USE AT YOUR OWN RISK
Location: Kern County, about 43 miles north of Mojave, 140 miles from Los Angeles
Maps
| Auto Club |
Kern County |
| Forest Service |
Sequoia National Forest |
| USGS Topo |
Owens Peak 7½ |
| Official HPS Maps |
TPO file -
Save to your computer then open with National Geographic TOPO! |
| |
Viewable JPG file -
Approximately 1.4 megs |
| |
GPX file or Google Earth
KML file to
download to GPS units and other map software
(How to use GPX and KML files) |
| |
Routes as shown on CalTopo using the above files
(How to use CalTopo) |
Nearby Peaks: Russell Peak (Russell Peak can be hiked from Backus Peak.)
ROUTE 1
- Distance: 7.5 miles round trip on road and cross-country
- Gain: 2900'
- Time: 4-5 hours round trip
- Rating: Class 1, moderate
- Navigation: Moderate route finding
- Access: Do not park past the Wilderness boundary signs
Original: Byron Prinzmetal, April 1999
DRIVING ROUTE 1
- Take SR 14 north to Mojave.
- Continue north on SR 14 to the intersection with SR 178 (Freeman
Junction).
- Go west on SR 178 2.4 miles to a dirt road on the north side of
the highway. Park here. Unlimited parking space. If you are coming from
the west, it is 6 miles from Walker Pass summit to the parking location.
There is a call box numbered 178-858 on the south side of SR 178
opposite the turnoff.
HIKING ROUTE 1
- From the parking area walk north on the dirt road approximately 1 mile
to where you are south-southeast of bump 5123'.
- Leave the road and walk northeast
crossing several gullies aiming for just north of bump 5389'+ that is
on the ridge that descends southeast from Backus Peak. Be sure to
note the location where you left the road in relationship to bump 5389'
for your return. You can also walk both up and down the prominent gully
which starts at the parking area to the slope that leads up to bump 5389'.
The gully runs generally north-south and parallels the road on the east.
- When you obtain this ridge turn northwest and walk up the ridge to the
summit. Note the summit register is on the most northern bump.
