Kings Canyon Reviews

Spectacular views of cons and rock formation and a very wide space to see the mountains The breathtaking view of cynicism and rock formations and the river is flowing wild and the waterfalls is working too even with insect everywhere to,meet you

We visited in springtime and the river and the waterfalls were spectacular. Make sure you drive down into the Kings Canyon and don't miss Grizzly Falls.

Kings Canyon is uncrowded with unmatched scenery. The hiking is plentiful and scenic. The giant Sequoia trees are amazing.

Great 3-4hr hike but only for the fittest. The initial climb is tough for about 30mins but afterwards it’s mainly level with some short climbs and descents, the last section is relatively easy.
The views are amazing and worth the climbs, if you suffer with vertigo don’t attempt. There are sections that are dangerous and there are plenty of warning signs, at least one person has died on the route although they were larking around!
The circular route itself is well marked and easy to follow, it took us around 4hrs with stops. Take loads of water we drank over 4litres between us and it was not hot, less than 30deg day. The rangers won’t let up after 9am if the temp is higher. We were told to start at 7am which was ideal.

Kings Canyon is a lovely and quiet park. We spent about a half day here, doing the General Grant Tree hike, Roaring River Falls, and Zumwault Meadow. The drive down into the canyon was great and it really is beautiful. As others have mentioned, the best part is that it is not near as visited as other nearby parks. We visited several parks close to Kings Canyon but this was our favorite.

we drove up to Kings Canyon today, the drive was long and windy and narrow Ish. Could use some guard rails. Once we got there, it was easy to park in September. We stayed and walked for about six hours looking at all the trees. It was amazing. We got to see General Grant tree. they were so epic in size the pictures don’t do it justice.

If you are in a hurry, this drive down into the canyon is not for you. Every sharp turn in the road unveils another unique view of rock formations and vast openness. It is better to visit just after the snow begins to melt so that all the water features are on display. Everything was pretty dry for our visit in October.

Giant, tallest or oldest Sequoia trees? the answer you can find here. You can access the Park by shuttle bus or driving. We parked the car and walk through about one mile trail to get the answer.

Oh Kings Canyon National Park, you simply don't get the press and fame as neighboring Sequoia National Park just down the road, and for that I'm selfishly thankful. This park has managed to retain that off-the-beaten-path feel and sense of "getting away from it all" that can unfortunately be lost in busier parks. There's little, if any, commercialization here; not to say that there aren't amenities. The King's Canyon Visitor Center houses a wealth of information on the trails and the park's natural history, and there's excellent campgrounds (Sunset is our favorite), cafes, and a general store as well (look for Double Nut Brown Ale by Mammoth Brewing Company, a local favorite).

Perhaps the secret to this park's appeal is in its founding; the park was intended to force the visitor to get out of their car and onto a trail in order to reach the best parts of the park. Personally, I love this aspect of the park, with its lack of roads but abundance of excellent trails including the John Muir Trail that follows the same footpath through the Sierra Nevada Mountains as the Pacific Crest Trail. Whether you want to visit staple sites like Grant Grove or Hume Lake, or simply want to step out and hike the first trail you run across, this park is an excellent alternative to nearby Sequoia if you want to reconnect with Mother Nature without the distractions of shuttles, crowds, and tourists. You always have the option of staying here in Kings Canyon and traveling down to Sequoia on weekdays when its not as busy, the earlier the better.

The drive into the canyon is spectacular. Once you reach the bottom you follow branches of several rivers including the King River. The cliffs of the canyon, waterfalls and meadows are beautiful. There are campgrounds and picnic areas in the canyon as well as hiking trails. It was worth the long twisting drive up and back to see this amazing canyon.

Way better than uluru. Did the 3 hour walk and even though it was 6km it felt way longer. The 500 steps I wouldnt say was hard, but if you arent fit you might struggle.

We visited Sequoia and Kings Canyon. If you had to choose 1, pick Kings Canyon.

I think it offers everything in Sequoia and more: big trees, river and waterfalls, plenty of hikes, a lake, mountain tops and canyon views...

Amazing trip the views are awesome and the trees are unbelievable. They are magnificent. Sorry we had not a lot of time. We did get started early which helped since there was some road construction. Saw waterfalls, but best were the giant Sequoias.

I would recommend Kings Canyon to anyone that is going to Sequoia Nat'l Park because it has amazing views as well as having close to no one there with limited traffic.

Kings Canyon beautiful place to visit, lots of trails to walk, incredible nature, nice scenery, worth to go there.

Beautiful Drive, We love the view, definitely recommended, Just a little tip fill up your gas tank because is NOT that many places to stop.

having seen national geographic documentaries I though I was prepared for this park but nothing prepares one for the magnitude of these trees. Walking between these giants to made me realise how insignificant we really are. they have been around for centuries before me and will be for centuries after. Carry water and wear suitable shoes as there are many opportunities for hikes or walks, each with its individual character. The walk to general Sherman tree is quite a distance but well worth it.

I have been visiting King's Canyon for the last 50 years. This park has some of America's finest backcountry. John Muir helped to make this a reality for all of us. Everyone should take their family here. If you have the stamina, hike on the trails. If not just camp or rent a cabin. It is nature at its best.

If you don't have time to go to both park, then do Sequoia. It has more interesting and picturesque things to view - Giant forests etc

Kings Canyon is quite spectacular...the geology, the scenery, the beauty. John Muir got it right when he made his way into this expansive canyon, and decided that this entire area needed to be preserved as a National Park.

Be sure to drive to Road's End...there is only one road in, and this drive is really beautiful...at the end of the road there are some really nice trails to hike. So you can spend an hour or two, or you can actually do some serious overnight hiking as well.

Here's a list of top sights/things to do:
1. Roads End...get out and do some trail walking. 2. While at Roads End, walk over to Kings Rive and see John Muir Rock. 3. Take the loop trail around Zumwalt Meadow. 4. If you are Cedar Grove Village around lunch time...the cafe/diner serves pretty good grub. FYI...you will drive by a signpost for the Boole Tree...one of the 10 largest giant sequoia trees in the world...DO NOT take the time...the road is rough and dirt surfaced...the hiking trail is strenuous...and there is only one giant sequoia tree to see...you can see a far greater number of trees along much easier paved trails further south down at the main section of Sequoia National Park!!!

Our day and a half in Kings Canyon was amazing - and too short. It is stunningly beautiful with many things to do, we only scratched the surface. We started, of course, at Grant Grove and traveled through Sequoia National Forest on 180 for awhile before re-entering the National Park near the bottom of the canyon. Along Route 180 while in the National Forest, we decided to make a few side trips. Our first choice was the Boole Tree Loop Trail, but the Forest Road entrance was blocked - so we could not go there. We back-tracked a short distance and headed toward Chicago Stump. The Forest Road was rough and bumpy, but we had an AWD SUV so enjoyed the off-road driving and the scenery. At Chicago Stump there is a small parking area and signs so you know when you arrive that you are in the right location. It is a short 1/4 mile walk to the stump from the parking area - and what a stump! It is spectacular to see and incredibly emotional to stand beside this massive stump. It exists as a stump instead of as a beautiful tree all because of money & greed. There are signs posted around the viewing area telling the history of what was once the General Noble Tree. This was an excellent stop - one few people experience. We returned to 180 East toward the canyon, and decided to turn right toward Hume Lake for milkshakes. The drive down to the lake is steep and windy. At the bottom, we stopped at the Hume Lake Day Use Area, and sat by the lake on benches, watching boats and swimmers. Our children swam for a little while. We could see a sandy beach area across the lake and decided to drive to it, guessing the milkshakes would be in that direction. But, once there, our car was surrounded by Camp children. They were everywhere, hundreds of them, including crossing and walking in the road so that we felt we were somewhere we were not supposed to be. We saw the general store where the milkshakes are sold, but did not stop because the camp children were everywhere in the parking lot - it seemed as though we were trespassing on 'camp property.' In fact, the way the signage is positioned and reads when passing through that area, we felt no longer like park visitors on park land, but instead like intruders on privately owned camp property. Otherwise, why would hundreds of children be running around in the road with seemingly no adult supervision? So - we did not stop for milkshakes, or at the sandy beach area (which may or may not be allowed - I'm uncertain). Hume Lake was still a beautiful stop, and we enjoyed our time at the Day Use Area, and I'm envious of those camp children. Lucky kids! We drove back up the windy Hume Lake Road to 180, and continued east. There is one defining bend on 180, when we drove around and saw the expansive canyon open up for the first time, and everyone in our car said some form of 'WOW!' Coming down out of the forest to a view of such magnitude is breathtaking. It seems impossible to grow tired of looking around in all directions and feeling so small in this cathedral. The Kings River below was raging white rapids - incredibly powerful. We made our way down to the Cedar Grove Visitors Center to speak with the Ranger about trail closings due to flooding. She gave us 2 great suggestions for our family with two children (9 & 11). We had wanted to hike the Zumwalt Meadow Loop but much of it was flooded in mid-June. We checked into the Cedar Grove Lodge (which I'll review separately) then we headed to the parking lot for Zumwalt Meadow, and took the River Trail to Roaring River Falls instead of the meadow loop. This was a great trail - about 1.5 miles to Roaring River Falls, then 1.5 miles back to the parking lot. As its name implies, it follows the river, sometimes closely, sometimes not. The trail varies from rocky to smooth. The destination was fantastic with all the snow melt, the falls were definitely roaring. We were hoping to see wildlife - and did - a snake! Not my first choice. After our hike, we enjoyed dinner on the outside deck of Cedar Grove Lodge. The next morning, following the Ranger's second suggestion, we drove to the trail head of the Don Cecil Trail. We took this trail only as far as Sheeps Cascade Crossing, which is 1 mile each way, with about 600 feet elevation change to reach the Cascade. It was a hot day, but we started early and enjoyed the cool forest next to the cascade and from the bridge. The descent back down the 600 feet was filled with fabulous views of the canyon. After our morning hike, we drove to the Roads End Permit Station so my husband could relive his Rae Lakes Loop Hike he did 10 years ago :) and spoke with the Ranger for a while. On our way there, a huge black bear ran across the road in front of us, too fast to take a picture. It was amazing! We made one last stop at Cedar Grove for water and snacks from the store, to connect to WiFi in order to get directions to our next destination (Santa Cruz), use the restrooms, and delay our departure from this remote, wild, and beautiful area. (have I said its beautiful enough yet?) We stopped a couple of more times on our way out to snap photos. Our stay in Kings Canyon was one of my favorite places to ever visit.

