The state of California has 9 National Parks:
Yosemite
Death Valley
Joshua Tree
Lassen Volcanic
Pinnacles
Redwood
Channel Islands
Sequoia
Kings Canyon
To make it a bit easier to navigate the NPs in California I am breaking this blog down to focus on Sequoia and Kings Canyon. These two parks encompass 1,353 miles but there are only two ways to enter the parks. You can take CA 180 and enter into Kings Canyon or take CA 198 to enter into Sequoia. You can fly into the Fresno airport and then drive the 11/2 hours to the parks entrance. Both parks are connected via the scenic Generals Highway and you only need to pay one $35 entrance fee which enables you to visit both Sequoia and Kings Canyon. If you have the National Park annual pass that allows access as well.
The parks are divided into 5 main areas These first 3 are located in Sequoia NP:
1. Foothills: The foothills generally refer to elevations between `1000-2000 feet with gentle rolling hills. Little House on the Prairie and High Noon were shot in the Foothills. There are several hiking trails here:
Tunnel Rock which is an old roadway where a giant boulder caps an old tunnel. You can NOT drive under the rock here.
Further up the street is Hospital Rock. Here you can see pictographs left by the Potwisha Native Americans. Hale Tharp named this Hospital Rock after two different men were treated here by the Native Americans. From Hospital Rock you can take a short trail down to the Kaweah River. Swimming here is dangerous where several people have drowned.
Marble Falls Trail per AllTrails is a 7.4 mile but other sites list the hike at 8 miles with a gain of about 2100 feet. This hike is hot in the summer months so bring a lot of water. It starts at Camp site #14 from the Potwisha Campground and heads up towards a beautiful waterfall. The trail is moderately maintained and has mixed reviews.
Paradise Creek Trail also has mixed reviews but it is an easy hike that can be accessed from the Buckeye Flat Campground site #28. There are several spots to enter the calmer water but it is dangerous to swim near the Kaweah RIver.
2. Mineral King: This is a remote area of the park that requires driving a steep, winding road to the parks highest peak at 7,800 feet. Here you will find several hikes
Cold Springs Nature Trail which is a short 2 mile trail through a meadow and some aspen groves. The lush scenery and interpretive signs make it an easy but interesting hike. You can start at the Cold Springs Campground site #6.
Eagle Lake this trail starts when Mineral King Rd ends. It is a 7.2 rt hike or you can add on another 3.2 and do Mosquito Lake as well. *** be aware that this area is well known for marmots. They love to get into your backpacks, cars and anywhere there is food. Please be careful when you park and where you put your packs!
Paradise Ridge is a hike that takes you through some sequoia trees but the climb up to the ridge top at 8,500 feet is a bit of a challenge. If you continue to Paradise Peak at 9,362 you will definitely get a good workout. The views are incredible and you do see the Great Western Divide to the east.
Monarch Lakes starts as the foothills of Sawtooth Peak. It is one of the easier hikes in the Mineral King area but it does follow a west facing slope so an early morning start is recommended. You will go through meadows, a red fir forest, and the Chihauhua Bowl. This hike is about 8.4 miles round trip but if you want to add to this hike you can continue on to Crystal Lake by adding about 2.6 miles (RT) to your hike.
Atwell-Hockett to Deer Creek is an easy hike at 3 miles RT and starts just east of the Atwell Mill campground. You can turn around at Deer Creek but the trail does continue and becomes a 20 mile RT hike with a 4500' elevation gain. It can be done as a day hike but many backpackers use this trail to reach alpine lakes and backcountry excursions.
3. Giant Forest and Lodgepole: This area of the parks is the most visited and it is home to General Sherman which is the largest tree in the world!! There are several hikes in this area as well as the Giant Forest Museum and park store.
Moro Rock. If you are a hiker in decent shape this is a must do hike. This hike takes you up over 350 steps and has views of the entire valley. It reminds me of a mini Half Dome without the cables!
