Bearpaw High Sierra Camp

This is not just a lodging, but an experience. First, you hike over 11 miles in the mountains to get to and from the resort. We had great weather for our trip. The staff of 5 was very attentive to the 12+ guests at the resort. My husband and I got to choose one of the very cozy tent cabins. The staff helps you but at the same time respects your privacy. You can day hike or just enjoy the grounds and views at the resort. We stayed four nights, which allowed us time to do some side trips as well as relax. Many interesting people come to stay at the resort, and other hikers stop by for refreshments while on the trail. The food is excellent -- for instance on the last night we had tri-tip, lasagna, salad, a vegetable and fresh strawberry shortcake. Every bit of it was handmade in their kitchen and delicious. The scenery from the front porch of the dining room is spectacular, as is the whole area. A great vacation.

I spent two nights here sep 11-13, 2017. The 11.3 mile hike to Bearpaw was not flat as reported elsewhere. While there are flat portions, the trail has steady inclines and descents. The last mile from Buck Creek to the camp was gorgeously lush, but killer at the end of such a long trot from Crescent Meadow. With altitude adjustment not yet accomplished, I was very hot and sweaty. The gnats were relentless for the first 3 miles. I strongly recommend a bug net. The camp is situated directly across from the granite mountains of the great western divide. What a view! The tent cabins were clean with comfy warm beds. Gotta love a flushing toilet and hot shower. The food was great at the little buffet table. It took us about 7.5 hours to hike the high sierra trail in and about 7 hours back with a healthy break at Merhtan Creek. Beautiful hike and a lovely setting. So worth it. Stay 3 nights if possible.

I hate to review Bear Paw because I wish it were a secret I could keep to myself. The 11 plus mile hike is spectacular and one of my favorites. It shifts from Sequoia forest to granite edges to wooded areas to creeks...with a last tough push to Bear Paw where you are welcomed with a lemonade/water, a giant brownie and a smiling face. The tent cabins are very comfortable - but you are definitely still "camping" and off the grid. All the facilities are clean and well kept, the food is fantastic and it gives you the freedom to pack light and take day hikes into some of the most beautiful, magical places.

It is a tough hike but worth every minutes. You get a hot shower, fresh made brownies and lemonade ready after you long hike. Gourmet breakfast and dinner served each day. The porch looks out over the Great Western Divide and you can greet other hikers while sipping you wine or cold beer.

Fantastic place to hike and unwind. Great location, great accommodations, great food and the best staff!!! Hike the High Sierra Trail 11 miles to the camp. Enjoy fresh baked brownies and a HOT shower when you arrive. Day hike to Hamilton Lake for a Arctic Chill Swim.

Great location, good facilities and had some lovely hidden swim spots.

The staff of Charlie and the women (whom I didn't know their names)there were excellent hosts. I gave Charlie some plumbing advice on his water heating system and after this we were all friends. Great people. Food was tremendous. The views were un-paralleled.||Nice clean place too. Had a great stay. I highly recommend this place and hope to return next year and see Charlie and the gang :))||John the Plumber

My family and I have been fortunate enough to visit and stay at the Bearpaw tent cabins on several occasions over the past twenty years. It's ridgetop location with a full on view of the Western Divide is without equal. The accessible day hikes are some of the best alpine hikes in the southwestern Sierras. The tent cabins are modest but extremely comfortable and who can argue with a flush toilet in an old fashioned outhouse and hot showers available every afternoon. In years past the cuisine matched the location. It was the Michelin equivalent of campfire cuisine. The cooks made the most of fresh produce, fruit and meat deliver by mule team weekly. The menus were varied, a great marriage of fresh flavors and often innovative side dishes. Nothing fancy or nouvelle, just some of the best prepared and seasoned campfire cooking you will ever experience. The personable cooks always mixed it up a bit with the guests and I fondly recall all kinds of mixed music tapes with dinner. No more. The current kitchen staff works very hard and is extremely pleasant but truly seems to have lost its way in terms of how to properly cook meat and chicken and prepare interesting side dishes. It is not for wont of ingredients. One or two freshly baked desserts, including the peach pie, seemed to be the exception. It is also not for lack of what amounts to a restaurant kitchen. It looks a bit like a kitchen space Julia Child would have been comfortable in and could have easily turned out dishes to her liking. We are very much at home with some jerky and beans when we backpack but the daily tariff at Bearpaw is expensive and the cuisine is simply not up to that expense. There was a time tend or fifteen years ago when it was up to that standard. I recommend lifting a few dishes from "Campfire Cuisine" by Robin Donovan and perhaps some team building about what it means to host such a spectacular venue.

