Sequoia and Kings Canyon are two neighboring national parks on the western slope of California's southern Sierra Nevada, managed together and covered by a single entrance pass.
AT A GLANCE
Best time
Late May to October, when all main roads are usually open; September offers warm days and thinner crowds.
How long
Two full days covers Giant Forest and Grant Grove; allow three or four to add Cedar Grove or Mineral King.
Getting there
Drive in from the west only: Highway 198 via Three Rivers or Highway 180 from Fresno. The closest commercial airport is Fresno.
Why visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Nothing quite prepares you for standing beside a giant sequoia. These trees are not the tallest in the world, a title that belongs to coast redwoods, but they are the most massive, with trunks so broad that a group of people holding hands cannot circle them.
The scenery changes dramatically with elevation. The park entrance near Three Rivers sits among oak woodland and chaparral in the foothills, while the road climbs through mixed conifer forest to the sequoia belt, and beyond lie alpine lakes and peaks over fourteen thousand feet.
The parks also carry visible reminders of recent wildfires. Several large fires since 2015, including the 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 KNP Complex Fire, killed a significant share of mature giant sequoias.
Giant Forest and Lodgepole in Sequoia
General Sherman Tree
The best-known tree in the park is, by volume, the largest known living single-stem tree on the planet, standing about 275 feet tall with a base over thirty feet across.
Congress Trail
From the General Sherman Tree, continue on the Congress Trail, a mostly paved loop of roughly two to three miles through the heart of Giant Forest. It passes named trees such as the President and the McKinley Tree, and two dense clusters called the House and the Senate.
Giant Forest Museum
Housed in a historic market building on the Generals Highway, the small museum explains sequoia ecology, the role of fire and how the park removed buildings from the grove to protect tree roots. It is a useful first stop and the trailhead for the short, accessible Big Trees Trail around Round Meadow.
Moro Rock
This granite dome rises from the edge of Giant Forest, and a stairway built in 1931 climbs to its narrow summit, with more than 350 steps and handrails along the exposed sections. From the top you look across the Kaweah River canyon to the jagged Great Western Divide and, on clear days, west toward the Central Valley.
Crescent Meadow Road and Tunnel Log
Beyond the Moro Rock turnoff, Crescent Meadow Road leads to Tunnel Log, a sequoia that fell across the road in 1937 and was later cut through so cars could pass, with a bypass for taller vehicles.
Tokopah Falls
From the Lodgepole Campground area, an easy trail of about two miles each way follows the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River into a glacier-carved valley and ends below Tokopah Falls, which cascades down a granite cliff. The falls are at their fullest in late spring and early summer.
Crystal Cave
Crystal Cave, located between the Foothills and Giant Forest, is a marble cave with polished walls and delicate formations, kept at a constant cool temperature, so bring a jacket even in July. It is the only one of the park's many caves open to the public and can be visited only on guided tours run by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.
Grant Grove and the Kings Canyon
General Grant Tree and Grant Grove
Just inside the Big Stump Entrance on Highway 180, Grant Grove is the main hub of Kings Canyon National Park. A paved loop of about a third of a mile leads to the General Grant Tree, the second-largest giant sequoia in the world.
Panoramic Point and Big Stump
A narrow road climbs from Grant Grove Village to Panoramic Point, where a short paved path leads to a viewpoint over the High Sierra and down into Kings Canyon. The road is not suitable for trailers and closes in winter.
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Cedar Grove
From Grant Grove, Highway 180 winds down for about thirty miles into the canyon of the South Fork of the Kings River, one of the deepest canyons in North America. Stop at Junction View for a sweeping look into the gorge, and at Boyden Cavern pullouts and roadside waterfalls on the way down.
Zumwalt Meadow, Roaring River Falls and Mist Falls
Near the end of the road, Roaring River Falls is a short paved walk to a powerful chute of water. Zumwalt Meadow offers an easy loop of about a mile and a half between the river and the canyon walls, with views of North Dome and Grand Sentinel.
Planning a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?Compare hotels, flights and vacation rentals for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on Expedia.Book nowMineral King and the foothills
Mineral King
In the southern part of Sequoia, Mineral King is a former mining valley at about 7,500 feet, surrounded by colorful peaks and reached by a separate road that leaves Highway 198 in Three Rivers. The road is narrow, winding and partly unpaved, with about 25 miles of slow driving that takes around ninety minutes each way.
Foothills and the Kaweah River
Near the Ash Mountain Entrance, the Foothills Visitor Center introduces the oak woodland that is the parks' most biologically diverse zone. Short walks near Hospital Rock show Native American bedrock mortars and pictographs left by the Western Mono people.
Food and local flavors
Dining inside the parks is limited, so plan your meals.
The gateway town of Three Rivers, along the Kaweah River just below the Ash Mountain Entrance, has cafés, barbecue and family restaurants, and is a good place to stock up.
Popular dishes to try in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Where to stay
Inside the parks, lodges near Lodgepole and in Grant Grove Village, plus summer-only lodging in Cedar Grove, put you minutes from the trees and let you enjoy sunrise and sunset without the long drive.
Campgrounds such as Lodgepole, Dorst Creek, those in Grant Grove and several around Cedar Grove suit families and hikers; many require reservations through Recreation.gov in season.
Three Rivers is the most convenient town for Sequoia's southern entrance and Mineral King, with motels, cabins and vacation rentals along the river, although the drive up to Giant Forest takes about an hour.
Where to stay in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
Best time to visit
Summer, from June to August, is the main season: all roads are normally open, high trails are clearing of snow and services operate fully.
Late spring brings the strongest waterfalls and wildflowers in the foothills, though snow can linger at higher levels into June.
Getting there and getting around
The parks can only be entered by road from the west. From Southern California, most visitors take Highway 198 through Visalia and Three Rivers to the Ash Mountain Entrance.
The Generals Highway links Giant Forest with Grant Grove, a drive of roughly an hour. The section between the Foothills and Giant Forest has many tight switchbacks, and the park advises against vehicles over about 22 feet on that stretch, so RVs and trailers should enter via Highway 180.
A suggested itinerary
First day
Enter early from Three Rivers, stop at the Foothills Visitor Center and Hospital Rock, then climb to the Giant Forest Museum.
Second day
Walk the Congress Trail in the cool of the morning, then hike to Tokopah Falls from Lodgepole.
Third day
Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Cedar Grove with stops at Junction View and Roaring River Falls, then walk the Zumwalt Meadow loop, or start early for the hike to Mist Falls.
Practical tips
- One entrance pass covers both parks for several consecutive days; check the official National Park Service website for current fees and any reservation requirements.
- Store all food and scented items in bear lockers, and never leave them in a parked car.
- Fill your tank before entering, since fuel is not sold in the parks.
- Carry tire chains between late autumn and spring and check road status before driving.
- Download offline maps; cell coverage is patchy at best.
- Altitude is significant in the sequoia belt, so drink plenty of water and pace your walks.
Find local businesses in Three Rivers on WiserMap
Planning your stay at the gateway to Sequoia?