Big Tree Trail. This short and easy 1 mile hike if you start at the Giant Forest Museum. You walk a loop trail that has trailside exhibits about Sequoia trees. You will be among some giant Sequoia and when we were there we had the entire trail to ourselves so we could get some great photos among these giants.
Little Baldy is a 3.5 mile hike with incredible views of the path to Moro Rock and the
park. This hike is moderate with a 800 feet elevation gain but you start at about 7000 feet. The hike takes you up to a giant granite dome so be careful during storms as this dome is not covered and there is no protection from the elements. We also had this hike to ourselves! Parking here is located right on the side of the road so watch for indicators for the trail or watch for other parked cars along the road.
Sunset Rock is aptly named since it is a beautiful spot to catch the sunset. It is a 1.5 mile easy hike to the top of a granite dome where you can enjoy pizza, a beverage and the sunset and not worry about getting down after dark since it is not a long hike....but you may need a headlamp to guide your way. This is yet another trail that we had to ourselves!
Tokopah Falls is a hike that starts at the Lodgepole campground. It is short 3.5 mile hike to a 1200 foot waterfall. However, when we were there the waterfall was not flowing but be careful when it flows as it can be dangerous.
Panther Gap is a moderate 6 to11-mile loop: This is not the place to see the giant trees but you will see open meadows and incredible views. Begin among lodgepole pine, white fir, and incense cedar on the Lodgepole and Sherman Tree Trail. At mile 1.5, turn east on the Wolverton Trail, passing through sugar and ponderosa pines into a zone dominated by red fir.
These last two sections are located in Kings Canyon National Park. To access Kings Canyon you must drive the Kings Canyon Scenic By-Way which can be accessed from Generals Highway via Sequoia NP or off of CA-180 where the Kings Canyon visitor center is located. Kings Canyon is the deepest canyon in North America, even deeper than the Grand Canyon. These last two sections focus solely on Kings Canyon.
4. Grant Grove: This is located in Kings Canyon. It is the home of General Grant tree. The second largest Sequoia in the world and it is about 3000 years old. This tree is not as crowded as General Sherman and you can walk to it on a paved .3 mile path. Kings Canyon is less crowded than Sequoia. There are several hikes in this region:
Panoramic Point is a .5 mile trail that allows for fabulous views of the canyon. The road that leads to the trail is very narrow and windy so RV's and trailers are not permitted.
Big Baldy Ridge is a 6.4 mile hike with exceptional views. It is rated as moderate but it does have an elevation gain of over 1400 feet. Please keep in mind that the elevation at the start of the hike is approximated 7000 feet above sea level. If you are not used to the elevation it may be harder than expected.
Big Stump Basin is an often overlooked area of the park but it should not be missed. Here you can access the trail which leads down into the forest to a meadow that has many old stumps and logs. You can see the old stump of the Mark Twain Tree. The tree was cut down a long time ago in 1891after 2 men spent 13 days cutting it down. You can climb a short ladder up the stump for a closer look.
Grizzly Falls. This is a short hike of about .1 mile and the waterfall can be seen from the road depending on the size of the waterfall. The size does change depending on snow and rain fall each year.
5. Cedar Grove located in Kings Canyon and it is the most remote area of both parks and is generally closed in the winter and doesn't reopen until late April or early May depending on the weather. Cedar Grove Visitors Center is generally open in late May around Memorial Day and closes again around Labor Day. There are some fantastic hikes in this area of the park and due to the remoteness of the area most hikes are not too crowded.
Roaring River Falls is a very short .3 mile (RT) hike to an amazing waterfall. When we were there we had the falls to ourselves for over an hour and then only one solo hiker showed up. The water is clean and clear and in the summer people do swim there. We opted not to swim since it was fall and a bit chilly.
Zumwalt Meadow is an easy 1.5-mile out and back trail that has views of the high granite walls and the Kings River. Rangers often say this is the best day hike in the Cedar Grove area. It is a great place for kids to run and play. It is an easy hike so we opted not to do it.
