Mineral King California Map

About Mineral King, California

Mineral King is a locality in Tulare County, California, United States. It is a small community with a population of 180. The population density is 1.0 people per km². Mineral King is located at 36.4508°N, 118.5948°W. It observes the Pacific Time (America/Los_Angeles) timezone. ZIP code: 93262.

Mineral King occupies a high, glacial-carved basin where the air holds the thin, sharp clarity of extreme elevation. It lies 32.3 miles east-northeast of Exeter, CA (from Exeter, CA: bearing 70°T), and is situated 17.2 miles east of Three Rivers. The East Fork Kaweah River cuts a restless path through the valley floor, its waters fed by the snowmelt that gathers near the cold, crystalline depths of Monarch Lakes. Above the basin, the jagged, granite teeth of the Sierra Nevada rise against the sky, standing as a silent, formidable barrier that defines the scale of the landscape. A mile away, the water of Tufa Falls descends in a shimmering, vertical thread, while the nearby expanse of Aspen Flat offers a brief, grassy respite amidst the encroaching wild. This entire rugged domain remains protected within the vast, ancient territory of Sequoia National Park, grounding the locality in a landscape that has shifted little since the ice retreated.

Mineral King carries the weight of a century’s failed ambitions, once envisioned as a bustling hub of silver mining before the veins proved too stubborn to yield their wealth. The remnants of that era linger in the weathered timber of small, private cabins, standing in quiet defiance against the long, snow-heavy winters that isolate the valley for half the year. While the economy long ago pivoted away from the pickaxe and toward the preservation of the wild, the spirit of the place remains tied to the arduous, winding ascent required to reach it. Travelers who undertake the journey often find themselves drawn toward the Hockett Meadow Trail, seeking a connection to the high country that feels removed from the modern world. Even with the distant influence of the nearby Giant Forest, Mineral King maintains an austere, solitary character, where the silence of the high peaks settles over the valley floor long before the sun dips behind the ridge.

About This Mineral King Map Page

This page provides an embedded street and satellite map of Mineral King, California. Coordinates: 36.450775, -118.594816. Live weather conditions are sourced directly from the National Weather Service. Real-time local and world news feeds keep the page current.

Detailed location data for Mineral King includes the ZIP code (93262), telephone area code (661), county seat of Tulare County (Visalia), and school district assignment.

Location data is drawn from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) and cross-verified against 2020 US Census records by coordinate proximity. Population figures are sourced from the 2020 US Census.