This was my second trip into Kings Canyon in two years. Drove down the beautiful road into the canyon noting the amazing views from both the top and the bottom. Did the Mist Falls Trail hike again...this time with lots of water pouring down. Amazing.

Don't skip this canyon if you are visiting Sequoia. It's completely different and it is spectacular.

I highly recommend a visit here. Pictures do not do it any justice. It is truly a national treasure.

If you like seeing the canyon/river this is a great place! I like the many trails. My favorite is the one going to Zumwalt Meadow. It's picture perfect. I like going up the Don & Cecil Trail, in 0.8 miles upward hike you will see a bridge and a very thunderous and majestic waterfall. A lot of scenic views. Knapp's Cabin is ok. It was a former storage, but it did look like a house from the outside.

This place has one of the scariest drives. My hands were sweating the entire time. But once your get to the top and enter the park, it’s only a short drive to get to some of the trails and groves. The sequoias are a marvel to see and it’s so amazing that some of the trees are hundreds of years old.

After my conference ended Saturday afternoon I drove East out of Clovis to King's Canyon, leaving at 2:30 pm. I arrived at the King's Canyon entrance at 4pm, having stopped about 20-30 minutes along the way to take pictures.

As you head East out of the central valley, at first, the terrain is completely barren, no trees or other growth, except for a few groves fed by the King's river. However, by the time you are at 2,000 ft. there are quite a few trees. At King's Canyon, many many twists and turns up the road at 6,500 ft. you are in a forest.

I only had an hour before having to return - enough time to visit the General Grant grove and see the General Grant tree, the second largest tree by volume, but the world's largest diameter tree. It's about 1600 years old, 268 ft. tall, 108 ft in circumference at the base. The branches don't start until you are up at about 180 ft. above the ground.

In the pictures, you can see how huge the tree is compared to the people at it's base. Also pictured are the roughly 10 other large trees in the Grant grove.

If you have time, go to the much larger grove surrounding the General Sherman tree. It is about an hour's drive from the Grant Grove. The General Sherman is a little taller than the Grant, and estimated to be about 2600 years old.

It's fascinating how the upslope winds create just the right climate for these giant trees - between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, bringing regular rain at 40+ inches a year (and higher rain and snow amounts higher up), when the central valley only 60 miles to the West, only gets rain in the monsoon season and only about 10-15 inches a year.

It's always magical going up into the mountains. Here too. Make time to explore if you can. It's worth at least a full day to drive to the main natural attractions and get a hike in.

On the way up the roads have no guard rails and the drop off is 2,000 feet or more. But, fortunately, for the more cautious drivers (me) there are pull offs every mile or so to let the faster drivers pass. On the way down, the mountain side is almost always on your right, so you can go much faster.

Three of the worlds largest Tree are located here, The General Sherman, The Grant, and The Lincoln all 3 are located within the Kings Canyon/Sequoia National Park. These trees can be viewed year round and are even beautiful in the winter with snow on the ground and less crowds. The Grant is the National Christmas Tree of America and is located right past the entrance to Kings Canyon Park.
Getting to the park is only about 1hr 30 minutes from Fresno, Ca.

The drive through King’s Canyon all the way to the end of the paved road is 36 miles from Grant Grove. The road is twisting and breathtaking with sharp, deep drop offs but offer stunning views of absolutely gorgeous mountain scenery. Not for the faint of heart and certainly something that requires absolute attention on the part of the driver! I agree with another TA reviewer who said to allow 3 hours for this drive – but in my opinion, it is worth it.

We are from northern Ontario, and we found that the trees in kings canyon resembled the ones we have at home. That being said, the trip was still worth the trip.

We enjoyed many parts of Kings Canyon. The Roaring River is a must see and if we had more time, Hume Lake is beautiful.

We had tried to visit Kings Canyon 2 other times and both times the road was closed for work or some other thing. This time...OPEN and awesome. Go in the spring! I have seen photos of the falls and they did not do justice. Grizzly Falls looked like a torrent not a trickle. Absolutely magnificent.

We have been in many national parks. This is not one of the best. We went in the western entrance and saw Grant Grove and the Grant Sequoia. This was excellent! Do not miss it. The rest of the park and the drive to the Canyon was boring as was the Canyon drive. If you want to see a great canyon go to Black Canyon of the Gunnison in Colorado- it is excellent.

Awesome place to go for a vacation, a couple of days away or just for the day. My father would always take me during my childhood and the last time I came I brought my husband! He really enjoyed the mountains of Cali. Little perfect gem hidden with all the smog in Cali.

Kings Canyon was absolutely outstanding! The views were truly breath taking. You can spend hours in one spot taking it all in. Not crowded and we went on a Saturday in July. Weather was perfect, so much to see!

the views along the highway is just stunning, we stopped many times for photo. there are falls, and cave along the highway if you get extra time to stop by.

Although little hiking along the 30 mile stretch is available, the drive is spectacular. You get mountains, views, valleys and river. The entire time was just gorgeous and we liked it more than Sequoia.

Been camping a few times there with the family. Each time was just great for camping or day visit. There is so much to view that you can not do it all in one day or even one weekend prob not even in one year :) Love it can't wait to return!

The terrain is different from Yosemite, or Yellowstone or other national parks. It is more wilderness. The redwoods are so beautiful, more camping, less commercialized. The trails for biking and hiking are good.

The views are breathtaking, the wildflowers are everywhere, the river was big and beautiful. We had a picnic at Grizzly Falls, greeted General Grant and loved to see Mother Nature at her finest.
By the way, don’t bother with Sequoia National Park...long drive, long waits due to road construction, hairpin curves and too much traffic.

Many people some here and walk around some trees and miss Kings Canyon. Don't! Drive all the way to the end of the road, take a hike and enjoy!

Whatever you do, stop into Kings Canyon National Park and take in some amazing views of mountains, large trees, brisk rivers, beautiful valleys, and a touch of wildlife.

Visited Kings Canyon at the same time as we visited Sequoia National Park. A lot of great views when at the canyon. A lot of woodlands and forest.

It is a long drive down to the valley but so scenic. It was roughly a 60 mile round trip but absolutely beautiful.

Kings Canyon is among one of my favorites in terms of National Parks. One of the things that I don't like as much is the drive.

Traveler Tip: In order to get to the main site, you must drive on a road that I would recommend doing during the daytime. The edges are steep and would hate to see what would happen if a car drove went over the edge. Please drive carefully.

Driving/Passenger Tip: If you get motion/car sick, you may want to take a pill before getting in the car.

Once you arrive, the grounds are well kept and clean. The camping community is a friendly group as long as you respect others, the land, and the animals.

Overall, I would go back again and again. I would and have recommended Kings Canyon to many friends.

I'm a fellow traveler so I appreciate when other people have given me tips/recommendations while in a new city. If this information is helpful, please let me know by hitting the like button. Even if this review helps only one traveler then it's worth it to know I'm contributing towards making someone's experience better, giving to the global community, and paying it forward. Safe Travels!

There are spectacular views going into this park but wait to use the pull offs until you are leaving because they are usually on the left hand side going in and around sharp turns. A nice drive for high clearance vehicles is to go to nearly the end of the road and take the dirt road out on the north side of the Kings River. It is not marked but looks like a camp site that has a road following the River just after you cross the bridge. You can find fishing holes and remote picnic spots.

The Canyon itself is lovely. River is gorgeous, waterfalls great. I’m totally inspired by the trails going up into the sierras, can’t wait to go back

I had been to Sequoia NP twice in snowy March, and if I was merely interested in checking a box, I could have come to Grant Grove to technically see Kings Canyon NP. However, I came back 3.5 years later at the end of August to actually visit and hike in Kings Canyon. One of the best decisions I have made.

Kings Canyon is an incredible glacier cut valley in the Sierra Nevadas that would be easy to say, but unfair and inappropriate, is similar to Yosemite Valley. While Muir is so associated with Yosemite, I easily understand why he was equally drawn to this canyon as well. In some way it is so similar, glacier cut valley with a wide flat floor, beautiful river and granite walls leading to high Sierra mountains, and yet in others so different no Tunnel View, Yosemite Falls, El Capitan or Half Dome. While it may not have the superlative accolades of Yosemite, the setting and experience take a back seat to no location. While they are similar, you cannot compare them. One is not better just different, but equally amazing, like your children.

The drive into the canyon from Grant Grove is simply one of the most incredible drives in the NPS, even Yosemite does not have an equal to the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, see the post on that attraction. Once in the glaciated portion of the canyon, it lacks some of the majesty of a Tunnel View, El Capitan, Half Dome and the rest of the features that make Yosemite incredible. However, what it does have is a better, more natural experience hiking along the canyon floor on the Mist Falls Trail. For all its beauty, Yosemite lacks that authentic valley hike like walking across Kings Canyon and the solitude you can find in KCNP. While natural to compare, they really are both great and different.

We drove through the canyon to the end of the road and then we hike 8 miles round trip to Mist Falls to experience the canyon. For me, this hike is high on the list of my favorite National Park hikes. Walking through the valley forest, seeing the granite cliffs and hearing the roar of the Kings River at the Bubbs Creek Bridge made this an amazing hike. We even got to see a mother bear and her cubs. There is one place as you climb before reaching Mist Falls that has a place equal to Yosemite as you emerge from the forest to a rocky monolith with no trees. Here you have and incredible view over the canyon framed by the cliffs on either side to see another of the Sierra Nevada's amazing granite features, the Sphinx so named by John Muir. While the canyon floor and Mist Falls are great, this location with Sphinx may be that Kings Canyon superlative "Must See". From the scenic drive to the Sphinx to the waterfalls and tall timber, Kings Canyon is another incredible American setting and so worthy of the National Park designation that bears its name.

Rode motorcycles into Kings Canyon June 3. Amazing views filled with mountains, sequoias and waterfalls. We stayed one night at Cedar Grove Lodge which is located on the river, very pleasant stay. A destination not to be missed.

