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Things You Should Not Miss
1. Take a ride on the free Sequoia park shuttle.
This new way to see Sequoia is perfect for those that want
to explore the main areas of the park without having to worry about
their car. The shuttle has two main routes, green and gray.
The Green Route goes from Waksachi Lodge to Lodgepole Visitor
Center to the Sherman Tree and the Giant Forest Museum. The Gray
Route goes from the Giant Forest Museum to Moro Rock Staircase to
Crescent Meadow. You can even take the Sequoia Shuttle from
Visalia is you wish to connect to the above two routes. The
Visalia round trip costs $15, but there is no additional park fee to
pay if you choose the transportation option. The shuttles are in
operation from late May to the beginning of September.
2. Stop in and see the Generals. Both the General Grant tree, located in Grant Grove, and the General Sherman tree, in the Giant Forest, are true wonders of nature. The General Sherman tree is the largest single trunk tree on earth.
3. Take a ranger guided walk. There's nothing like getting the real scoop about the area and what you're witnessing from a park ranger in Sequoia or Kings Canyon. From spring to fall, these daily walks are a special treat. Also, at some of the campgrounds of the parks, the nightly ranger talks are a treat as well. Check at the visitor centers for a schedule of these walks and talks during your visit.
What is There Now
Ash Mountain - The ecology of
the oak chapparel is located in the foothills in the south Sequoia
National Park area. Visit the Foothills Visitor Center there.
The Giant Forest - Where not only the General Sherman tree resides, but the Giant Forest Museum explains the forest and its ecology.
Grant Grove - Here is where the other general waits for you to walk the twenty minute trail and see his tree, General Grant.
Crystal Cave - Yes, there's a cave here, too. Get your tickets at the Lodgepole Village Visitor Center or Foothills Visitor Center. They aren't available at the cave.
Tokopah Falls - Take a hike to the falls from Lodgepole Village.
There is lodging inside Sequioa and Kings Canyon National Park, some open year round, plus many choices outside the park as well. See the local tourist bureaus for outside park choices.
Inside the Parks
Cedar Grove Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park (Spring to mid-fall) - Lodge rooms in Cedar Grove Village.
Grant Grove Cabins, Kings Canyon National Park (Summer) - Rustic cabins in Grant Grove area near visitor center.
John Muir Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park (Year Round) - Modern rooms in Grant Grove area near visitor center.
Wuksachi Lodge, Sequioa National Park (Year Round) - Modern hotels rooms in lodge buildings. Four miles from the Giant Forest.
Camping
There is an abundance of camping opportunities at Sequoia and Kings Canyon with a variety of locations to suit your natural wishes. Some of the sites are open all year round.
Sequoia National Park (Name, Area, Elevation, Sites)
Atwell Mill - East Fork of the Kaweah River, 6,650' elevation, 21 sites
Buckeye Flat - Middle Fork Kaweah River, 2,800' elevation, 28 sites
Cold Springs - Mineral King, 7,500' elevation, 30 sites
Dorst Creek - North, 6,800' elevation, 204 sites
Lodgepole - Marble Fork Kaweah River, 6,700' elevation, 203 sites
Potwisha - Middle Fork Kaweah River, 2,100' elevation, 42 sites
South Fork - South Fork Kaweah River, 3,600' elevation, 11 sites
Kings Canyon National Park
Azalea - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 110 sites
Cedar View - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 23 sites
Crystal Springs - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 50 sites
Morraine - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 120 sites
Sentinel - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 82 sites
Sheep Creek - Cedar Grove near Kings River, 4,600' elevation, 111 sites
Sunset - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 157 sites
Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce
Visalia Chamber of Commerce
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Yosemite National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Devil's Postpole National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Sierra National Forest
2. Stop in and see the Generals. Both the General Grant tree, located in Grant Grove, and the General Sherman tree, in the Giant Forest, are true wonders of nature. The General Sherman tree is the largest single trunk tree on earth.
3. Take a ranger guided walk. There's nothing like getting the real scoop about the area and what you're witnessing from a park ranger in Sequoia or Kings Canyon. From spring to fall, these daily walks are a special treat. Also, at some of the campgrounds of the parks, the nightly ranger talks are a treat as well. Check at the visitor centers for a schedule of these walks and talks during your visit.
What is There Now
Ash Mountain - The ecology of
the oak chapparel is located in the foothills in the south Sequoia
National Park area. Visit the Foothills Visitor Center there.The Giant Forest - Where not only the General Sherman tree resides, but the Giant Forest Museum explains the forest and its ecology.
Grant Grove - Here is where the other general waits for you to walk the twenty minute trail and see his tree, General Grant.
