Spotlight: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Giant trees, deep canyons, and towering mountains: Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks encompass some of the most majestic sights not just in California, but anywhere in the world. Ranging a remarkable 13,100 feet in elevation, these adjoining parks are where you’ll find the largest tree on the planet and 14,494-foot Mount Whitney—the highest peak in the Lower 48.

See the Sierra Nevada From a Lofty Overlook

In the park’s northwest corner, drive along a narrow road from Grant Grove to a commanding perspective of the Sierra Nevada atop 7,520-foot Panoramic Point. A short, paved trail leads to this overlook, which lives up to its name with sweeping views of Kings Canyon and Hume Lake. For a longer trek, hike along a 2.5-mile trail from the point to the still-operational Park Ridge Fire Lookout.

Take a Drive Through a Fallen Giant

Back in the day, tunnels were cut into living giant sequoias and their cousins, coast redwoods, to create popular tourist attractions. These tunnels, however, weren’t good for the trees, and the practice eventually fell out of favor. But in Sequoia National Park’s Giant Forest, you can still drive through an opening in the Tunnel Log, the remains of a giant, 275-foot tree that tumbled down in 1937.

Sleep Under the Stars at the Lodgepole Campground

Nothing beats camping in a mountain forest, especially when you pitch your tent at Sequoia National Park’s 214-site Lodgepole Campground. Not only is this campground at 6,700 feet beautiful, it’s convenient too—just two miles from the Giant Forest. Keep it car-free by taking a free summer shuttle that stops in the campground. And learn more about the park during ranger programs at Lodgepole’s amphitheater.

Behold the Largest Tree in the World

Yes, there are taller trees. But when measured by volume, the General Sherman Tree is the biggest on the planet: 275 feet tall and with a stout, 36-foot-diameter base. You truly have to see it to believe it, and the General Sherman is easily reached via a short paved trail in Giant Forest. To view more nearby giants, try the two-mile Congress Trail, which leads to the stately President Tree.

Go Deep Inside the Sierra Nevada at Crystal Cave

An amazing underworld awaits park visitors at Crystal Cave. You wouldn’t think much could compare to the giant trees and spectacular mountain views. But on tours with the Sequoia Parks Conservancy, you’ll enter subterranean chambers where delicate stalactites hang from the ceiling like stone icicles. For the ultimate adventure, crawl through narrow passages as you venture deep into the cavern on the Wild Cave Tour.

Climb to the Top of a Granite Dome

The majestic granite dome Moro Rock is Sequoia National Park’s counterpart to Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome. But while Half Dome demands a daunting 16-mile round trip, a more manageable 350-step stairway leads to Moro Rock’s 6,725-foot apex. Once you’ve made it, savor amazing views that stretch from the San Joaquin Valley to the snowcapped peaks of the Great Western Divide.

Many visitors get their first glimpse of the parks at this signature grove. If you’re arriving from Fresno via Highway 180, the parks’ northwest entrance is just a couple miles/kilometres from Grant Grove’s large visitor service area, which includes cabins, a lodge, a restaurant, a gift shop/grocery store, a post office, and several campgrounds. Almost anything you might need or want for your park visit is available here, including maps, and guidebooks, plus at Kings Canyon Visitor Center, where you can also chat with helpful park rangers. Several hiking trails begin near Grant Grove, including the short walk to Panoramic Point, which overlooks a maze of canyons and saw-toothed Sierra peaks (especially awesome at sunrise).

Busiest trails are near the General Grant Tree, also known as “the nation’s Christmas tree,” so dubbed by President Calvin Coolidge. Every year since 1926, the park has held a Yuletide celebration around the tree’s base. And there’s a lot of room to celebrate: the goliath measure 107 feet/33 metres in circumference. If it’s hard to wrap your mind around the numbers, picture this: If the General Grant Tree were transplanted to the middle of a freeway, its immense girth would block more than three lanes of traffic. A paved .3-mile/.5-km trail loops around the tree and visits neighboring giants, including the Fallen Monarch, a hollow, downed sequoia. Because of its immense girth, it was once used as a stable for the U.S. Calvary’s horses. 

Behind Crystal Cave’s spider-web-like gate lies Sequoia National Park’s secret underground world, a landscape of glittering mineralogical features. It’s one of more than 200 marble caverns found within Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. The parks contain half of California’s caves that are more than 1 mile/1.6 kilometres long, as well as the state’s longest cave. Most of the caves have limited access for research purposes, or require experience and equipment. But not Crystal Cave, which is open for guided walking tours mid-May through November. (Note: no strollers or wheelchairs.)

