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Top Reasons to Go | Getting Oriented | What’s Where | Sequoia and Kings Canyon Planner
Updated by Steve Pastorino
Although Sequoiadendron giganteum is the formal name for the redwoods that grow here, everyone outside the classroom calls them sequoias, big trees, or Sierra redwoods. Their monstrously thick trunks and branches, remarkably shallow root systems, and neck-craning heights are almost impossible to believe, as is the fact they can live for more than 2,500 years. Many of these towering marvels are in the Giant Forest stretch of Generals Highway, which connects Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks.
Next to or a few miles off the 43-mile Generals Highway are most of Sequoia National Park’s main attractions and Grant Grove Village, the orientation hub for Kings Canyon National Park. The two parks share a boundary that runs from the Central Valley in the west, where the Sierra Nevada foothills begin, to the range’s dramatic eastern ridges. Kings Canyon has two portions: the smaller is shaped like a bent finger and encompasses Grant Grove Village and Redwood Mountain Grove (the two parks’ largest concentration of sequoias), and the larger is home to stunning Kings River Canyon, whose vast, unspoiled peaks and valleys are a backpacker’s dream. Sequoia is in one piece and includes Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48 states (although it is impossible to see from the western part of the park and is a chore to ascend from either side).
Top Reasons to Go
Gentle giants: You’ll feel small—in a good way—walking among some of the world’s largest living things in Sequoia’s Giant Forest and Kings Canyon’s Grant Grove.
Because it’s there: You can’t even glimpse it from the main part of Sequoia, but the sight of majestic Mt. Whitney is worth the trek to the eastern face of the High Sierra.
Underground exploration: Far older even than the giant sequoias, the gleaming limestone formations in Crystal Cave will draw you along dark, marble passages.
A grander-than-Grand Canyon: Drive the twisting Kings Canyon Scenic Byway down into the jagged, granite Kings River Canyon, deeper in parts than the Grand Canyon.
Regal solitude: To spend a day or two hiking in a subalpine world of your own, pick one of the 11 trailheads at Mineral King.
Getting Oriented
The two parks comprise 865,964 acres (1,353 square miles), mostly on the western flank of the Sierra. A map of the adjacent parks looks vaguely like a mitten, with the palm of Sequoia National Park south of the north-pointing, skinny thumb and long fingers of Kings Canyon National Park. Between the western thumb and eastern fingers, north of Sequoia, lies part of Sequoia National Forest, which includes Giant Sequoia National Monument.
What’s Where
Giant Forest–Lodgepole Village. The most heavily visited area of Sequoia lies at the base of the “thumb” portion of Kings Canyon National Park and contains major sights such as Giant Forest, General Sherman Tree, Crystal Cave, and Moro Rock.
Grant Grove Village–Redwood Canyon. The “thumb” of Kings Canyon National Park is its busiest section, where Grant Grove, General Grant Tree, Panoramic Point, and Big Stump are the main attractions.
Cedar Grove. The drive through the high-country portion of Kings Canyon National Park to Cedar Grove Village, on the canyon floor, reveals magnificent granite formations of varied hues. Rock meets river in breathtaking fashion a few miles beyond Cedar Grove in Zumwalt Meadow.
Mineral King. In the southeast section of Sequoia, the highest road-accessible part of the park is a good place to hike, camp, and soak up the unspoiled grandeur of the Sierra Nevada.
Mount Whitney. The highest peak in the Lower 48 stands on the eastern edge of Sequoia; to get there from Giant Forest you must either backpack eight days through the mountains or drive nearly 400 miles around the park to its other side.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon Planner
When to Go
The best times to visit are late spring and early fall, when temperatures are moderate and crowds thin. Summertime can draw hordes of tourists to see the giant sequoias, and the few, narrow roads mean congestion at peak holiday times. If you must visit in summer, go during the week. By contrast, in wintertime you may feel as though you have the parks all to yourself. But because of heavy snows, sections of the main park roads can be closed without warning, and low-hanging clouds can move in and obscure mountains and valleys for days. From mid-November to late April, check road and weather conditions before venturing out.
Getting Here and Around
Car Travel
Sequoia is 36 miles east of Visalia on Route 198; Grant Grove Village in Kings Canyon is 56 miles east of Fresno on Route 180. There is no automobile entrance on the eastern side of the Sierra. Routes 180 and 198 are connected by Generals Highway, a paved two-lane road that sometimes sees delays at peak times due to ongoing improvements. The road is extremely narrow and steep from Route 198 to Giant Forest, so keep an eye on your engine temperature gauge, as the incline and congestion can cause vehicles to overheat; to avoid overheated brakes, use low gears on downgrades.
