The kind of wildlife you’re sure to see © Olivier Baquet
When it comes to biodiversity, there’s more than big trees. There are 265 known caves, the tallest mountain and one of the deepest canyons in the contiguous United States, and everything in between to provide a variety of ecosystems that support some 1,200 species of plants and 260 vertebrate species. There’s a chance that you may see a bear lumbering about a sequoia grove or a bighorn sheep scaling the rocky ledges of the backcountry, but you’re more likely to spot mule deer or squirrels. The parks also provide habitat for more than 200 species of birds. Golden eagle, peregrine falcon, and blue grouse have all been spotted here. One of the best places to begin a birding expedition is Giant Forest.
Giant sequoias tend to steal the show for anyone’s first visit to the park. Stand next to one of these towering giants and you can finally grasp their impressive size. Try to hug one (it will take more than one of you). Walk, drive, and peer through sequoias that have been hollowed out. Whatever you do, you’ll be sure to come away inspired. Giant Forest (Sequoia) and Grant Grove (Kings Canyon) are the two most popular sequoia groves, but there are 75 total groves within park boundaries along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Sequoias reside in the middle elevations (5 – 7,000 feet) with a mix of evergreens. Lower elevations are home to chaparral vegetation, and high elevations are mostly rocky and barren with the exception of the occasional foxtail and whitebark pine.