As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Kings Canyon National Park quickly became one of my favorites. We stayed five days between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, which gave us plenty of time to explore both at a relaxed pace. Staying in the middle made it easy to enjoy everything the area has to offer. Kings Canyon is simply breathtaking. The drive into the canyon reminded me very much of Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Around every curve, another spectacular view appears. Towering granite cliffs rise dramatically above the canyon, while the Kings River rushes below with crystal clear water, waterfalls, cascades, and rapids. It is one of those roads where you constantly want to pull over just to admire the scenery. Yes, the giant sequoias are magnificent, but Kings Canyon offers something different. The combination of the massive granite walls, the river carving its way through the valley, lush forests, and peaceful meadows creates an entirely different experience from neighboring Sequoia. The two parks complement each other beautifully. We were fortunate to drive into the canyon on a Sunday morning before the crowds arrived, making the experience even more enjoyable. The traffic was light, and we were able to stop often, take our time, and truly appreciate the beauty around us. The following day we returned, only to discover road construction and long delays, so we definitely felt lucky with our timing. One thing I would encourage visitors to do is not stop at Sequoia National Park alone. Many people come to see the giant trees and then leave, missing one of the most spectacular drives in California. Kings Canyon deserves just as much attention. In my opinion, the two parks should always be visited together. Whether you come for the towering sequoias, the dramatic granite peaks, the roaring river, or the incredible scenic drive, Kings Canyon National Park delivers an unforgettable experience. It is peaceful, majestic, and one of those places that reminds you just how extraordinary our national parks truly are.

I've been to Sequoia once, long time ago, and I just recently found out there's another side of the…read morepark where you can see beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and rivers. We came during Memorial Day weekend, and thank God the entrance was free. Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded even though it was a long weekend. We didn't get the chance to explore all the scenery because the wait at the restaurant inside the park was super long -- around 2 hours or so. We still managed to do a short hike at General Grant Grove and explored Boyden Cavern afterward. That ended up being the highlight of our short trip. I highly recommend the cave tour -- it was absolutely beautiful inside, and the history behind it was fascinating. We'll definitely be coming back next time for camping!

You have to check this place out!…read more Parking can be tough. We stopped along the road near the cliff because other cars were there. It turned out there were parking spots left (oops) but there aren't many. There are restrooms at the beginning of the hike, and there is even a rest area or rock like bench seating about halfway up, which is nice if you change your mind too. It isn't for the weak. I'm so glad I had water with me because I sure needed it. I was out of breath a few times. There are about 350 stairs, small hill inclines, and narrow paths. If you are afraid of heights, it will be a bigger challenge. You are close to the edge a lot with very open railing. Every time I thought I was almost done, there was another uphill path. Be sure to take lots of pictures. The view is amazing. Once you make it to the top, the area is more open but still very much exposed. It was such a cool experience to get to the top!

Super cool hike. Definitely DO NOT MISS. It was very well designed where there is a section of…read moreuphill rock followed by stairs so you never get super winded. The views at top are nice but the views along the journey are AMAZING. MUST VISIT IN Sequoia national park.

If you love nature and do not have a visit to the Sequoia National Forest or The General Sherman…read moreTree in your bucket list then you need to add it. The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the forest and seeing it in photos does kot do it justice. This thing is ginormous and gorgeous and has to be seen in person to understand the sheer scale of this thing. The Tree sits currently around 275 feet tall and looks even bigger when up close. The Tree is located about 17 miles into the south Ash Mountain entrance of the Sequoia National Park and has a large and plentiful multi-tiered lot if you go early enough (it will fill by mid day). It is then a short hike of stairs and walkways to the tree and adjoining trails. I definitely recommend checking this out at least once in your lifetime if you have the ability to as it is truly breathtaking to see so thing like this in real life. The majestic aura of this forest truly does not seem real until you immerse yourself in it. We will definitely be back again soon for another visit and to see what else this area has to offer

The world's largest tree by volume!!! Located in Sequoia National Park. It's breathtaking. The hike…read moredown to the tree was pretty easy. The fog made it even more beautiful. It's estimated to be between 2,200 and 2,700 years old. There's a small fence around it, so unfortunately you're not allowed to go right up to it to compare yourself in size or touch it, which is probably for the best to preserve and protect it.

Marble Falls , Sequoia National Park…read more First time I did this 5 years ago it was breathtaking gorgeous. Misty , foggy , a bit dark in lush green rainforest like tropical jungle. Second time was like that also. Third time today (04.10.22) not so rainforests - like due to burns. Really sad. Almost the entire place was affected by the fires. Looked completely different from last two times I did this hike. Nevertheless the water was raging at the falls. Some sketchy areas on the trail due to washouts. Sad to see graffiti on some boulders ( they weren't there 4,5 years ago). Tons of native species like Mariposa Lilies , Ithuriel's Spears, Pink Fairy Lanterns, a few blooming Yuccas , birds eyes gills, popcorn flowers, fiddlenecks, Madia , Chinese Houses , Tritelea, California Goldfields, Brodiaea, baby blue eyes etc. First time I did this 5 years ago and second time 4 years ago , my hiking buddies and I did not see a single other hiker but today tons , too many to count. It's too crowded now. Because of the burns and the crowd , 4 stars otherwise if this was 5 years ago definitely 10 stars.

