Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business 
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks sit side by side in California's southern Sierra Nevada and are managed together. They protect groves of giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth by volume, along with deep glacier-carved canyons and high granite peaks, including Mount Whitney on the parks' eastern edge. Elevations range from foothill oak woodland to alpine terrain.
The Giant Forest in Sequoia is the main draw. The General Sherman Tree, the largest single-stem tree known, is reached by a short paved path, and the Congress Trail continues through a grove of other giants. The Giant Forest Museum explains sequoia ecology, and a steep stairway climbs Moro Rock, a granite dome with sweeping views. Crescent Meadow Road passes Tunnel Log, a fallen sequoia cut through for cars. Tokopah Falls is a pleasant river hike from Lodgepole, and Crystal Cave, a marble cave, is open seasonally by tour. In Kings Canyon, the General Grant Tree stands in Grant Grove, near Panoramic Point and the stumps left by nineteenth-century logging at Big Stump. The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway descends into the canyon to Cedar Grove.
The parks suit families, hikers and anyone wanting to stand among enormous trees. Roads are winding and slow, with a long drive between the two main areas. The Cedar Grove road closes in winter, and snow can bring chain requirements elsewhere.
WiserMap travel guideSequoia and Kings Canyon California General Sherman TreePlan a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon: the General Sherman Tree, Moro Rock, Grant Grove, Cedar Grove and Mineral King, with seasons, roads and lodging tips.Read the guide
The largest tree on Earth by volume, a giant sequoia about 275 feet tall in the Giant Forest. A paved trail descends from the main parking area to its base, and an accessible lot is closer. The walk back up is at about 7,000 feet, so take it slowly.
A paved two-mile loop starting at the General Sherman Tree, winding past groves of huge sequoias such as the Senate and House groups and the President tree. It is mostly gentle and shaded. It is the best easy walk for seeing many giant trees close up.
The General Grant Tree, one of the largest trees in the world and named the Nation's Christmas Tree, stands on a paved loop of about a third of a mile in Grant Grove. The Fallen Monarch, a hollow log you can walk through, is on the same path.
A giant sequoia that fell across Crescent Meadow Road in 1937 and had a tunnel cut through it so cars could drive underneath. Taller vehicles use a bypass. The same road continues to Crescent Meadow, a lush meadow ringed by sequoias with easy trails.
A granite dome in the Giant Forest with a staircase of about 350 steps cut into the rock leading to the summit. The top looks over the Great Western Divide and the Kaweah River canyon far below. Railings line the route, but avoid it during thunderstorms.
A viewpoint above Grant Grove reached by a narrow road and a short paved path. It looks across the High Sierra peaks and down into the Kings Canyon area. The access road is not suitable for trailers or RVs and is closed to cars in winter.
A small museum in a historic building in the Giant Forest, with exhibits on how sequoias grow, fire ecology and the history of the area. Short paved trails start outside, including the Big Trees Trail around Round Meadow. Park shuttles stop here in summer.
A marble cavern in Sequoia National Park with polished walls, stalactites and other formations, visited only on guided tours. A steep half-mile path leads down to the entrance. Tickets are not sold at the cave, so check whether tours are running and book ahead.
A trail of about four miles round trip from Lodgepole Campground along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River to a waterfall of about 1,200 feet tumbling down granite cliffs. The falls are biggest in late spring and early summer. Watch for marmots and black bears.
Two easy stops in Cedar Grove at the bottom of Kings Canyon. Zumwalt Meadow has a loop of about 1.5 miles between granite walls and the river, while Roaring River Falls is a short paved walk to a powerful waterfall. Longer hikes such as Mist Falls start nearby.
A remote subalpine valley in the south of Sequoia National Park, with old cabins and trails to lakes and passes. It is reached by a narrow, winding road of about 25 miles that takes well over an hour. Marmots chew car hoses here, so wrap your car with a tarp in early summer.
Highway 180 drops about 50 miles from Grant Grove into one of the deepest canyons in North America, following the South Fork of the Kings River to Cedar Grove. Viewpoints like Junction View show the canyon. The lower road is open only from late spring to fall.
No reviews yet. Been to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks? Be the first to share your experience.
Share what you loved, what to skip and tips for other travelers.
Log in to write a reviewBeen to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks? Add your best shots to the gallery.
Log in to add photos
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
California, United States
Photo: m01229 from USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Pierre André Leclercq, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Photo: King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Waldek Wróblewski, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: NPS photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Schwaltz, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Peter J. Caprio, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Jeffrey Pang from Berkeley, CA, USA, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Diliff, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Daniel G. Rego, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: NPS/Tom Engberg, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Jason Rogers from St Albans, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Gene Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Gene Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Gene Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Gene Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Marty Aligata, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Dsdugan, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Photo: Didier B (Sam67fr), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Martie79, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Cabe6403 at English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.5
Photo: NPS staff, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS/Tom Engberg, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Birdyland at English Wikipedia. By Danny Covell of El Cajon, California., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Tuxyso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: NPS Photo, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: donifirebg, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: David Fulmer, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Pavel Špindler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: Martie79, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Sandy__R from Scotland, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: S. Rae from Scotland, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: King of Hearts, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Sandy__R from Scotland, UK, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: NPS staff, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Gene Daniels, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Dcrjsr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0
Photo: HikingMike, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
Photo: Daniel Mayer (mav), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0