Mist Falls is the premier hike in the Cedar Grove area. It is located at the end of the road with its own parking lot. This is a 9 miles out and back hike that has an elevation gain of about 800 feet. The trail starts off relatively easy but the closer you get to the falls the steeper it gets.
The trail itself is rated as moderate via AllTrails. You can swim in the falls but the water can be dangerous so please use caution. Also please note that in the summer the trail can buggy so bring your mosquito spray and due to the remote location and access to water it is a real possibility that you will encounter both grizzly and black bears. I highly recommend that you bring your bear spray.
Non hiking things to do and see in Sequoia:
The main thing is to see the gigantic Sequoia trees. These magnificent trees are designed to live for thousands of years! General Sherman Tree is the worlds largest tree and is found in Sequoia National Park. There are several ways to see these magnificent trees just by driving through the park if you want to skip the crowds at General Sherman.
Visit the Foothills, Lodgepole, Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove visitors centers for park information, events in the park, permits and souvenirs.
Visit the Giant Forest Museum located in Sequoia. Here you can find information about Sequoias and the surrounding area.
Look safely for wildlife. Both parks are home to bears. You will see signs of bear activity throughout both parks. Please do not keep any food in your car overnight. Dispose of trash in bear bins and do not feed the bear. Store your food in the designated metal food storage boxes if you are camping or in your room if you are staying at a lodge. Bears can and will break into your coolers! There are also mountain lions and bobcats in both parks. These are rare but they have been seen so make sure you are wildlife aware. Snakes, including rattlesnakes can be found in the parks and on the trails. Marmots, grouse, squirrels are also common in the parks. We did see grouse that made so much noise I was sure they were bear!!
Visit Crystal Cave located 3 miles south of Sherman Tree. This marble cavern can only be toured with a guide. Reservations for the tour can be made online. Book tickets well in advance since they often sell out. The tour is 50 minutes long and run throughout the day at various times. Tickets range from &8 for kids to $16 for adults. It is cold (about 50 degrees F) inside the cave so dress accordingly.
Visit Boyden Cavern also a marble cave located in between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Boyden cave is full of stalactites, stalagmites and other rock formations. J.P. Boyden discovered this cave in the late 1800's and actually lived in the cave for 10 years while working at Hume Lake.
Boating and swimming may also be done inside the park. Boats are not being rented currently due to Covid but there are several areas to swim including Hume Lake
Take a scenic drive throughout the park. Please remember that the roads are windy, narrow and steep in a good portion of the park.
Also, make sure you stop for provisions before entering the park. The visitor centers and the market do have some supplies when they are open.
Things you need to know regarding driving to/inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon:
- from January to mid March Generals Highway closes for public travel between the parks.
- there is no gas available to purchase in the parks
-they limit the length of vehicles to 22-24 feet depending on which part of the park you are traveling too. If you have a camper please make sure you are aware of its length. The road to Kings Canyon is extremely windy and narrow. The speed limit is anywhere from 15-45 mph and there are turnouts to allow cars to pullover and pass throughout the drive inside the parks.
-There are free shuttle buses inside Sequoia during the summer and some winter holidays
-Tire chains may be required in winter months depending on snow fall amounts.
- Cell service is spotty at best so make sure you have paper maps or available wireless maps prior to entry into the parks.
Additional Helpful Information:
Some campgrounds may close due to bear activity, hazardous tree removal or covid restrictions so make sure you make reservations in advance. In 2021 a camping reservation was required with no walk-in availability.
No roadside camping is permitted
For overnight trips a wilderness permit is required and reservations can be made at www.recreation.gov
properly filter any water before drinking unless it is from a lodge or store bought.
shuttle service start at the end of May and usually runs until Labor Day.
Be bear aware throughout the parks
Respect and protect all wildlife
Practice Leave No Trace Principles
VERY IMPORTANT The KNP Complex Fire started in September 2021. Several areas of the parks were affected by this huge fire. Please check the National Park websites for complete information on these fires and there aftermath. It is imperative that we protect out parks.
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