We were lucky to go here when there was snow on the ground, the park is glorious in the snow . We managed to see 2 lots of deer, luckily it was relatively quite and had some of the walks to ourselves which was magical.

Okay, so it's not quite Yosemite Valley because it's lacking the towering waterfalls, but the mountains above you are equally stunning. The canyon has a stunning river flowing though it that I must have taken 250 pictures of. We arrived in the late afternoon, so we did not get to hike nearly as much as I wanted to, but the late afternoon sun made for excellent pictures. The drive in and out is outstanding. The canyon is amazing.

We enjoyed the views in this beautiful National Park. The roads were frightening at times though. Lots of switchbacks without guardrails with high elevation.

An amazing park. The drive is awesome. Camping was much quieter than at Sequoia, and with a lot more privacy.

Beautifully set up to take great shots of giant sequoias. Walk is only a little trying due to altitude and slope.As with all California parks we visited, go early and avoid crowds.

The Kings Canyon drive from Sequoia national Park is really nice with great views. The only thing is that 35 odd mile drive can feel like 80 miles due to many winding up/down route with speed limit around 35 or so. if driving on such kind route is your thing then I would advice you to do it.

King’s Canyon is an amazing Park! I had mentioned our trip earlier in the year to several people I know who live in Southern California - all commented that it is a great place to camp and many go there annually. Based on our visit, I would agree but I also think it must be a best kept secret...

SEKI- as it is called - is an incredibly beautiful piece of natural habitat carefully preserved and managed. It is home to the Giant Sequoia trees on earth, many of which are thousands of years old. The park is the only place in the world where these amazing trees can grow and live. There are two trees to note - the General Grant and the General Sherman - the number 1 and 2 tallest trees in the world. There are many amazing trees throughout the park but these two stand out for size and history - 3200+ years old.

We also toured the Crystal Cave which is the only cave of the 300+ in the park open to the public for tours. Amazing attraction! We did he family tour which was good for us, but there are more in depth options for true cavers.

I highly recommend! Please don’t pass up the chance to see the natural wonders of the Giant Sequoia trees!

If you like big trees and I do mean BIG trees. This is the park for you. Check out the General Sherman and General Grant giant sequoias. If you like caves then you need to take a tour of Crystal Cave. You will need an advanced ticket purchase available at the visitor centers.Pan on 3 hours for this. Kings Canyon is just as remarkable. With the 2 parks close together you don't realize that you're going from one to the other. Driving along the Kings River is spectacular.

Next to its more famous neighbor, Kings canyon has some nice attractions to offer. There are some famous sequoias here as well, canyon itself is quite spectacular. There are good hiking trails of different length and difficulty. Definitely, worth visiting together with its sister park.

The drive down Kings Canyon on our way to Cedar Grove Lodge, where we were spending the night, was magical! The mountains were of different hues,sometimes red, sometimes white, yellow, dark, and craggy, and just filling up the horizon!

After descending nearly 4000 ft, we came across the Kings River which was flowing by the side of the road. The drive was awesome! Reached Cedar Grove Lodge to find the river flowing by the Lodge....the sound of the water, the sun light peeping through the Red woods, and the serenity that surrounded us was out of this world!

Ok winter may not be ideal given road closures and weather, but there are still some great vistas. Technically most of Kings canyon is closed but you can still view a few main attractions on the way in from the west in the national forest area.

Sequoia was even more challenging to access from the south with lots of windy roads, weather, and snow/ice build-up. The largest trees in the world are just plain cool. Other hikes would have been great here but alas inaccessible in winter.

Seriously- go up to panoramic point trail after dusk and watch the Milky Way on a clear night. It’s terrifying and amazing all at the same time. We were the only ones up there and we were so scared a bear would eat us. But we made it out 😅

Having stopped off to visit the General Grant Grove, we continued on to explore Kings Canyon. The road into the valley takes you down a 32 miles descent from 7,000ft to the valley floor of Kings River South Fork. Eventually the picturesque road runs along the river to Cedar Grove past Grisly Falls and Roaring River Falls and crossing Roaring River. Reaching the end of the road is slightly strange - especially knowing that beyond, across the mountains is Death Valley. It was well worth the drive even knowing we would have to retrace the same route. It has a particular atmosphere and we sat in the shade of a big friendly tree drinking it in while lunching on fresh, juicy plums.

COVID19 note:
The park recently reopened after being closed since March due to the pandemic. A park ranger at the entrance station will provide you with a map and seasonal newsletter. The ranger is wearing a mask, please do the same and obey laws and precautions as outlined. Stores, restaurants, hotels remain closed, but restrooms are open. Since tourism is way down you won’t see too many people here. Bring your own food and enjoy a Picknick.
Kings Canyon is located just South of Yosemite (no, there’s no direct route from Yosemite to Kings Canyon) It tends to be a lot less crowded (even during normal times) than its more famous cousin.
From California Highway 99 in Fresno take Highway 180 East and climb more than 6000 feet over about 60 miles to arrive at the park’s entrance. You’ve arrived near the top of the canyon. Visit General Grant in this area. A short loop trail will give you excellent views of this giant sequoia. There are other attractions and hiking trails in this area.
You can turn right and drive the “Generals Highway” to connect with Sequoia National Park. The road is being worked on currently, so expect delays.
Another option is to keep going East on Highway 180 to the bottom of the Canyon. It’s another 30 miles one way, steep curvy road, takes about an hour to get to the end of the road. It’s a beautiful drive. At the bottom of the canyon visit the waterfalls (Grizzly, Roaring River) and Zumwalt Meadow. Take advantage of the many photo ops.
TESLA drivers:
I drive a Tesla with a battery capacity of 300 miles. I charged it to 80% in Fresno. I drove into the canyon to Zumwalt Meadow. On your way back up it looks like you may not have enough electricity to get back to the Supercharger in Fresno. However, once you’re on top near the entry station it’s downhill most of the way. You will gain a lot of miles back to make it to the supercharger very comfortably.
Last year I went to King’s with my husband and 2 friends. Again, charging the car in Fresno to 90% you can drive to The Giant Forest in Sequoia NP at the other end of The General’s Highway and back to Fresno again without any power problems. That includes passing slowpoke campers on the uphill with 4 people in the car. 😉 Enjoy the quiet drive!

The drive is a winding, narrow road, with lots of elevation changes. Spectacular gorge with river below, but save your viewing for when the car is not moving. This road is less traveled than others in the park. Cedar Grove, near the end of the road is pretty and quiet, but food is limited in Fall.

We could not check in to our room early so we decided to go into the Canyon. It took an hour to go in and the same coming out. I wish we did more research on the hikes but we had time restrictions. We did see Hume Lake, Grizzly and roaring river falls both short easy hikes. Plan more time, there is so much to see. It is so similar to Yosemite.

Kings Canyon is a wonderful National Park just adjacent to Sequoia National Park and they are connected so you can travel between one and the other and your park pass covers both. The park lies within a couple of hours drive from Fresno and is stunning. From the General Grant tree to Roaring River Falls, it is a beautiful place to spend a day.

In this park you can see the nation Christmas tree and many other Giant Sequoias. We have great hiking trails, many places to camp in the park and the forest. Beautiful views of the canyon that the Kings River flows through, and yes it cooler than the Valley. Come enjoy all we have to offer.

Again nice park, great scenery and trees are amazing Rangers were helpful and friendly Jusr research where to enter park to avoid unnecessary travel

Went through this park on the way to Yosemite. Ideally I could have had more time here.

The best part of this park- if you're seeing it from the road- is the drive through the canyon. It's a fantastic drive. The one "problem" is that you have to "backtrack" out of the canyon- there's no loop road.

Other than the canyon, this park is known for the largest sequoia by volume. It's an impressive tree, but even in the off season, finding parking can be hard.

This park is an alternative place to camp if Yosemite is full. I took the route out and went through Fresno to get to Yosemite.

Kings Canyon is simply majestic and something you would have to visit at least once in a life time. Personally, if teleportation was invented I would like to visit it at least several times per year. Great area.... and check all my advice under Giant Forest review

Kings canyon is deeper than the great canoyn. The scenary is wonderful. My family and I liked this place more than sequoia national park.

Zumwalts meadow is beautiful. Worth driving to roads end. Best to bring mosquito spray. Grants Grove is nice with a short hike.

kings canyon has such beauty in it...as far as the eye can see! i loved driving through this beautiful area!

The main attraction of Kings Canyon was the scenic drive. The entrance to the park is already at a high altitude and we arrived via a smaller road which was already quite challenging. Hence the scenic drive works its way down to the valley floor via the winding road which is quite thrilling/ scary depending on whether you are the driver or the passenger. There are several places to stop at the river's edge once you are down including the basic visitors centre.

There is a small waterfall to view at the bottom also but the water was freezing - and this on a sunny day in September.

On the return we stopped at Grant's Tree.The best part - a visit from a chipmunk that we managed to video.

We visited Sequoia, King’s Canyon and Yosemite - and loved all 3- but the highlight of the trip was the stunning drive down King’s Canyon scenic byway that was punctuated by our favorite hike at Zumwalt Meadow. Zumwalt was magical due to the combination of an area of the river at the start of the trail that was protected and Allowed you to have a small swim, followed by a short lovely hike through the forest to a wooden bridge where you can cross the river with stunning views. Then you get to the meadow with a wooden path to cross over and the view of the meadow and the tall steep mountains that surround it is just breathtaking. You feel like you are surrounded by the Dolomite mountains. We walked just a bit further through the meadow until we reached the river and on our wAy saw a family of 5 deer. We turned around there and went back after just about 20-30 min of walking. Perfect and not strenuous, so the kids enjoyed it as well

My family and I had a wonderful time among the great trees. It was less crowded than Sequoia NP with as big trees. The rangers in this park were more enthusiastic and the trails quieter and beautiful! I would recommend you take time and visit here!

Sequoia trees, granite walls and roaring rivers! Toss in the meadows and waterfalls one has it all. Without the crowds of Yosemite Valley! Winding roads lead from Grants Grove to Kings River. Just be patient and take your time. Spectacularexperience.

winding road to get to it but well worth the drive and spectacular scenery. Nice museum thoroughly enjoyed our adventure

This trip we hiked to Mist Falls, waded near Muir Rock, and camped just one night at Sentinel Campground. It was beautiful and we would return. The drive is scenic, the river gorgeous, the cliffs spectacular!

