Which trail with an 11 year old?

[matt k]

I am looking to take my 11 year old son camping at Little round valley. I have only been up the Marion mountain trail. Are there any other trails that would be more preferable for an 11 year old. We are planning to camp one night and summit the next morning.

[Hikin_Jim]

Were I to take an 11 year old, I might take the tram, camp at Round Valley (not Little Round Valley) and then summit.

Now, maybe your 11 y.o. is a really good hiker and the tram is too easy, but the Marion Mountain Trail is the steepest of the bunch. If Little Round Valley is definitely your destination, the Seven Pines Trail is a bit more gentle.

If you look at the below map link, the Seven Pines Trail is just north of the Marion Mtn. Trail.

http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/636/files/MtSanJacintoSPmap.pdf

[matt k]

The tram sounds like a good idea. How much is the tram fare?

[AlanK]

$21.95 for you, $14.95 for him.

http://www.pstramway.com

All 11 year olds are different. My son was a fanatic by the time he was 11 and would have loved the Marion Mountain trail. By my observation, that is unusual. But camping in Round Valley, which is only a couple of miles from the tram station, and summiting the next day is pretty standard Boy Scout fare and should work just fine for a typical kid that age.

[matt k]

Thanks for the info!

[guest]

$22 adults
$15 ages 3-12

http://pstramway.com/tickets-gifts.asp

1st tramcar up on wkends in 8am, they run every 20-30 mins, it's 11 min ride.