Not a difficult hike, and pretty close to the main entrance of Sequoia National Park. You have to…read morego through the Potwisha campgrounds and park your car at a small parking lot. You start by following an aqueduct and then at a sign, you turn right and start going up. It is a moderate distance, 3.5 miles to get there. The views are breathtaking and you have a waterfall reward at the end. Which actually may vary if in the dry season. Alternative: If you don't want to hike that long and still want to see a nice amount of water, instead of going left on Powisha Campgrounds, go right and park at this little construction site. Follow a small trail, that will lead you to a bridge. Before you reach the bridge, will see to your left ancient paintings and if you keep an eye on the grounds around the bridge, you will see holes in the granite (mortars) that were made by local tribes to grind nuts. We were advised not to go too far past the bridge because it "gets snaky". We didn't see any rattlesnakes, but kept close to the bridge, which was gorgeous with a swimming hole and a little private beach.

Stopped by here back in 2021 and absolutely loved the trees, its an easy loop, beautiful meadows,…read morelarge trees, large rocks and on the drive up there gorgeous views where you can pull up and see the hills Overall great spot, loved it

Big Trees Trailhead is next to Giant Forest Museum. An easy…read moreloop trail around beautiful meadow, the trail path is mostly paved. There are several information boards along the trail giving you great knowledge about the tress and the meadow. Overall, it is a tranquil and awesome view with meadows and trees.

We came to Sequoia 2nd week of October. It was a perfect time to come. Thurs was drive day…read more Friday/Sat/Sunday in the park. Thursday was by far the best day as far as amount of people in the park and entry times/popular spots. That being said. It really didn't feel over crowded. I would definitely come back this time of year again. Also the weather app said it would be cold! 50-60's the whole time. It was only that temp Sunday. And when you're hiking you're warm. It was near perfect weather. For anyone researching when to come we would like to come in spring after the snow melt so that the waterfalls would be a bit bigger and maybe things aren't so dried out after hot summer. This was a magical experience felt like we landed on another planet and were walking in avatar world. The trees are magical. Great trails. The food at the lodges was surprisingly good and decently priced. (We shared a pizza). Same prices as things outside the park. No real price gouging. We got to see most everything in 3 days both parks. If you want to do every trail in the park and you won't be exhausted you could easily spend 5 days. For the main attractions 3 days was perfect. The only "negative" thing was the staff at Wuksachi Lodge. We were considering staying there but glad we didn't. We also saw another lodge and looked old and run down. We got Airbnb in 3 rivers and happy we did. Defiantly will come back again!

Never say never! In 2020 I wrote a review on Sequoia National Park and essentially mentioned that I…read morewould never come back for various reasons. I can honestly say that six years later, my perspective completely changed. The first time we went, I was with my young boys and they did not enjoy the long hike. The Park Ranger had given us a suggestion to go through trails that were too difficult for our family. This time, we parked at the Giant Forest Museum and followed the trail to the Big Trees Trail. This trail is 1 km long and the trail circles the Round Meadow. It was amazing! This was exactly the type of trail would have loved in 2020. This time, I brought my aunt with me and we did our research to ensure we embarked on a trail that was easy for everybody. The Big Trees Trail is exactly that! There were people on wheelchairs, young children, and families. There are plenty of large sequoias for amazing pictures, fallen over trees that children can walk through like a tunnel, and there was even a tree trunk with a smooth interior, and children were using it as a slide. Big rocks were sprinkled throughout the trail, and kids and adults were climbing on them and taking amazing pictures. It took about one hour to get through this trail, and it was breathtaking. After that, we drove to the General Sherman Tree parking lot and walked to see it. One thing I would change for our next visit: purchase pass online to save some time at the gate.

This was my first time at Kings Canyon and this hike was originally not on the list but glad that…read morewe ended up going. It is a longer hike through the trees and some rocky parts. I had put bug spray on and should have brought the spray with me because there were quite a few bugs that were persistent and annoying. This was a gorgeous hike with the canyon walls on either side and lots of trees. The path is clear and easy to follow. This time a year there wasn't as much water but still enough to see the waterfall. It was really relaxing. Overall, round trip this hike with about a 20 min break at the end was 3.5 hours. Going in the afternoon was nice because it cooled down by the time we were coming back. And there were very few others on the trail. I throughly enjoyed this hike(besides the bugs) and want to come back in Spring when there is more of the waterfall.

Mist Falls Trail is an absolute gem! The view was breathtaking, making every step of the hike worth…read moreit. Despite the hot weather, the trail is well-shaded by trees, which kept the route constantly cool and comfortable. Whether you're a seasoned hiker or just looking for a beautiful nature walk, Mist Falls Trail is a must-visit. Highly recommended! It is at an incline going up most of the way so be prepared!

Check out this trail if you are visiting the Sequoia National Forest…read more It is located near the General Sherman tree, and I believe there are two different routes you can take, each one ending up looping into the other route. The trail is around two miles (I think), maybe a little more. There was a chief tree, The Senate trees, The House trees, and President McKinley tree. At some point the trail can even branch off five different ways, but we continued on with the Congress trail sign/route. I noticed at one point the temperature seemed to cool down for a little bit. The views of the trees are simply breathtaking. The photos won't even do them justice.

Parking at the General Sherman Tree Parking Lot, then took The Congress Trail, you will first see…read moreMcKinley Tree, it's the center of the trail, which you can go to Lincoln and the the rest of the giant trees in the Congress Trail. It's about 1 mi to The President (third largest sequoia in the world, after General Sherman and General Grant). The Chief Sequoia is located a few steps from "The President", then further down the trail, you will see The House, The Senate (group features 7-8 giant sequoias clustered together). The whole loop is about 3 miles. Quite easy trail, with few easy incline.