Hidden gem as far as I'm concerned. Being from the east, we had not even heard of King's Canyon NP until we did the research prior to this trip. The views along the drive in the actual canyon are magnificent. Great spots for day (or extended) hiking, especially toward the end of the road. We were there just after Labor Day, so the crowds were gone but the weather was still nice. Unfortunately, smoke from distant CA fires hazed the views somewhat. Driving along the road was a pleasure >> not crowded, plenty of place to pull off for views, the occasional thrill from narrow/steep passes >> somewhat like but not quite as thrilling as Going to the Sun Road in Glacier NP.

Kings Canyon sits between Yosemite and Sequoia National parks and is kind of secondary to both. But if you are in the are don't miss out on this one. The diversity of the area's in the park and the scenery makes this a must do. We have traveled to over 26 National parks to date and this is one of the Hidden Gems of the park system. Between the Sequoia Groves when you first come into the park to caves and the Canyon below there is so much to see and do. With multiple hikes from easy short walks to Grizzly falls to more hikes like Zumwalt Meadows there is something for everyone. We unfortunately only got to spend one day here but I wish we could have done at least one more. There is so much to see and do in the area that you need at least two days to do it all. But if you get up early and start it is amazing what you can see in this park in one day. Don't miss out on this one

Kings Canyon is a beautiful place. The drives to see the various tourist sites is so beautiful. This park is so different from Yosemite. The trees and overall landscape of the mountainsides is different. I loved the gorgeous mountains covered in grass and wildflowers. We were there in early May and it was just beautiful. The drives offer spectacular views and do take advantage of the pull offs to appreciate what God has created. Absolutely a beautiful park to see.

Lovely scenery with mountains and river with rapids. Just as impressive as Yosemite with fewer people. Several grovrs and sdditional places of interest such as General Grant grove. Information centres and toilets along the route. High and winding route with great views but not good for people who get travel sickness. Would definitely recommend.

Totally recommend heading off early or late in the day to avoid the heat, on the 3hr Kings Canyon Rim Walk, great scenery.

Woa the trees are huge, loved getting pictures of them with my teens. The mountains surrounding them are beautiful and exhilarating. Waterfalls have fun quick easy hikes.

My husband and I try each June to visit Kings Canyon National Park for some (gentle) hiking and to enjoy the beauty of the roaring King’s River.
We’re never disappointed. This park is a “little Yosemite”. It’s uncrowded, filled with giant Sequoia trees and sheer cliffs.
We spend the night in Cedar Grove alongside the river and cook some dinner in the grills provided.
Simply beautiful.

Just about the favourite of my whole trip, the General Grant Grove. Well worth spending longer here, I had to cut it short, big regret. Bought an annual pass so I can return. $80 for a year of one car entry is cheap and you can do every park in the USA on that spend.

Take the time to drive the 18 miles in to canyon and have lunch at Cedar Grove. Picnic tables are available there and the trout sandwich is pretty good. The raging rapids along road made the drive thrilling but not sure how exciting it would be when the river does not flow much.

Had a great time!! Must visit - Grizzly Falls, Roaring river fall and Zumwalt Meadow! Falls were full of water!

The park is expansive and gorgeous! Much to see and do. Drive to the end of Kings Canyon and explore along the way.

Kings Canyon is often overlooked by glampers and makes a great base camp or starting point to enter the vast wilderness. The Kings river is powerful (when there is water!). Grab a site on the river for a day before or after hiking the backcountry. The elevation gains are strenuous and several trails offer no shade or protection. I've been in July and the place was empty whereas September is more populated by people on the trails.

Just a little drive further from the sequoias is another beautiful national park. Not as populated. There are some high vertical canyons and the greenery and the water is just spectacular.

We had the chance to spend two days in this park earlier this month, and it was a great visit. The General Grant Grove was a good introduction, but the drive up the canyon is the real highlight. The first few miles are a pleasant drive in the mountains, and then after one of the turns the canyon opens up in front of you. The next miles are a series of turns as you descend a few thousand feet to the river at the bottom of the canyon. The views into the canyon, and at the mountains and granite faces around the canyon are amazing. Take your time, not just for safety but to take in the stops and views.

Although not a huge falls, Grizzly Falls is a nice stop and very easily accessible. Take the time to hike around Zumwalt Meadow near the end of the road past Cedar Grove. The hike along the river gives you nice views of the meadow, and great chances to look at the sheer cliffs surrounding this area.

We were here in early August and still water on some of the falls, can only imagine what it is like earlier in the year when the flow of water is that much greater!

King’s Canyon is Gorgeous! Water levels are up, so the rivers and waterfalls are jamming! The vista views are amazing in every part of the park. The roads are crazy, as they’re narrow and winding, but totally worth the drive. From a car, a full day is enough to see most of the park, but it’s amazing how much more is available to backcountry hikers! Go visit our National treasures!

The quiet and calm of Cedar Grove, opposed to Grant Grove or Wuksachi, was appealing. Although Kings and Sequoia are combined, there is a very different pace and vibe of the far east part of Kings and the majority (minus the very different southern entrance area) of Sequoia. The scenery of Kings and Sequoia are almost interchangeable, again minus the south entrance area. A heads up about gasoline. There are warnings along the road and in guide books about the last gas station (a Valero) being the only chance for gas once you enter the park. Technically, but not really, true. Sequoia National Forest is contained within the park and has gasoline at Hume Lake and Stony Creek. And beware, the Valero "last gas" is far more expensive than the second to last which is just a couple of miles further from the park entrance. Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring River Falls the highlight hikes, Mist Falls much longer but interesting variety. Cedar Grove Lodge nice, with creekside tables for dining, reading or conversation. Lodge has a reasonable breakfast included for guests, restaurant has minimal offerings along with grocery snack items.

Spent three days here camping with my family - I haven't camped in 20 years but my daughter talked us into it. Last years forest fires and this years bark beetles have taken their toll but the park is still a pretty special place. You'll love the campgrounds and the hikes but pay attention to the drive into and through the park - it's a spectacular drive and worth the trip to California. Fly into Fresno and enjoy the drive.

Kings Canyon is a beautiful NP, also adjacent to Sequoia NP. The scenic drive is lovely, with stunning views. Plenty of vehicle pull overs for photos and many places to take a hike.
Grant's Tree is amazing and the Sequoias are enormous.
Glad we stayed and enjoyed the views

This place was truly wonderful. My wife and kids loved it. The sights were amazing. Plenty of places to explore.

This national park is sister park with Sequoia and is just beautiful. Don't miss Grant Grove Village Visitor Center as well as General Grant Tree. General Grant Grove was amazing. We drove to Junction View as that is all the time we had. Wish we could have all the way to Zumwalt Meadow at the east end of the park.

After a visit to Grant's Grove, you are on the right track for heading down into King's Canyon. It's an exciting and scenic drive - and there's a cool old gas station en route that is an experience in itself. Head all the way to Zumwalt Meadows (stop off at turn-outs along the way, too). Zumwalt Meadows, and the river there, are beautiful. Some nice hikes around them - very easy - low level and flat. If you have the time, make this trip.

In the Kings canyon National park, you can see big red wood tree, the most famous one here is the General Grant tree, besides, you can drive through the Kings Canyon scenic drive, you can drive along the river, and there are some falls you can see. The Kings canyon itself, I just looked at it at view point, so I think it's an ordinary one, not very special, may only worth 3 stars, but the Kings Canyon national park worth 3.5-4 stars.

So glad we took the time to drive back through the canyon. We were originally planning on just seeing the sequoias since we were only there for the day but so glad the park rangers recommended taking the drive. We will definitely be back in the future when we have more time.

Each grandchild chooses a national park in their ninth year to visit with us. Our youngest grandson wanted to visit California, so he chose Sequoia and adjacent Kings Canyon. Since Yosemite is so close and so noted, we also worked it in. Honestly, we'd never heard of Kings Canyon before, but it became our hands-down favorite of the trip!

Sequoia boasts groves of majestic redwoods and sequoia at 7000' avg elevation, but we didn't realize the General Grant tree is actually in Kings Canyon! As map shows, the two national parks and Sequoia National Forest sprawl over the area to the point you traverse between them all!

From Fresno, Hwy 180 climbs to the northern S-KC entrance at Big Stump and is actually in Kings Canyon. Turn right on the "Generals Highway" for KC-to-Sequoia-to-Three-Rivers south entrance. Turn left to continue on Hwy 180 as "Kings Canyon Scenic Byway" to "Roads End" only 4 or 5 miles beyond Cedar Grove Village.

We spent four nights in Kings Canyon at Cedar Geove Lodge on the crazy-wild King River. The drive to/from Big Stump entrance or Grant Grove is about 50 minutes (30 miles, slow & winding). It's especially spectacular early morning or early evening. Colors of the granite cliffs change before your eyes, and pullouts offer breathtaking views (plus a breather from eyes-on-the-road.) Kings Canyon is 8000' deep...the Grand Canyon is only a mile deep!

Though the road is narrow and curving, it wasn't at all crowded at the height of summer season. No bumper-to-bumper like Yosemite, but some do tend to speed up and round corners too fast...stay alert! Elevation drops to about 4500' at riverside level, and the scenery is indescribable.

Yes, it's a fairly long drive, but there's backcountry access, day hiking, horseback riding, plenty of campground space and a 16-room lodge, plus ranger station, store & grille. And no crowds!

If you don't want to spend the night, this is a fabulous day outing! Enjoy the ride in, and stretch your legs at Cedar Grove lodge (maybe a picnic at a river-side table or burgers from the grille). From here, plan a day hike or stop to visit four very accessible spots we enjoyed. Another mile or two brings you to Knapps Cabin on the left, a historic outfitter log building with a lovely view. Next is Roaring River Falls on the right - 1/4 mile and wheelchair accessible! Continue to Roads End to stroll on the Zumwalt Meadow boardwalk path. A hundred yards or so from the permit station is Muir Rock where you can stand atop and gaze at the canyon and river where the famous naturalist gave many a speech on why it should be preserved for our pleasure!

Make it a day trip to stop at all the sights and easy trails along the way. There are several rest stops and picnic areas or eat at the Cedar Grove snack bar. The VC was closed after Labor Day and no shuttle buses run so you need to drive. Watch out for cars parked along road for hikers and fishermen.

