ooh!) My wife and I and three buddies had a fantastic time. I think it truly is one of the most beautiful places in the world!
Your photos really capture that beauty. Thanks!
HI Leor,
Looks a very good trip. Alas, I don’t think this area will be open for an year or two. Rim fire scarred Clavery River Canyon and Cherry Creek drainage.
Would you have the map for this route?
Cheers,
Sumit
P.S. – It’s not part of Yosemite because Cherry Creek doesn’t merge into Tuolumne till both are way out of the Park boundary.
I have always wanted to visit Cherry Creek Canyon. Your blog and photos are terrific! I was wondering if you had taken that route into the upper part of the canyon that would avoid most of the complexities but not sacrifice the scenery? This is the route that would utilize the Kibbie Ridge trail up to Lookout Point and then down through forest and slabs to the Flinstones. Also, there is a really interesting looking swimming hole just below the confluence of Cherry Creek and West Fork Cherry Creek, and I was wondering if you had visited or knew a route to reach it? Any advice or updates would be much appreciated! Scott
Thanks for the resource and tips about navigating the canyon. I’ve been trying to get here for years and have a 2 week trip planned this fall, including this area. We’ll probably follow your suggestion to enter at Lookout Point and then rejoin the trail at Lord at Mercur lake, or if water levels allow, Lord Meadow. Love your blog/insta, thanks again
If you’re going in the fall complexities are greatly reduced since Cherry Creek slows to a trickle and you can cross the creek with no issues. Considering the road closure to the former trailhead it probably makes sense just to access from the bottom below Cherry Lake. The downside to late season is Cherry Creek slow to a trickle and the sights and sounds of water falling become muted. Either way, it’s a beautiful spot. Have a fun adventure!
We took the trail to Lord Meadow and then followed the creek (with a few exceptions where impassable) to maybe 0.3 mile past the “Cherry Bomb”. After some bushwhack from hell to get from there back up to Kibbie Ridge trail, if I were doing this trip again, I would plan on 3 days and backpack to Lord Meadow (or so) on Day 1, explore the creek as a day trip on Day 2 and then return back on Kibbie Ridge trail on Day 3. It would make for a much more civilized trip…