Getting to this camp site is not for the weak minded. It's a long and hard trek up but very rewarding with views, creeks, and even lots of green shaded parts of the trail. Mosquitos are extremely bad in the summer so if these little suckers like your blood type, be warned that nothing else besides deer will work here. Leave the citronella and lemon eucalyptus spray at home. Built in the 1930's, when the High Sierra Trail was chartered, it has always been a place where outdoor enthusiasts can take a load off. This again is for hikers, backpackers and anyone who enjoys the outdoors. Meaning that the accommodations here are just a step up from camping and a luxury this high up the mountain. Something to be grateful for, so leave expectations back at crescent meadow and enjoy the simplicity yet great effort to keep this camp going. The kids that work the site are usually college students who are very cool and really enjoy their summer gig. Enjoy chatting with and getting to know them. They will sell snacks to anyone such as candy bars, chips, brownies, coffee and refreshments to passersby, and yes backpackers, they sell ice cold BEER which you can stay and enjoy as long as you'd like. The gourmet meals are reserved for those who are staying in a tent there. If you do not have reservations, and their overflow tent is free, you can rent it for $275 per night and you can stay as long as you can afford to. The cool happy kids will cook you delicious meals as long as you are living with them. This camp is one of the highlights of this trail.

After an 11.3 mile hike up 1000 feet, carrying a pack, Bearpaw glimmered like an oasis in a desert. I had no idea what to expect. In fact, I must admit that I thought the hike and accomodations would be similar to what I had experienced in Yosemite/Curry Village. I figured I'd start from Crescent Meadow and end up in Bearpaw Meadow--2 meadows meaning the trail must be flat! I also thought that Bearpaw would be like a more luxe version of Camp Curry--heaters, plugs, electricity, a lodge with a fireplace. Obviously, I had no idea what I was doing. I had been to Sequoia once before, but only stayed in the valley with the other tourists to see things like the General Sherman tree and to hike Moro Rock.I had no idea that a "High Sierra Camp" usually means the camp is remote and without electricity, and that getting there requires getting a backcountry permit. And even though I learned all these things the hard way, I'm glad that I ventured beyond the paved roads into the Sierra back country. I love Yosemite, but I almost am willing to say that...Sequoia could be better...less people, more remote, and views so amazing that it feels fake. As for Bearpaw--it was well worth the $175 per person. After the long, hot, dusty, uphill hike, to be able to shower (the showers are heated by wood fires) and use a flush toilet is truly "luxurious." Tents are simple and without any sort of lock (similar to Camp Curry in Yosemite), featuring the most comfortable (twin) beds ever. They provide towels and a kerosene lantern, nothing more. There are only 6 cabins. All are perched on the rocky edge of the mountain to allow for maximum view. Our tent--tent 6--was the most remote/closest to the woods of any of the tents. Because of this, we felt completely surrounded by nature. Deer woke us up every morning, as did a bear scrounging in the woods not more than a100 feet from where we were sleeping! But more than this, Bearpaw is amazing because of the people you meet. The staff that runs Bearpaw is composed of knowledgeable, friendly, warm people who have been up there for 15 years. I can see why they never leave. The campers who seem to stay seem to more or less be the same breed. Dinners are served family style, and everyone eats around a large picnic table, exchanging stories. And while I don't think the food is "gourmet," its certainly a luxury to be fed and cleaned up after all the way up in the mountains so far away from any other people. The food is not on par with a 5 star restaurant in the city, but more like something your grandmother would cook for you--huge servings of homecooked food, desserts and breads made from scratch, and gallons of wonderful lemonade. When i first made my reservations, I questioned how something so seemingly "rustic" could be so expensive. But once there, I realized how truly special (and remote) of a place Bearpaw was--it is a place where the ideas of Man vs.Nature still seem to really exist. When we arrived, the staff instantly recognized us and called us by name. When we left, they gave us hugs and told us to come back soon. I'm already planning my next trip back.