In order to get to the good parts of the national park, you need to travel down the 50 mile or so road to kings canyon. Thats where the good national park sign is.
The views and waterfalls you'll see there are amazing. Also, be sure to pack warm clothing. There are also many hiking trails if you desire to hike. A couple are very short and family friendly as well.

We drove through Kings Canyon and admired the beautiful scenery through the Canyon. The stream at the bottom of the canyon was full and we loved just listening to it. We took some great pics through the Canyon.

Kings canyon is truly Amazing! The scenic drive on route 180 toward cedar grove is beautiful but very windy and scary to drive. Worth the effort to drive the 30 miles between General Grants sequoia tree to Cedar grove (& back). The vistas, river and meadows are beautiful as are the waterfalls along the way. Worth the effort to drive and enjoy nature and lots of granite.

Kings Canyon is less bury then Sequoia NP, but equaly beautiful and easy to access...... plenty of walking optiong along the river.

You honestly need to put this on your bucket list, you won't be disappointed. We've been to over a dozen national parks. this one took our breath away.

We drove the hour to roads end, and highlights were grizzly falls and the river next to the road on the last half of the drive.

We used our first day to visit General Grant , Big stump trail, and panoramic point. Big stump trail was my favorite followed closely by panoramic point. Get the map from the Rangers for big stumps trails so that you don't miss the things to see. Sawdust piles from over 100 years ago and other stuff. Panoramic point had some beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada and Mount Whitney.

We only had a day to see the parks and it’s well worth doing by car if you don’t have time for hikes. King’s Canyon is incredible whilst the General’s Highway is a wonderful and varied drive. We stopped at the must sees and had a wonderful day - just one comment on the bends as you leave Sequoia to the south. There are a number of S bends but you really don’t need travel sickness pills unless you’re already taking them. Don’t be put off a wonderful drive by comments on travel sickness

The drive is a bit harrowing at times, but it's worth it. There are quite a few spots that you can pull off for the overlooks and take in the views. There are also some good stops that are right off the road, you don't have to hike very far to such as Grizzly Falls. It's a beautiful place, and we would love to go back one day.

The Giant Trees in General Grant Grove are a great opening act. Unlike the Mariposa Grove in Yosemite, where the trees have to be fenced off due to the sheet volume of visitors, you can walk right up to several of the Giant Sequoia's. The parking lot is right next to the trail (bathrooms are there) and the trail is relatively flat compared to the surrounding terrain.
If you have time, you definitely should drive the 26 miles to the road's end in Kings Canyon. You will see great rock walls, waterfalls, great overlooks and eventually wind down to the river, which you will follow for the remainder of the view. The drive and the views are spectacular. There is also a grill/restaurant and facilities at the campground near the end of the road.

We gasped at the glory and immensity of the canyon. We drove down into the canyon dropping thousands of feet alongside rugged, granite mountains with diverse views of forested, dry and rocky mountains. Cutting through the bottom of the canyon Kings River is full and treacherously rushing with beautiful white water. It's not a simple drive but it is so worth it.

Kings Canyon is often overshadowed by the more famous and adiacent Sequoia. and this is just wrong. The long road along the Kings river offers some fantastic sceneries which i had bnever seen before. A must see.

More to Kings than Grant Grove. Awesome trails and camping and spectacular vistas along the drive to the "End of the Road" spectacular falls and a lot less people. Give Kings a try and spend a few days you won't regret it.

When I saw it on the internet it didn’t catch my attention, but since we were going to the Sequoias park we wanted to take advantage of the fact that it was on its way, and I don’t regret anything. The truth is that the photos do not respect it, the canyon is amazing, much bigger than I imagined, the road is somewhat long but there are many viewpoints and beautiful areas to see. It took us practically all day to get to the valley and back.

We drove north into King's Canyon the 1st day and it is a lot less crowded than to the south into Sequoia NP. The drive is very varied with some areas seemly spare and then the farther you drive down into the canyon the more spectacular the scenery becomes.

There are many places to stop and see overlooks on the way down into the bottom of the canyon where you can see the King Canyon River.

Places to stop to see Hume Lake, Grizzly Falls, Zumwalt Meadow and lots of other places.

Take a full day to explore the areas off the highway and if you have more time you could hike in areas for as long as you desire. In mid July it was in the mid 90s even at 7000 feet so come prepared.

We did this scenic drive in a small RV (19ft) and it was amazing. The switchback road was awesome! Stunning views, canyons, gorges, rivers. Not many places to park for photos as you need to take care with the road especially on corners. A must do drive, well worth it!

This is an easy 1 hour drive from the Grants Grove area. The road winds through Kings Canyon which is 8000' deep in places. There are many places to pull off and enjoy the stunning views of the canyon. Make sure to do so. This is an out and back road that simply ends when you've gone as far as you can drive into the canyon. There is a lodge with a market and snack shop with great views of the Kings River. The road follows the river into the canyon and is a beautiful drive. Many great trails to hike. Stoop and see Grizzly Falls and Roaring Rapids Falls which are both right of the road.

This is a very beautiful National Park. Not to be missed. Great drive just past Project Cat Haven. Cat Haven in itself is a must see also. They help preserve endangered species of wild cats. Great walking tour, viewing some of the worlds majestic creatures.

To get to Kings Canyon it is about a 30-45 minute drive from Grant Grove. It is not the most scenic of drives and I was wondering when we were going to get to the good stuff. And then you arrive and it is meadows and granite with a few waterfalls. It is totally worth the drive. Drive down to Roads End where you can jump off Muir Rock into a very cold Kings River. My kids loved that part.

Leave the messiness of urban/suburban life! Get out with the creation of God & soak up all there is in these two parks.

The massive trees, breath taking mountains, winding roads, calm meadows, and rustling streams & rivers---these truly helped to refresh the soul.

Don't be fooled into weather forecasts that typically get it wrong. We expected cooler temperatures but ended up changing into shorts & t shirts. Week days equal less people & weekends are almost impossible to enjoy here.

We bought the annual 12 month pass: it makes entry & exit simple. For $80. It easily pays for itself quickly. You can see the several hundred parks nationwide & realize that $80 will go a long way. Each pass covers 2 people automatically & up to three more in a vehicle. Check rules for clarity.

This place is so beautiful and amazing! The scenery is breathtaking! If you are in California and enjoy the outdoors, this National park is a must!!! I can go on and on about this park! It’s so beautiful! The hiking path are great the picnic areas are nice!! This place is amazing!

Gorgeous! Breathtaking! Must see! We have been here several times and it never gets old. The beauty, the trees, the wildlife, and the trails. We only spent one day and it was definitely not enough. We would love to return for at least three days next time and be able to do a lot more of the trails. We had two great hikes - one with a black bear sighting. Fantastic!

I had booked a family tour to see the Crystal Cave. I thought I had allowed myself plenty of time to arrive prior to the start. However, near the opening of the park, PG&E was performing construction work and shut traffic to one lane. We waited for 1/2 hour to get the okay for our side to go through. To make matters worse we then got stuck behind a couple from Wisconsin who apparently were not used to driving winding mountain roads. They took every wind at 5 mph. There were a dozen cars backed up behind them, but not once did they take an opportunity to pull to the side at let others pass. We arrived at the visitor center 45 min before our tour. The park representative assured us there was no way we would make the tour since we still had an hour drive to the cave. I asked if we could get a refund and he said to take it up with reservation.com. I asked how reservation.com would be able to verify whether or not we took the tour, he just shrugged his shoulders and went to the next person. Reservation.com does not give refunds, so we got stuck paying for the tour as well as dealing with a disappointed son who was looking forward to the cave. Not only that, but the park maps only offer limited information. There are only a couple of signs during the drive to show miles to the next outlook point. Really insufficient. Then once you get to a trail, there are no trail maps available. I suggest taking a phone photo of the general map at the start of the trail in order to avoid confusion. This is a government run disaster from an informational point of view. The trees are well worth the visit, though. Wish I could give you some detail in the Cave.

We entered this park from Fresno on 180. Amazing views the whole way with many places to stop and take in the view. Just past the Big Stump entrance you can find Grants grove and the General Grant tree. AMAZING! Loved this area so much we stopped again the day were left.

We did the Kings Canyon scenic drive and didn't have high expectations. We were blown away by the vistas. They are incredible. We took the road all the way to the end and hiked to the falls. Definitely worth it.

Kings Canyon is not as well known or visited as many other National Parks in this country which makes it even more intriguing! We combined this visit along with Sequoia National Park, because on a map you see they are connected. Northern Sequoia and Kings meet. But, visit as separate because they both deserve the honor and attention on their own. There are Sequoia trees in Kings Canyon at the entrance. Grants grove is the highlight until you drive the 32 mile ONE WAY road deep into the canyon. The HUGE slabs of granite on either side of the road is beyond description. There are websites which liken this area close to the dynamics of Yosemite without the summer crowds. Campgrounds are available for extended stays. The park is isolated, so bring supplies because you will not find much. A small visitor center provides the essentials and expensive. The park is known for active bear and signs post this. A long day trip will make you feel satisfied that you did something on the wild side. Not for the very young.

We loved Kings Canyon and enjoyed it more than Yosemite. The hikes at Grant's Grove were stunning. We also did Kings Canyon Scenic Drive and Zumwalt Meadow (a must due to a very scenic drive). The snow melt was in full force and the streams and waterfalls were going full force. Be sure to stop at Grizzly Falls. There was a bit of a super bloom going on as well. The hike at Zumwalt Meadow was better than average as it was so scenic. It's a easy hike. We also went to Sequoia National Park and found the hikes even better than Kings Canyon. We managed to fit everything in that we wanted to do in 2 1/2 days in total for these parks.

Entered at Big Stump entrance after a beautiful drive up, up, up. The first big tree we saw was amazing. Stopped to get pictures. Went to visitor center. Had though we would take a short hike to the General Grant, but ranger said that we should use our time to see the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (something I really had not considered). Ate lunch at Grant Grove Village, drove to General Grant walk. The trees were beyond what we could have imagined. It is well worth the walk through this area. We had no idea what to expect on the drive on Kngs Canyon Scenic Byway, but set off. No restrooms or water until bottom, so be prepared.