If you are traveling in an RV or with a trailer, study the restrictions on these vehicles. Do not travel beyond Potwisha Campground on Route 198 with an RV longer than 22 feet; take straighter, easier Route 180 instead. Maximum vehicle length on Generals Highway is 40 feet, or 50 feet combined length for vehicles with trailers.
From May through September, the Sequoia Shuttle offers free transportation within the park along four routes in and around the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas. Buses run every 15 minutes.
Generals Highway between Lodgepole and Grant Grove is sometimes closed by snow. The Mineral King Road from Route 198 into southern Sequoia National Park is closed 2 miles below Atwell Mill either on November 1 or after the first heavy snow. The Buckeye Flat–Middle Fork Trailhead Road is closed from mid-October to mid-April, when the Buckeye Flat Campground closes. The lower Crystal Cave Road is closed when the cave closes in November. Its upper 2 miles, as well as the Panoramic Point and Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow roads, close with the first heavy snow. Because of the danger of rockfall, the portion of Kings Canyon Scenic Byway east of Grant Grove closes in winter. For current road and weather conditions, call | 559/565–3341.
TIP Snowstorms are common from late October through April. Unless you have a four-wheel-drive vehicle with snow tires, you should carry chains and know how to install them.
Park Essentials
Accessibility
All the visitor centers, the Giant Forest Museum, and Big Trees Trail are wheelchair-accessible, as are some short ranger-led walks and talks. General Sherman Tree can be reached via a paved, level trail near a parking area. None of the caves is accessible, and wilderness areas must be reached by horseback or on foot. Some picnic tables are extended to accommodate wheelchairs. Many of the major sites are in the 6,000-foot range and thin air at high elevations can cause respiratory distress for people with breathing difficulties. Carry oxygen if necessary. Contact the park’s main number for more information.
Park Fees and Permits
The admission fee is $20 per vehicle and $10 for those who enter by bus, on foot, bicycle, motorcycle, or horse; it is valid for seven days in both parks. U.S. residents over the age of 62 pay $10 for a lifetime pass, and permanently disabled U.S. residents are admitted free.
If you plan to camp in the backcountry, you need a permit, which costs $15 for hikers or $30 for stock users (e.g., horseback riders). One permit covers the group. Availability of permits depends upon trailhead quotas. Reservations are accepted by mail or fax for a $15 processing fee, beginning March 1, and must be made at least 14 days in advance(559/565–3766). Without a reservation, you may still get a permit on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 1 pm the day before you plan to hike. For more information on backcountry camping or travel with pack animals (horses, mules, burros, or llamas), contact the Wilderness Permit Office (530/565–3761).
Park Hours
The parks are open 24/7 year-round.
Visitor Information
National Park Service
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. | 47050 Generals Hwy.(Rte. 198) | Three Rivers | 559/565–3341 | www.nps.gov/seki.
Sequoia Visitor Centers
Foothills Visitor Center.
Exhibits here focus on the foothills and resource issues facing the parks. You can pick up books, maps, and a list of ranger-led walks, and get wilderness permits. | 47050 Generals Hwy., Rte. 198, 1 mile north of Ash Mountain entrance | Sequoia National Park | 559/565–4212 | Daily 8–4:30.
Lodgepole Visitor Center.
Along with exhibits on the area’s history, geology, and wildlife, the center screens an outstanding 22-minute film about bears. You can buy books, maps, and tickets to cave tours and the Wolverton barbecue here. | Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), 21 miles north of Ash Mountain entrance | Sequoia National Park | 559/565–4436 | Late May–early Sept., daily 7–7; Apr.–late May and early Sept.–Dec., days and hrs vary | Shuttle: Giant Forest or Wuksachi-Lodgepole-Dorst.
Kings Canyon Visitor Centers
Cedar Grove Visitor Center.
Off the main road and behind the Sentinel Campground, this small ranger station has books and maps, plus information about hikes and other activities. | Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, 30 miles east of Rte. 180/198 junction | Kings Canyon National Park | 559/565–3793 | Late May–early Sept., Tues.–Sun. 9–5.
Kings Canyon Park Visitor Center.
The center’s 15-minute film and various exhibits provide an overview of the park’s canyon, sequoias, and human history. Books, maps, and weather advice are dispensed here, as are (if available) free wilderness permits. | Grant Grove Village, Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), 3 miles northeast of Rte. 180, Big Stump entrance | Kings Canyon National Park | 559/565–4307 | Daily 9–4:30; may vary seasonally.