Sequoia and Kings Canyon are separate national parks managed as one, lying side by side on the western slope of the southern Sierra Nevada. Sequoia protects the Giant Forest, where thousands of giant sequoias grow at around 2,000 m (6,500 ft), including the General Sherman Tree — by volume the largest living tree in the world. Kings Canyon adds a second great grove at Grant Grove and a glacial gorge that rivals Yosemite Valley with a fraction of the visitors.
The parks are reached from the west only: no road crosses the range here. They are about four hours’ drive from Los Angeles and three and a half from Yosemite, and they are much quieter than either Yosemite or the coast.
Highlights
- Standing beneath the General Sherman Tree
- The Congress Trail through the Giant Forest
- Climbing the stairway to the top of Moro Rock
- Driving through the fallen Tunnel Log
- The General Grant Tree, the “Nation’s Christmas Tree”
- The drive down into Kings Canyon to Zumwalt Meadow
Plan your time in Sequoia & Kings Canyon
With one day, concentrate on the Giant Forest in Sequoia: the Sherman Tree, the Congress Trail, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow. A second day lets you drive the Generals Highway to Grant Grove and, in summer, on into Kings Canyon itself. The mountain roads are slow — allow an hour from the Ash Mountain entrance up to the big trees.