It was one of the best drives I have ever been on-awe inspiring- although, I must admit, a little nerve racking for me. My husband drove, but I am not sure that I would have wanted to drive it myself. A plus though, with him driving, I could take in every view. It was very clear and sunny the day we went which made it picture perfect. The road is winding and on the edge of a cliff most of the time (with little in the way of guide rails (if they are there, they are small rocks). There are pull-offs along the way. At the bottom is a couple of small waterfalls, granite cliffs, more beautiful scenery. The falls are Grizzly Falls, very tall, but not a lot of water, but pretty and Roaring River Falls, shooting out of granite. It is a short, nice walk to Roaring River Falls. It was welcome after driving. They are after the Cedar Grove visitor center.

The road ends not long after Roaring River Falls, so you need to go back the same way you came (the whole way back up). We had stopped at the Cedar Grove visitor center, not much there, and at the Cedar Grove shop for water etc.

After coming back out of the canyon, we stopped at Grant Grove Village before heading to Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia via the Generals Highway. Takes 45 minutes or more but it is like driving through a painting. You will pass a restaurant along the way to Wuksachi (it is actually not on park land), but we didn't stop there, probably should have, because we were a little late for our dinner reservation at Wuksachi and were delayed in eating.

Beautiful place. Not crowded at all. Clean and quiet. Take road to Panoramic Point. You will think the drive is crazy, but the view is well worth the long and windy road

I really enjoyed this 9 mile hike. Total elevation gain of about 800 feet over 4.5 miles, so a moderate hike. The 4.5 miles back is easy. The goes to the Mist Falls and reminds me of Yosemite.

Don't miss the scenic highways and redwood groves A lot to see here, a lot two days. I wished we had more time.

We really came to see Sequoia NP and found ourselves loving the King's Canyon NP also. Hefty drive to end of the roan in King's Canyon but worth it. We picnicked in one of the meadows along the creek. Great fun on a be a

We were visiting Sequoia National Park and took a day to drive through Kings Canyon. We enjoyed the ride and loved the beautiful scenery.

There is no words to describe Kings & sequoia National Park, the beauty of these parks are amazing, I recommend everyone to visit these parks, drive slow and enjoy the view. In sequoia you will be able to see the highest tree in the world.

This place was really beautiful. We rode horses to the top of a mountain and it was fabulous. We rode through a huge stream and saw lots of hikers.

It is a somewhat long drive on a challenging windy road but worth to arrive in a spectacular location resembling Yosemite, with a fraction of the number of visitors.

Overshadowed by Yosemtie but well worth including on you itinerary. MUCH less crowded and a wonderful place to camp! A fabulous look at the grandeur of the Sierras!

If Yosemite is too crowded, consider checking out this place. The drive down the canyon is breathtaking, and the views of the granite walls surrounding you. Although this area has some damage from the drought and a big fire a couple of years ago, there's still plenty of trees for shade in areas. Hiking up to Mist Falls as a day hike from Road's End should not be missed. Other cool places to check out are Muir Rock (good place for an icy swim and beach picnic), the hike between Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring Falls, and the view from the back of Knapp's Cabin.

If you're planning to stay in Cedar Grove I strongly recommend that you make sure you have enough gas in your car to get out, as there are NO gas stations down there, and the closest in the park is at Hume Lake, which I heard runs out (the only other pumps that existed were at the King's Canyon Lodge, which was destroyed in the aforementioned fire). Best fill up in Dunlap or Squaw Valley outside the park.

If you're coming in after Labor Day be advised to reserve campground space, as campgrounds like Moraine start to shut down around then.

Also be aware there is also no cell coverage, nor any WiFi (unless you're a guest at the Cedar Grove Lodge). However, if its your goal to unplug and enjoy nature, that shouldn't be a problem.

In the Sequoia NP be ready for the lines if you would like to take a picture with the famous huge trees. In the Kings canyon we experienced less crowds and neat backcountry hike.

Okay, I admit I spent most of my research time on Sequoia. When we started the drive down into the canyon I was awestruck. The canyon is one of the most beautiful places I have seen. As we kept driving it back me even more amazing.

Give Kings Canyon at least a full day to fully enjoy spectacular views from the mountain road and allow time to walk on one of the readily accessible trails or take a longer hike or backpacking excursion. Views rival Yosemite and include splendid mountains, a rushing river, waterfalls and wildlife. On a quiet weekday in October, the place was paradise but be warned that this may not be the case when the huge camp ground is filled to capacity.

Came to see Kings Canyon NP and to take in its beauty. The General Grant tree and surrounding area is beautiful. We also drove to Grizzly Falls (technically not in the park) and enjoyed the coolness caused by the snow melt. Came back the road and got to Panoramic Point just before sunset - it was a beautiful stopping point and well worth the time - and then the less friendly drive out of the park in the dark.

We really enjoyed seeing one of the lesser traveled Parks.

This is a beautiful park associated with Sequoia National Park. Be sure to drive through this park as well as Sequoia.

take a drive, go for a hike, sit by the king river, spend nights camping in campgrounds or go back packing in, whatever you do, it will be awesome! Kings Canyon is a treasure.

We had a great experience at King's canyon until we had to drive down by route 245 to Dinuba for staying at hotel.
What a bad idea we chose, it was super winding for 80% of the route, It was not scenic either. So the advice we want to give you is never take 245, use hwy 180 only.
We thought we could see difference scenery, but we were so wrong and very disappointed.

It’s been at least 16 years since I’ve been to Kings Canyon National Park and it was better than I remembered.There’s a wide variety of terrain,rock formations,forest,river and meadows.
Many marked sights along the way.There are some blind spots in the parking areas so I recommend stopping at most on the way out.
Grizzly Falls,Zumalt Meadow and so much more to see and do.
I’ll drive to this Park every time in the area.
Will be back sooner than 16 years.

The drive into it is a bit scary, but it's well worth the trip. The canyon is beautiful. Because of all the snow this past winter, the rivers are very high and particularly beautiful.

If you have time, I recommend taking a day to drive into Kings Canyon. It is a great drive down away from the more crowded parts of the park and the road runs along a beautiful river. Make sure to stop by one of the falls for a great view.

I loved the drive into Kings Canyon with its dramatic views. Plenty of pull overs to view and pass if needed. A little smoky with the California fires.

You never really know what to expect when you go to a new National Park, you can just bet that it will be awesome, and Kings Canyon was beyond awesome. The auto tour road is just stunning--lots of great places to get out and enjoy views with massive trees, rock formations and waterfalls. The streams and trails are filled with birds and views that will leave you awestruck. The massive trees are a sight to behold and have some wonderful tails and information signs around them. We planned to spend a few hours here and ended up here for about 6 hours and wished we had had even more time! Couple this with Seqouia for at least a 2 day visit--add on nearby Yosemite for a longer 4 day + visit.

There were a lot less people the farther into the canyon i drove. The drive was beautiful! Great hiking and peaceful

Our innkeeper strongly encouraged us to spend time in Kings Canyon, and it was absolutely stunning. It took serious willpower to drive some of the roads to and thru the park, especially when we learned there had been multiple fatalities a couple months prior, but we're glad we didn't let that stop us.

Simply put, this has to be the most beautiful national park I've ever been too. I've been to 9 including Yellowstone and Rocky Mountain, but the view on the drive down are unparalleled.

Beatiful place at the end of the sequioa and kings canyon park. Camps by the river. Los of trails to do nearby. Places have fotos containers for bears. We actually saw 3 bears!

We visited Kings Canyon after spending a very long day in Sequoia - I wasn't sure we'd need more time in that part of the Sierras (the air was awful from the fires). I am so glad we took the time to drive into Kings Canyon! The river is beautiful, the rock cliffs are inspiring, and the environment is pretty different from the sequoia forests. The road into Cedar Grove is long and winding - its a blast in a regular passenger car! I'd recommend leaving yourself time to explore and take one of the short hikes.

We entered by Rt. 180. Stopped at various overlooks along the generals highway, which is quite curvy and steep at times. But the views are really amazing!

While Sequoia is all about its massive majestic trees, Kings Canyon towering gigantic granite walls are just as dramatic in a very different way. Each one has its own beauty which of course is in the eye of the beholder!

Wow wow wow! I really didn't know what to expect from this park but oh my, the drive through Kings Canyon from Grant Grove to Cedar Grove is truly spectacular. There are several hikes at the end of the road - we did the one up to Mist Falls and loved it. The first weekend in May was a wonderful time to visit because Hwy 180 was open but it wasn't too crowded for National Park standards. I highly recommend!

Was in the area so decided to take a short driving tour of these 2 parks to get a sense of it and come back later for a deeper dive.

I found entering the parks via the Kings Canyon entrance, (Northern entrance nearer Fresno) and then driving out via the southern entrance by Three Rivers/Visalia is probably the easier route as parts of the General Highway has massive switchbacks for about 12 miles - going downhill (from 7000+ ft (near the G Sherman tree) to maybe 2000+ ft,(a few miles before the southern gate) before the switch back ends). Going the reverse direction means going uphill on the switchbacks.

Signage could be improved upon in the parks - compared to a more popular park like Yosemite, not as clear. $30/car for a week's pass seems high, but I d not begrudge the National Parks the money!

Given my short amount of time in the park, I did very little intensive hiking, but merely stopped at the recommended stops. I found these 2 parks to be very serene especially on a beautiful fall day in Nov when there was hardly anyone around - the short walks to the various sights were very nice, and I could see how longer hikes would be great. However, I am a bit puzzled that at this elevation and cool temp (it was in the 50's) at some places, there were lots of bugs swarming around - not very comfortable - not sure if in the summer it gets worse!

Overall, doable for a day trip but the journey into the parks especially Sequioa National (from Southern entrance) is a bit of a drive. I would like to return for a longer hiking trip in the future - it's so pretty out here and a lot more isolated than Yosemite.

This was the right place to go! It was so beautiful and easy to go out and stop the car to look at the beautiful surroundings.
We will definately recommend others this park instead of just going to Yosemite.
It was a 35$ entry, but it was worth it all!

In many ways just as amazing as Sequoia. If you are in the area, take the time to visit. If it were not in the shadow of the more famous park next door, it would be world-famous.