Crystal Cave - Yes, there's a cave here, too. Get your tickets at the Lodgepole Village Visitor Center or Foothills Visitor Center. They aren't available at the cave.
Tokopah Falls - Take a hike to the falls from Lodgepole Village.
Lodging and Camping
LodgingThere is lodging inside Sequioa and Kings Canyon National Park, some open year round, plus many choices outside the park as well. See the local tourist bureaus for outside park choices.
Inside the Parks
Cedar Grove Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park (Spring to mid-fall) - Lodge rooms in Cedar Grove Village.
Grant Grove Cabins, Kings Canyon National Park (Summer) - Rustic cabins in Grant Grove area near visitor center.
John Muir Lodge, Kings Canyon National Park (Year Round) - Modern rooms in Grant Grove area near visitor center.
Wuksachi Lodge, Sequioa National Park (Year Round) - Modern hotels rooms in lodge buildings. Four miles from the Giant Forest.
Camping
There is an abundance of camping opportunities at Sequoia and Kings Canyon with a variety of locations to suit your natural wishes. Some of the sites are open all year round.
Sequoia National Park (Name, Area, Elevation, Sites)
Atwell Mill - East Fork of the Kaweah River, 6,650' elevation, 21 sites
Buckeye Flat - Middle Fork Kaweah River, 2,800' elevation, 28 sites
Cold Springs - Mineral King, 7,500' elevation, 30 sites
Dorst Creek - North, 6,800' elevation, 204 sites
Lodgepole - Marble Fork Kaweah River, 6,700' elevation, 203 sites
Potwisha - Middle Fork Kaweah River, 2,100' elevation, 42 sites
South Fork - South Fork Kaweah River, 3,600' elevation, 11 sites
Kings Canyon National Park
Azalea - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 110 sites
Cedar View - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 23 sites
Crystal Springs - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 50 sites
Morraine - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 120 sites
Sentinel - Cedar Grove, 4,600' elevation, 82 sites
Sheep Creek - Cedar Grove near Kings River, 4,600' elevation, 111 sites
Sunset - Grant Grove, 6,500' elevation, 157 sites
Sequoia and Kings Canyon Links
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National ParkSequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce
Visalia Chamber of Commerce
Fresno Chamber of Commerce
Nearby Attractions
California TourismYosemite National Park
Manzanar National Historic Site
Devil's Postpole National Monument
Death Valley National Park
Sierra National Forest
Sequoia Then and Now
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| (photo above), Round Meadow, circa 1940, group of Sequoia gigantea. From Library of Congress. |
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Sequoia Then |
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We're Really Talking Then
- The nature of Sequoia National Park has been around so long, well,
that it would have seen every major occurence on the North American
continent since BC. The growth rings of some of the trees here
indicate that the age of one tree can be over 3,000 years.
History in the Park - There's a whole lot of history in the parks, too, but they do seem to get overshadowed by the natural wonders and beauty of it all. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks were home to the Western Mono (Monache), Tabatulabal, and Yokuts Indian tribes. Once the exploration age reached the southern Sierra in the late 1700s, it did not take long before the area was replete with miners, trappers, and loggers looking for their fortune. Once the area was turned into Sequoia National Park in 1890, history did not stop. It continued with the cavalry troops of colored soldiers who marched from the Presidio to guard the area of the park. They also completed the first road to the Giant Forest. There are over 250 Native American archeological sites and 69 historic sites within the confines of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks today. |
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Sequoia Now |
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| Sequoia
and Kings Canyon are a sightseer's joy and a camper's haven.
There is such a variety of experiences to have and sites to
witness here, whether you like giant trees, mountains, or meadows.
(Above photo) Mount Whitney. Photo courtesy NPS. There are visitor and nature centers scattered throughout the park. Some are open all year; some not. Visitor Centers and Museums Foothills Visitor Center (Sequoia) - Generals Highway, one mile from Sequioa Park's southern entrance. Crystal Cave tour tickets sold here. Giant Forest Museum (Sequioa) - Generals Highway, sixteen miles from south entrance off Route 198. Exhibits on the Giant Forest. Beetle Rock Nature Center (Sequioa) - Summer. Located across from the Giant Forest Museum. Lodgepole Visitor Center (Sequoia) - Located 21 miles from southern entrance on Generals Highway. Includes the movie "Bears of the Sierra." Crystal Cave tickets also sold here. Mineral King Ranger Station (Sequoia) - Mineral King Road. Seasonal. Kings Canyon Visitor Center (Kings Canyon) - Grant Grove village. Movie and exhibits. Cedar Grove Visitor Center (Kings Canyon) - Located in Kings Canyon. Seasonal. Road's End Wildeness Permit Station (Kings Canyon) - East of Cedar Grove Village. Seasonal.
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