Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

Come here to witness some of the most majestic sights you’ll find not just in California but anywhere in the world. These adjoining parks are where you’ll find 14,494-foot Mount Whitney—the highest peak in the Lower 48. And while there are taller trees elsewhere, the General Sherman Tree is the biggest on the planet by volume: 275 feet tall and with a stout, 36-foot-diameter base. You truly have to see it to believe it, and it is easily reached via a short, paved trail in Giant Forest.