We did Sequoia one full day and Kings Canyon the next full day. Takes about an hour to drive from grant grove to the bottom. Very curvy and winding road with lots of amazing views. Lots of pull offs. Rushing water is amazing. Waterfalls are easy to get to from the road. The meadow is also nice. Very beautiful scenery and not as crowded. Drive back up seems easier than the deice down.

This is an amazing place to visit. Abutted next to Sequoia NP, Kings Canyon offers views of giant sequoia redwoods without the craziness of Sequoia NP……. but also offers an amazing canyon and Alpine vistas. That said, it’s an amazing place. Are there issues yes. Here are some suggestions as to how to deal with them:

-Limited cell phone service. Have your Google Maps open. Even with areas of poor service, you’ll still be able to track where you are. However, don’t close the ap prematurely.
-Limited overnight accommodations. Hotel rooms may fill up fast for the summer…. Especially weekends. Not sure about camping sites.
-Limited eating options. There is Grant’s Grove Village and there is a spot at Cedar Grove. That’s it. It’s best to stock up at Grant’s Grove prior to trekking to the End of the Road in case Cedar Grove is low on supplies.
-Limited fuel options. I don’t recall see any gas stations in Grant’s Grove. I believe there is one east of Grant’s Grove in the Sierra National Forest before reentering Sequoia NP. Otherwise, fill up before entering the park.
-The drive to Cedar Grove. The drive to Cedar Grove is amazing. However, it is very winding not for the faint of heart.

A 74 mile round trip from John Muir Lodge right to the end of the Canyon but worth every moment. Different vistas round every corner, breathtaking scenery etc etc.especially as we were there just as Autumn was turning the leaves into a brilliant show of colour and, combined with the beautiful river, a stunning spectacle.
Do yourself a favour-give it a try!!

Fabulous if challenging walk through the area around the canyon Superbly marked and supported with bridges, stairways. Fabulous views of the country. 2.15 hrs

Words or pictures cannot describe the beautify this park, or this particular stop. It is OUTSTANDING!!!

Want to see a big tree? The General Sheman tree is the world's largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain wide high up. Sixty feet above the base, the Sherman Tree is 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter.
Both parks, Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Orrer wonderful sites, vistas, trails and scenery. Well worth the trip. Entrance fee is by carload, so if you are a senior, consider getting a lifetime pass. It's good for the person who signs the pass and up to 3 other guests in the car.

We hadn't hear of Kings Canyon before planning our Californian roadtrip, but so glad we went to visit. It's a stunning part of the world, with endless vista points and a gorgeous landscape. Lots of wildlife - we encountered lots of deer, small furries and birds. Stayed at Cedar Grove Lodge which was quite out of the way, with few facilities nearby but very quiet and relaxing.
Lots of fantastic walks, well worth it for a few days (or more if you're interested in venturing into the wilderness).

This is a very remote area, and it is really beautiful! How the road down into the canyon was ever constructed was a mystery to us. Pack a lunch and plan to spend the day, driving, stopping to look, hiking. It's just spectacular!

From the Kings Canyon visitors center the 1 hour drive drops 2000 feet to a beautiful valley. Many hikes and picnicking spots are available and very picturesque.

In just a short time, you can see so many beautiful things in Kings Canyon. It is well worth the time to travel along the scenic road.

Awesome trip, great views, the trails are awesome, definitely see the trees, try to get started early to avoid the crowds.

Drive deep into the canyon and hike down to the icy-cold stream - you will appreciate it! We lodged our water bottles in the stream and bathed our tired feet. Take lots of drinking water with you and wear a hat - there is little shade until you get down to the around the stream. The entire hike is probably a bit arduous for a small child if it is hot, unless you don't mind carrying them.

After visiting Sequoia National Park, we scooted over to Kings Canyon - just the tip. Since its winter, we couldn't go very far into the park, but wanted to see what we could. They have a nice Visitor Center with a Park video (a must). Up the road is a nice loop trail for the General Grant Tree. Most of the Park is back country so you don't get to see much, particularly in winter. Both the Trees and the Canyon are wonderful though.

Glad we went.

The drive down the canyon and back up was beautiful and even a bit unnerving. The waters rushing down the mountain were fantastic and the views were WOW! There are lots of places to pull over and take pictures along the winding switchback road. Especially gorgeous was Grizzly Falls and Roaring River Falls.

A must do drive and although it was 33 miles (not 27 miles as sign posted) to the very bottom of the canyon it was well worth doing.
Stopping at Grizzly Falls and various view points along the way was awesome.

Kings Canyon National Park is wonderful. We like the HWY 180 scenic drive, the King River, cliff overlooks, Grizzly Falls, Roaring River Falls, wild flowers, and Visitor Center. You could visit a cavern at Sequoia National Forest which is in the Kings Canyon.

This is a beautiful area that is lightly used. The highlights are the views and the waterfalls. You can see a lot from the road and the pullouts. There are some shorter trails that you can enjoy without having to go back country.

We spent a terrific day here, to be honest, we hit the highlights: General Grant in Kings Canyon, (world's second largest sequoia tree) and General Sherman in Sequoia, (world's largest tree, period!).

There is a lot more to do here than we did, but only had the day, so wanted to do a few short hikes, have lunch (the parking lot at the Sequoia visitors center gets extremely busy, so be prepared). The restaurant at the Visitors Center is not super expensive, very good and fast (order, bring food to your table when your number is called), and also has ice cream, great for hot days!

The Junior Ranger program for kids is great, you get a single badge for both parks, so the kids dont have to spend too much of your day doing two activity books!

Just FYI, restrooms in Sequoia near General Sherman were ROUGH, so use the restrooms at the visitors center, these were better maintained (still not amazing, but they accommodate a lot of people). There is also laundry facilities and a general store there at Sequoia.

The General Grant tree is a short 1/2 mile paved hike. You see several large trees on the hike. There really was not a lot to see due to the road being closed to the canyon itself. The drive is beautiful, and we did see a bear while there. It is connected to Sequoia National Park, so go through it. Actually, you have to drive through it to get to Sequoia National Park since the south road into Sequoia is closed also.

We visited Kings Canyon in September and the weather was perfect and there were no crowds. The Sequoia Grove is every bit as nice as Sequoia NP (which is also spectacular) and much less less crowded. It is a beautiful Park with lots of trails and viewpoints. Our whole family enjoyed our 2 days in the park.

Just a note to share that parking through out the park was hard to find so either go early morning or 1 pm or later. We stayed in Mariposa since the hotels near or in park were fully booked. Weather was great. Lots of bus transport throughout the park so park in main parking and bus it to trails and sights.

We visited the park in early October 2018. For those that don't know, there are two parts to Kings Canyon National Park. Grants Grove is the original park, and covers the area surrounding the giant sequoia groves around Grants Grove. It's quite small considering the later addition to the park which is huge - lying to the east up to the high Sierras. I remember this area for the role played in Los Angeles' constant search for water, controversially wanting to dam the Kings River as a water source, as late as the mid-60s.

There were not a lot of crowds when we visited. Being relatively empty made it easy to stop a lot, enjoy the vistas, fresh air and take lots of photographs. It's a long downhill and windy (curvy) drive from Grants Grove, losing about 2500-3000 ft of elevation, parts of which are stunningly beautiful. At the bottom of the hill, the highway passes dramatically through a narrow gorge, the roadway cut right out of the cliff. Closely following the South Fork of the Kings River brings one to the Park's entrance. From there it's about a 10-15 minute drive to Road's End where one either begins a hiking adventure into the Sierras or turns around to head back. Along the way dramatic, glaciated cliffs rise on both sides of the valley, waterfalls, river views, campgrounds, picnic areas. We had lunch at the cafe/gift shop/store/lodge. Good burger.

Beautiful drive the way to Kings Canyon. Bring your camera, take your time, and plan to stop at the many scenic vistas along the way. You will be driving along the edge of a cliff at times. The scenery is spectacular and relaxing as long as you go slowly and pull over to let those behind you pass where turnouts are provided.

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Kings Canyon is a real treasure. It has towering peaks, rushing rivers, lush meadows, and thriving wildlife. It also receives far fewer visitors than nearby Sequoia or Yosemite, making for less stress and no waiting in lines. It's about two hours (85 miles) from either Fresno or Visalia, the nearest decently-sized cities, but it's a very fun drive through winding roads in varied terrain.

Once in the canyon, there are several sights that are just off the road, like Roaring River Falls and Zumwalt Meadow. If you have the time and ability, hike to Mist Falls, an 8.1-mile moderately difficult out-and-back route along the Kings River. The falls are really roaring with the extensive snow of the past season, and the views are absolutely gorgeous.

Of course, the park is mostly wilderness with few services and various potential hazards, so it's essential to be prepared. The official park website has a lot of great information to help plan a trip, and there are up-to-date conditions and resources at the Cedar Grove Visitors Center as well as the Roads End Permit Station.

We made the big rim, the beginning is steep, but after it's almost flat, well with holes and bumps but not difficult if you are fit... the all loop is beautiful, it's impossible to do in reverse side, but better like that... and the Eden garden is worth it, even if you can't swim to respect the local belief. Don't go too late because there are just few places with shadow... And take some water and good shoes!

This park is beautiful! Happy for the time away from signal and the serene beauty of wildlife and trees. So many great things to do if you have an outdoor mindset and enjoy the simplicity of nature.

Unlike attractions in the Sequoia N.P that you need to hike 1-3 miles (some up to +10miles) to see, attractions in Kings Canyon are mostly very close to the parking lot, and only need to hike 0.2-0.5 miles to get there. Therefore it does not provide many hiking opportunities. If you're looking to hike, you should spend more time in the Sequoia N.P.

The redwoods are natural wonders that everyone should have on their booklet list! The size is mind boggling. We did not make it as far as kings canyon. Next time! Climbed up to Moro rock. Spectacular views! Pretty drive in. Nothing bad to say. Go!!

Attached to Sequoia, Kings Canyon is a beautiful piece of landscape with large trees and deep canyon topography. Just gorgeous.

Beautiful park with a great drive along and through the canyon. Lots of areas to pull to the side of the road and take in the views.