Crystal Cave, first discovered in 1918, is hardly a secret: thousands of people explore it every year, and the underground route has paved paths and solar-powered electric lights. The standard 50-minute tour is a great choice for the mildly curious and families with young children, but it doesn’t rate high on the adventure scale. For a more exciting experience, sign up for the summer evening “Explorer’s Lantern Tour,” when the lights are turned off and visitors carry candle lanterns. The biggest thrill is found on the Saturday-only “Adventure Tour,” a 4- to 6-hour belly-crawling trek. Headlamps, kneepads, and elbow pads are provided, and participants should be prepared to get dirty as they stoop-walk, crawl, and climb through off-trail passageways. Only in caves like this can you experience the eeriness of total “I can’t see my hand in front of my face” darkness.

The cave is located at the end of a winding 7-mile/11-km road off the Generals Highway near Giant Forest. For all tours, advance planning is required. Buy tickets at Lodgepole or Foothills visitor centers (tickets are not sold at the cave). Driving to the cave from either visitor center takes about an hour, plus you need additional time to hike the steep half-mile/0.8-km to the cave entrance. And don’t forget a jacket: It’s about 50 degrees inside Crystal Cave no matter what the temperature is outside.

Giant sequoias become even more regal crowned in fresh snow, their cinnamon-coloured trunks and deep-green needles dusted in white. While a winter visit takes a little extra planning and gear, it can provide an unforgettable alpine experience.

"Giant sequoias become even more regal crowned in fresh snow, their cinnamon-coloured trunks and deep-green needles dusted in white."

From December to April, cross-country skis, snowshoes, and other snow-play gear can be rented or purchased at Grant Grove, Wuksachi Lodge, and Montecito Sequoia Resort. Ambitious cross-country skiers and snowshoers can reserve an overnight stay (in bunk beds) at rustic Pear Lake Ski Hut, a challenging, 6-mile/10-km trek from the Wolverton trailhead (winter backcountry experience advised). For a milder alternative, join ranger-led snowshoe treks (offered on most winter weekends), or set off on your own. The most popular trail is the 2-mile/3-km round-trip on Congress Trail, with a side-trip to see the General Sherman tree. If you’d rather not fiddle with any snow sport gear, simply drive to the Big Stump or Wolverton snow play areas and build a snowman with the kids.

Note that most roads except Kings Canyon Scenic Byway are open and plowed in winter, but you must carry chains at all times. 

At least once in your life, you gotta do it, even if you don’t buy the t-shirt afterward. Climb Moro Rock. Unlike most once-in-a-lifetime achievements, this one is not overrated. The 6,725-foot/2,050-metre precipice, a bald granite dome that protrudes from a forested ridge, is accessed via a series of ramps and staircases. The trip doesn’t take very long—it’s only 300 feet/91 metres to the top—but it includes 400 steps that will have even the hardiest hikers will be huffing and puffing. To catch your breath, stop to admire the view of the Kaweah River gorge far below, or the zigzagging switchbacks of the Generals Highway as it heads south toward Three Rivers.

"At least once in your life, you gotta do it, even if you don’t buy the t-shirt afterward. Climb Moro Rock."

Once you’ve gained Moro Rock’s flat summit, admire the view of the Great Western Divide. This saw-toothed skyline of alpine cirques and glacier-carved peaks scraping the sky at over 13,000 feet/4,000 metres will knock your socks off. For best visibility, hike early in the day in summer, and on cooler days in fall and spring. 

Part of the beauty of this natural park is its remoteness. But that doesn’t have to mean a long drive. Public shuttles run daily, Memorial Day through Labor Day (note that hazardous road conditions can change scheduling, so check in advance). For a reasonable fee, the Sequoia Shuttle picks up passengers in Visalia (35 miles/56 kilometres) west for the 45-minute drive to the park, passing through the hamlet of Three Rivers then continuing to the Giant Forest Museum. From there you can pick up the park’s free shuttle, which stops at key destinations, such as the General Sherman Tree and Moro Rock. In-park shuttles are in service roughly the same time as the Sequoia Shuttle, though some days can be added during the winter holidays.

If you want to go even further with your public transit options, consider using Amtrak. Trains stop in the Central Valley town of Hanford, then Amtrak buses continue the 35 miles/56 kilometres east to Visalia, where you can pick up the Sequoia Shuttle to get to the park.