Sequoia & Kings Canyon (Three Rivers)

Home of the General Sherman Tree, the world's largest tree, with the sequoias of Giant Forest, the climb up Moro Rock and the deep gorge of Kings Canyon.

Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park lie in the southern Sierra Nevada of California. The two adjoining parks are managed jointly and are famous for their giant sequoia groves and deep glacier-carved canyons. Three Rivers, just outside Sequoia's southern Ash Mountain Entrance, is the most popular base. The parks fall into three areas: Giant Forest at the heart of Sequoia, with the General Sherman Tree, the Congress Trail, Moro Rock, Tunnel Log and Crescent Meadow; the Generals Highway linking the two parks, with Muir Grove, Redwood Mountain Grove, Kings Canyon Overlook and Buck Rock Lookout along the way; and in Kings Canyon, Grant Grove Village and Big Stump Grove, from where Highway 180 descends to the canyon floor at Cedar Grove for Zumwalt Meadow, Roaring River Falls and Mist Falls. The best season is May–Oct; the lower stretch of Highway 180 and Mineral King Road close in winter, when Giant Forest is open for snowshoeing—carry tire chains. Getting there: about 4 hours' drive from Los Angeles and about 1.5 hours from Fresno; in summer a park shuttle runs from Visalia. Allow 3–4 days. Tips: the mountain road from Ash Mountain to Giant Forest has sharp bends, and vehicles over 22 feet are not advised; cell coverage is poor and gas stations are few inside the parks; all food must be stored in bear boxes; rivers are fast and dangerous, so never go in the water.

Top sights

• General Sherman Tree – The largest single tree in the world by volume, about 84 m tall and roughly 2,200 years old. It is the top attraction in Sequoia National P…
• Giant Forest & Congress Trail – A forest of more than 2,000 giant sequoias. The Congress Trail loop winds through groves of giant trees known as the 'Senate' and the 'Hous…
• Moro Rock – A granite dome. Climb about 350 steps to the top for views over the Kaweah River valley and the peaks of the Great Western Divide.
• General Grant Grove – A sequoia grove at the entrance to Kings Canyon National Park. General Grant, the world's second-largest tree, is known as the 'National Ch…
• Giant Forest Museum & Big Trees Trail – A visitor centre on sequoia ecology and wildfire, next to the Big Trees Trail, which circles a round meadow and suits all ages.
• Tunnel Log – A giant sequoia felled in 1937 had a tunnel cut through its trunk so cars can drive right through it, making it a classic photo stop.
• Crescent Meadow & Tharp's Log – A high alpine meadow ringed by giant sequoias. The loop trail passes Sapp's Cabin, a pioneer dwelling built inside a fallen giant sequoia.
• Crystal Cave – A marble cave whose guided route passes stalactites and curtain formations, with steep canyon trails outside.
• Tokopah Falls – A roughly 2.7-kilometer hike along the Kaweah River from Lodgepole Camp leads to a granite canyon waterfall with a drop of about 365 meters.
• Muir Grove – An undisturbed old-growth sequoia grove reached by a roughly 3.2-kilometer hike from Dorst Creek Campground, far quieter than the popular s…
• Big Stump Grove – The remains of a giant sequoia grove logged on a large scale in the late 19th century. The Mark Twain Stump bears witness to the logging hi…
• Panoramic Point – A hilltop viewpoint above Grant Grove Village with views of Hume Lake, Kings Canyon and the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada.
• Redwood Mountain Grove – The largest giant sequoia grove in the world. The Hart Tree loop passes over a thousand giant sequoias, with far fewer visitors than Giant…
• Kings Canyon Overlook – A roadside lookout along the General's Highway with views of the deep Kings Canyon and distant granite peaks.
• Buck Rock Lookout – A fire lookout built in 1923 atop a granite boulder, reached by climbing 172 steps of open iron stairs for views over the mountains.
• Hume Lake – A mountain lake in Giant Sequoia National Monument for swimming, boating and fishing, with campgrounds and small shops along its shore.
• Boyden Cavern – A cave in the towering marble cliffs of Kings Canyon, with a guided route showing draperies and stalactites.
• Grizzly Falls – A roughly 24-meter waterfall beside Highway 180, a two-minute walk from the road and a good stop on the way to Cedar Grove.
• Cedar Grove – A campground and small village on the floor of Kings Canyon, flanked by towering granite walls carved by glaciers and nicknamed 'the other…
• Roaring River Falls – A five-minute walk on a paved trail from the parking area brings you to a rush of water pouring from a granite gap into a deep pool.
• Zumwalt Meadow – A flat meadow beside the Kings River, where the loop trail looks up at the granite walls of the Grand Sentinel and North Dome.
• Muir Rock & Road's End – A flat-topped boulder by the river at the end of the Kings Canyon road, where John Muir is said to have spoken, and a popular swimming spot…
• Mist Falls – A wide waterfall reached by a roughly 6-kilometer hike along the South Fork Kings River from Road's End, the most popular day hike in Kings…
• Hospital Rock – A boulder picnic area on the foothill section of the General's Highway, with red pictographs left by the Potwisha band of the Monache peopl…
• Mineral King – A remote subalpine glacial valley in the south of Sequoia, reached by about 40 kilometers of steep mountain road, and a hiking destination…
• Three Rivers – A gateway town on the Kaweah River just outside Sequoia's south entrance, where restaurants, lodgings and riverside campgrounds are concent…

Where to eat

• Sierra Subs & Salads – The top-rated lunch spot in Three Rivers, with sandwiches and salads made to order and the go-to takeaway before a picn…
• Gateway Restaurant & Lodge – A long-standing restaurant right by the Sequoia park entrance overlooking the Kaweah River; its riverside terrace is th…
• The Peaks Restaurant (Wuksachi Lodge) – The formal restaurant inside Sequoia National Park, with large windows looking out on the forest; dinner reservations a…
• River View Grill & Bar – A family-run riverside bar and grill with a large terrace overlooking the Kaweah River and live music on weekends.
• Casa Mendoza – A family-run Mexican restaurant with generous portions and fair prices, a back patio, and hours longer than most other…
• Grant Grove Restaurant – The in-park restaurant in Grant Grove village in Kings Canyon, close to the General Grant Tree, a reliable sit-down opt…

Itineraries

• Death Valley, Sequoia & Yosemite National Parks – Fly into Las Vegas and out of San Francisco, visiting Death Valley, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite in succession