Very unique experience and a nice change from the usual touristy-ness of Sequoia National Park. The hike is around 11 miles with views of The Great Western Divide that follows the trail. The trail itself is flat most of the way except for the short climb at the end. Because the camp provides the tent, bedding, and food, you won't need to carry those items in your backpack. Upon arrival of the camp, you will be greeted by the friendly staff, hot showers, and working toilet! The view from camp is spectacular! Breakfasts and dinners are cooked from scratch by the staff and is served family style. It's not the camping style food you would think but rather a nice home cooked meal that is delicious! My boyfriend and I were only able to book one night, but it would have been preferred to stay to so that we have a day to relax and explore. We will definitely come back in the future. It's a nice way to experience nature yet still have the comfortable amenities we have at home.

Charlie and the staff were fantastic. They remembered our names right from the git go.The place had a laid back feel,was very clean and the food was home made and very good. Gave Charlie some tech info on his water heating system being a plumber. He was very appreciative. The views here were tremendous. The hike in wasn't for rookies and we liked the fact that this weeded out the standard tourist crowd. Hope to get back there next year. Should have left a bad review so I can easily get a tent next year but that wouldn't be fair to the staff now would it :)) John the Plumber

What you need to know: the hike to this place is 11.2 miles and is NOT flat, although the starting elevation and ending elevation are close. It has a fair amount of up and down that add up to around 2000 feet of uphill total on the way in, and at elevation, so expect a long hard walk. And a beautiful one. Just before the final push, you'll hit Buck Creek; take a quick dip if you have time so you can get straight to dinner and bed. The showers are nice but you may have to wait for one on a busy weekend, and frankly, a pristine swimming hole is just plain nicer. Accomodations are rustic but given the remoteness you should appreciate every bit of them. You get a shower, a fricken' shower, and gourmet meals. Also, given the the current drought, you get water, clean and sparkling. Enjoy it. The view is incredible, especially at sunset. Stay two nights so you can dayhike the additional 8-10 miles to Hamilton lake or any of the other nearby lakes. There is a super cool bridge over a huge gorge about 2 miles down and if you go up another 2 miles (uphill) you can see incredible alpine lakes with swimming options. Again, pretty tough hiking here; most of the guests seem to stick near the lodge after that long hike in. Attention backpackers: if you're just staying at the hiker's campground near here, be aware of the following: 1) water spigots are unreliable. Ours pumped mud. Ieuww. 2) the campground has no view (in trees); great if you want to sleep in! 3) Bearpaw lodge has a ranger station (it was unmanned when we were there) with a hose in back with water we are guessing is not potable. The employees at the lodge told us it was, and then later a ranger told us it wasn't. LAME.

The hike in is moderate in difficulty but it is long - 11.3 miles. It took my wife and me 6.5 hours in and 6 out but the views along the way are breathtaking. Make sure you say at Wuksachi Lodge the night before (acclimate) and then get an early start the next morning to beat hiking in the afternoon heat. The Camp is great - the staff are very cool, the food is phenomenal, and the beds and showers are heaven after a hard day's hike. Stay at least 2 nights - go to Hamilton Lakes on the day after hiking in. Do not take a ton of stuff - you need very little more than the clothes on your back.

Excellent and gorgeous experience at the only official High Sierra camp inside Sequoia National Park. Six tents only (with, generally, two to a tent but sometimes there will be a third person on the floor -- so usually around 12 people but sometimes 13 or 14). Excellent breakfasts and dinners (and they made me an individualized vegetarian dinner each night -- but a vegetarian would do fine with just the regular dinners as well). The hike in and back is not easy (it's about 11 miles and goes up and down and up and down and then one final up). Great day hikes from Bearpaw include Tamarack Lake (strenuous) and Hamilton Lakes (moderate to strenuous). The tents, bedding, towels, shower and pit flush toilet were all excellent (especially considering you are in the middle of a remote part of the Park).