SEKI Wilderness Permit — Foothills — Ladybug

Ladybug (Foothills): what makes it different

Ladybug is the low, hot, year-round Foothills entry up the South Fork of the Kaweah, with its first camp at Ladybug Camp 1.7 miles in. It is the one SEKI entry whose real problem is the road: NPS says the South Fork access has been damaged by floods and landslides, and the campground at the trailhead is closed.^1,4,8

Getting to the start

Recreation.gov sends parking to the South Fork trailhead and says there is none in the South Fork Campground. Permits for this entry are issued at the Ash Mountain Wilderness Office. NPS says overnight hikers can pick one up between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on the hike day or after 1:00 p.m. the day before, and day hikers need no permit.^1,2,6

NPS says South Fork Road ends at South Fork Campground and the Ladybug trailhead, is unpaved past the park entrance, and is usually open all year. That July 2026 page conflicts with two others. The NPS foothills page, updated June 2024, lists the Ladybug trail as closed, calls the access road severely damaged by floods and landslides, and says the trailheads cannot be reached by vehicle, and the October 13, 2026 conditions page lists South Fork Campground as closed with no word on whether it will reopen.^7,4,8

The NPS trailhead page, last updated July 10, 2023, says the trailhead is not reachable by car, parking is not available, and the trailhead sign was damaged in the 2022 and 2023 winter storms. It adds that sections of trail are gone near drainages. Call the Ash Mountain office before you drive out.³

Before the damage, the road was easier than it sounds. A 2014 blogger found it rutted but drivable without four wheel drive, and a 2016 feature writer drove it in a sedan with some nerves.^10,11

The first leg

NPS starts the trail at 3,640 feet at the east end of South Fork Campground. It passes the Clough Cave footbridge at 0.04 mile, Putnam Flat at 0.49 mile with river pools, and the Bone Hill viewpoint at 0.71 mile, where Homers Nose first shows.²

Ladybug Camp sits at 1.70 miles and 4,280 feet, about 640 feet above the start. NPS calls it the first place to camp, and swimming and fishing are allowed there. Recreation.gov and the NPS wilderness page both put the first allowed camp at 1.7 miles.^2,1,5

NPS warns that no camping is allowed near the small dry canyon at 1.26 miles, which is the closest point to the river between Bone Hill and the camp, and that the trail climbs steeply through an open slide area after it.²

Terrain and difficulty

Recreation.gov calls it a relatively easy, short trail that ends at the South Fork sequoia grove in 5 miles, and says it is best in spring, fall and winter. NPS describes it as a moderate climb of 4.2 miles one way on its trailhead page, and its trail page counts Whiskeylog Camp at 4.02 miles and a dead end 1.1 miles beyond it.^1,3,2

Recreation.gov warns of ticks, poison oak and rattlesnakes, and notes that the area burned in the 2020 SQF Complex Fire, so falling trees, falling rocks and unstable slopes are a hazard. NPS adds that the trail is south facing, which keeps it open all year.^1,5

A 2016 article in the Santa Barbara Independent describes the section above the Ladybug waterfall as one of the steeper parts, with switchbacks that open into grass meadows, and calls it hot in summer and fall. The writer noticed widespread dead trees in the watershed.¹¹

Quota at this entry point

• 2026 daily quota at Ladybug (Foothills), overnight: 15 people a day. This is the daily quota in the Ladybug division text on Recreation.gov, read October 15, 2026, which says 10 of the 15 are reservable. It is the published description, not a live calendar read.¹

Rules specific to this entry point

Recreation.gov lists no overnight stock use and no fires above 9,000 feet in the Kaweah River drainage for this entry.¹

Above the Clough Cave footbridge, fishing is catch and release only. NPS also lists several old side trails as unmaintained and not recommended, including the Stakecamp Dome trail at 1.78 miles, whose footbridge a flood washed out.²

Where it leads

Ladybug Camp, beside a waterfall and a pool, is where most people stop. The Independent writer says the 1.7 mile camp is the usual end of a trip, and NPS notes many young sequoias along the river there.^11,2

Cedar Creek crosses at 3.09 miles and flows all year, and NPS says ladybugs gather on its trees and rocks. The Independent article puts it about 750 feet above Ladybug Camp, under large sequoias.^2,11

Whiskeylog Camp is at 4.02 miles and 5,120 feet, and NPS says the trail runs on 1.1 miles past it to a dead end. The South Fork grove stands at 3.92 miles, two large sequoias across the river, and the main grove lies upriver past the trail's end.²

What trip reports say

A Meetup group led by the Gary-Summer blog walked toward Ladybug Camp on March 12, 2014. The blogger logged 4.92 miles and about 1,385 feet of climbing in three hours, found Pigeon Creek dry and Squaw Creek thin, and saw only a few ladybugs, which he blamed on drought or timing.¹⁰

Richie DeMaria wrote in the Santa Barbara Independent in October 2016 that Ladybug is like the Wishon trail but a bit harder and more remote. He counted 14 sites at South Fork Campground, noted that Clough Cave is closed to prevent vandalism, and put Whiskeylog just under a mile past Cedar Creek.¹¹

When to go from here

NPS posted on July 2, 2026 that the trail was cleared of downed logs from the trailhead to a little past halfway, so the upper miles may still hold fallen trees.⁹

NPS says Foothills trails stay open all year, that fall is cooler, and that late March to late May is especially colorful. In summer, river levels run high and NPS asks hikers to avoid dangerous rivers. The 2016 article calls the trail hot in summer and fall.^4,11

Recreation.gov picks spring, fall and winter. Pigeon Creek runs only after heavy rain or snowmelt, and Squaw Creek sinks underground a short way up the canyon, so Cedar Creek at 3.09 miles is the first dependable water above the river.^1,2

Compare with nearby entry points

• Garfield Grove: Garfield Grove is the other Foothills permit issued at Ash Mountain with the same numbers, 15 people a day and 10 reservable. NPS lists its trail as closed alongside Ladybug on the foothills page. Ladybug is the one that follows the South Fork of the Kaweah.^1,4
• Middle Fork Kaweah: Middle Fork Kaweah is issued at the same office but is a bigger permit, with 25 people a day and 20 reservable. Ladybug allows 15.¹
• Colony Mill West: Colony Mill West is also issued at Ash Mountain, but it allows 8 people a day with none reservable and carries a closed due to fire notice. Ladybug, with 10 reservable places, is the foothill entry you can plan ahead.¹

Sources

1. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness Permits, Ladybug division, Recreation.gov. Read 2026-10-15.
2. Ladybug Trail, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
3. Ladybug Trailhead, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
4. Foothills Trails, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
5. Wilderness Trail Descriptions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
6. Wilderness Permits & Reservations, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
7. Road Information, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
8. Current Conditions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
9. Trail Conditions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.
10. March 12, 2014 - Ladybug trail, Gary-Summer. Read 2026-10-15.
11. Sierra Foothills for Fall Backpacking, Santa Barbara Independent. Read 2026-10-15.
12. Minimum Impact Restrictions, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks, National Park Service. Read 2026-10-15.

Safety & planning

Alternatives to a Ladybug permit