HIDDEN TREASURE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA NATIONAL PARK AREA IS POPULAR VACATION GETAWAY.

Byline: Keith Lair Staff Writer

KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK - Mickey Powell says he knows nothing about any maddening summer crowds when he travels to his favorite destination in the Sierra Nevada.

Of course, he doesn't hang out in Yosemite Valley, considered by many to be the Western Sierra's most beautiful site. The Pasadena native says Cedar Grove, at the end of a long, winding highway in Kings Canyon National Park, is the place to be. And he can be there virtually all by himself.

``It's the prettiest place in California,'' Powell boasts. ``It's more beautiful than Yosemite Valley and it's California's hidden treasure.''

The 68-year-old just might be right. In many ways, Cedar Grove might be just as beautiful as its famous neighbor, a four-hour drive to the north.

The South Fork of the Kings River flows through Cedar Grove, white waters cascading through the canyon walls that tower over the valley. Grand Sentinel and North Dome majestically rise 3,500 feet above Cedar Grove, giving the area an eerie Yosemite Valley-like feel.

The valley, at an elevation of 4,635 feet, is populated with numerous cedars, jeffrey and ponderosa pine trees. The river - it becomes more like a stream in the fall - has an average of 5,000 fish per mile. There are four campgrounds, hiking trails, caves, rock-climbing sites and a famous rock upon which naturalist John Muir used to pause for reflection, saying the area is ``a rival to Yosemite.''

Powell, who graduated from Muir High School and Muir Tech about 50 years ago, now lives in Visalia. He has been making the two-hour drive from his home to the area to fly-fish as often as possible for the past 40 years. He says the river, which is best fished later in the year, has a population of 70 percent brown trout and 30 percent rainbow trout. It has not been stocked by the Department of Fish and Game in more than 25 years.

``It may have 70 percent brown trout, but 70 percent of your catch will be rainbow trout, up to 12 inches,'' he said. ``Those browns are smart.''

The trail to Cedar Grove is reached by traveling north on Highway 99 to Fresno and taking Highway 180 east to the end of the road. The road is open from April 27 to mid-November.

The pass is at 6,000 feet and the highway follows the steep canyon walls to the river floor, along the Sequoia National Forest. Near the top of the pass is the sequoia grove of Grant Grove in nearby Sequoia National Park and Hume Lake, which is in the national forest. Down the road is Horseshoe Bend, with a drop of nearly 2,000 feet to the river, which is hikeable.

``It's worth going there, even with that drive,'' says another fly fisher, Whittier native Jeff Hohne.

Waterfalls and smaller creeks flow into the river and many of the creeks have golden trout. One active golden trout stream is the Grizzly Fork.

A park ranger said that in addition to fish, 10 bears live in the Cedar Grove area. The park has numerous warnings about leaving food in cars and in unstored camping conditions, even issuing citations. A small wilderness permit station at the end of the highway rents bear-proof food canisters.

``The bears are mostly near the camps,'' Powell explains. ``But the great thing about those campgrounds is that you can come here on the Fourth of July or Labor Day (weekends) and the campgrounds are not full. This really is a hidden spot.''

Powell did not begin fly-fishing until he moved to Central California. His father-in-law, Wayne Buzek, opened the state's first fly-fishing shop in Visalia in 1947. When Buzek died in 1978, Powell took over the Buzz Buzek Fly Shop and ran it until 1997 - its 50th year - before selling it to an employee and retiring. He is now an active member of the Kiaweah Fly Fishers.

``The river is very inspiring,'' Powell said. ``You can fish the whole day and not see another person. And the fishing has improved. It's much better than a decade ago.''

Forty-nine miles of the South and Middle forks in the National Park are in the DFG's Wild Trout program. Fish caught on the South Fork above Copper Creek and below the Boyton Caves must be on artificial flies with barbless hooks. There is a two-fish limit between Copper Creek and the caves, a distance of 6.5 miles.

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The beautiful Kings River, located in Kings Canyon National Park, has an average of 5,000 fish per mile - mostly brown trout - and hasn't been stocked in more that 25 years.

Daily News File Photo