We had a hard time finding out exactly where Muir Rock was because we were there at the end of September and no one from the National Park Service or Information Center was there because they were closed for the season when we finally got to Roads End. We asked several people who were hiking in the area and they had no idea what we were talking about. One couple finally directed us to short path that leads to a large rock in the river, and there it was! It is actually a beautiful and peaceful site with a lovely view. I'm glad we finally found it because it is not shown on very many maps and it is very near the parking lot at Roads End. After making the long and spectacular all day drive down the Canyon Road, it would have been a shame not to see this lovely point of interest. The drive to get here is so amazing and well worth taking a day to do it.

We only live 3.5 hours away and this was our first visit. Sad we waited so long. This place is beautiful! Drive to the road's end and do the Zumwalt meadow loop hike. It's like Yosemite without the crowds! Beautiful meadow tucked inside monolith granite cliffs with a rushing river, Spectacular!

This is a beautiful area. Great views. Great hiking areas. And best of all.......most people do not make the drive even though it's a short drive. So you are not dealing with crowds constantly. Good costs points. Not much to say about the stream, waterfalls, scenery. You have to see it to appreciate what a joy this place really can be.

I'm ashamed to say that I hadn't heard of Kings Canyon National Park until I began planning my trip to see the Sequoias however I'm so glad that I got the chance to see it.
The view was incredible and I wish I'd had the time to do some hiking.
The road is not for the faint hearted though so avoid if there is even a hint of a storm.
It was much less crowded than Sequoia which was nice.

Check online before going to the park, as most of the trails were closed. Unfortunately, you have to pay for the parks pass to get to the visitor centre to see decent trail maps and find out what the story is - so that is a problem. Then, when in the park, the hiking trails are poorly marked - especially the Big Stump trails. There were tracks going every which way with no maps of where you were, and the odd sign near a stump. So I suggest you get AllTrails on your phone and plan ahead, then monitor how you are going for time whilst walking.
From the Big Stump car park, I headed to Viola Falls and then up the Sunset Trail. Pine trees must be very weak, as there were trees down everywhere. But hopping over and around the fallen logs and branches made the trails a bit more interesting, as overall the scenery apart from the big sequoia's is not that exciting.

As opposite to Sequoia, Kings Canyon is the "real" mountain. Everything gets their real meaning here, "real' hiking trails that require strenuous but rewarding efforts, "real" mountain rivers with rapids that makes you dizzy only by looking at them, "real" canyons, so impressive that you can only realize how little you are, and so on. IT is kind of difficult to get here, driving is "really" a mountain drive, and campgrounds are only on a first-come basis, no reservations. But it fully worth the effort. For the mountain lovers, it is hard to find a better experience.

As I was driving through Sequoia national park and came near the grant's tree, it all seemed very familiar. I had been there almost 12 years ago. But I had never been to Kings Canyon. It can be easily missed. The directions and the locations are not as clear as its in Yosemite. But all the splendor is right there waiting to be taken in.

Even on labor day weekend of 90 F temps, there were hardly many people. The King's river water was perfect temperature for us to wade in with Shorts and not worry about the freezing temps of Yosemite rivers. But one thing this place lacks is food. Between 30 miles there are only two locations for eating and one at each end which close at 9 PM. I wish we had packed more food with us.

We had heard about all the seqouia trees of course, but we enjoyed the drive into the canyon just as much or even more. Outstanding views!

This is a beautiful park that you would not expect during the first hour of your drive into it. The stream colors are unlike virtually all others I've seen before. There are many trail into the wilderness that you can explore. The actual canyon is billed as deeper than the Grand Canyon, though that doesn't seem true from any vista we saw.

When to Kings Canyon to see the fall colors. The river, and waterfalls, where flowing. What an amazing and serene place to visit.

We loved driving here and seeing the kings river run through the canyon. The views are spectacular. The roaring river and boyden river are the highlights of the drive.

We went to Kings Canyon NP in late Nov, and stayed at the John Muir Lodge in Grant grove village. The main area of Kings canyon (cedar grove etc) is closed in the winter.
There are beautiful hikes and views all around the Grant grove area. We hiked panoramic point and park ridge trail, which was great. The trails are well marked. It’s still really helpful to use the NPS app and download the map for cross checking where you are during the hike.
The general grant tree is just enormous. An incredible sight.
The stay at the lodge was really nice. It’s clean and the staff are nice.
The restaurant is really good, the staff is limited, so the service is a little slow, but they are really nice/friendly. The food quality is really good. The offered a Thanksgiving meal which was very good. The burger and cheesesteak sandwich were also tasty. Given the remote location, pricing at the restaurant was high, but the quality was good.

We did the rim walk with a guide from AAT Kings. The walk was brilliant. The guide very knowledgeable.

My husband and I drove to King's Canyon one morning and then on to the meadow. It's a beautiful part of the park and much quieter than the other parts.

Don't just visit the Grant Grove and leave without driving the canyon to the Cedar Grove area. The winding 39 miles to the end of the road is just beautiful and breathtaking. As you leave the evergreen forest, you enter the canyon with craggy mountains and long mountain views. The road twists and turns around mountains as it drops to the Kings river. From there, you follow the cascading river with gorgeous scenes at every pullout. Eventually you reach the valley floor with campgrounds and trail heads in grassy meadows. Stop and see the dramatic Grizzly Falls and Roaring River Falls. Go to the end of the road and hike Zumwalt Meadow. This is like a mini Yosemite, minus the crowds!

We wanted to see the world’s biggest tree, General Sherman, so made a 6 hour round trip but it was so worth it!
The tree itself is miraculous and the park give lots of information about the trees and forest throughout the trails.
One word of warning; we went down the Sherman trail, which was easy going on the way there as all downhill but is therefore a steep and long incline back. There are warning signs for this. We then took the Congress trail, which was marked as an easy trail in our hiking app, it is not for the faint-hearted! This trail goes up and down throughout the forest, with a lot of up first. It is not an easy trail, more moderate. Take plenty of water and rest often as the air is thin at this altitude.
Enjoy the beautiful trees, scenery, wildlife, waterfalls and phenomena of these giant sequoia forests.

This is a beautiful drive along the cliffs of the canyon and river. The views of the canyon and mountains are spectacular. There is not a lot to do along this drive but if you take your time, you will see some of the most beautiful vistas in this part of the world. Towards the end of the drive there are more areas to hike and camp. Don't pass up this drive. We enjoyed it.

Walking among giants first hand. Amazing view up close and personal of these giant trees. You could almost feel first hand what it would be like to see one of these beauties fall. Wish there was more upkeep on informational signs.

Kings Canyon is an amazing natural wonder to visit. After visiting the famous Grant Sequoia Grove in Kings Canyon NP, would recommend continuing on California Hwy 180 all the way eastward to its end past Cedar Grove Visitor Center and hike Zumwalt Meadow Loop. Plan on a picnic lunch there. The drive down to the Kings River Canyon is impressive! There are some scenic views throughout the descent. The overall view stretches for miles all the way to the Sierra Nevada! There are two great waterfalls to see as well, the Grizzly and Roaring Falls. Overall, the Kings Canyon Scenic Drive is well worth taking.

A short drive after the entrance turn right at junction onto Generals Highway, and there it is the Majestic impressive Big Stump
To General Sherman Tree, turn left at the sign for Wolverton/General Sherman Parking and then follow the 0.5-mile trail downhill to the tree.
"The General Sherman Tree 2,700 yrs, diameter 31m at base, and 84m high and it’s still growing.
It's a beautiful and pleasant walk to the General Sherman Tree.
We sat there and had a small picnic so we could take time to admire the beauty of this amazing tree and the surroundings.There are some benches!
We were lucky to get a ranger who gave much interesting information about sequoias

The walk starts with 900 steps straight up, which if your not fit like me, was quite difficult, but with a couple of little stops (there’s a seat half way up) it was manageable. Once up top it was fairly flat & there are arrows leading the way, so you don’t get lost.

The walk is magnificent & took my breath away. I won’t say too much about the surroundings as best to keep it a surprise, but parts just looked like another planet & photos don’t do it justice.

The walk took us just under 3 hours & and the walk back down is not as steep as the first walk up but that’s when my knee got a little sore.

I would highly recommend everyone to do this walk as it was stunning. Take water & fruit for hydration. If it’s a hot day do the walk before 11am. We went later but it was quite cold & windy, so a beanie & a hoodie was needed to keep warm.

We did hiking and snowshoeing with new snow on the ground. We even did some 4 wheeling out at Hume Lake.

Have your best driver behind the wheel cause the Vistas that open up turn after turn are VERY distracting and the drop-offs are steep, steep, steep and deep, deep, deep. After Roads End, we stopped for a shady picnic at Convict Flats. It's only 36 miles one-way, but you should plan on at least 3 hours down and back to do it justice. You can dip your feet into the Kings river and watch your toes turn blue.

We have camped in Cedar Grove 10-15 times. We have never seen water levels, rapids and waterfalls as we saw in June of 2017.

I haven't gone camping in several years, so this was a "re introduction" into doing this. We got there on a Sunday, and left on Thursday morning. Stayed at the Sentinel campground, which offers the right mix of basic conveniences (bathrooms, ranger station, fire pit and food storage), while also being quiet and relaxed (not overcrowded, which is great).

The stream is close by. Went hiking on trails from River's End and another trail (can't remember name), both are easy terrain, and around 5 miles, with amazing views of the mountains, water, forests etc. Also did stargazing about 10 miles from Sentinel campground (headed about 10 miles away, in the direction of park exit). You may never get this view of the stars almost anywhere else, outside of other campsites and isolated areas, so it's very worthwhile. If you focus, can see Milky Way and others.

Overall, can't recommend this place enough. National parks are something that more people, Americans and visitors alike, should take advantage of.

Traffic was mild and we appreciated being able to be there in the 'off season' and enjoy the quiet beauty of a beautiful place in this park.

Not much of park open do to storm destruction.
Sits next to Sequoia National Park so majority of the time is spent there.
General Grant tree is worth seeing.
Can’t speak for the rest since not open. The visitor center is nice. Has a small camp store, restaurant, campground, and shop. The restaurant was pretty good food but elevated pricing which we expected.

Considering it's right next door, it's surprising how different the scenery is. Still awesome, just different.
We only had a day so didn't have time for any long walks - just short ones around the General Grant tree, the Mark Twain stump and to Zumwalt Meadow for me while the boys relaxed by the river and didn't catch any fish. But we were able to also stop along the road to take in the fabulous views of the Canyon itself. Fewer people than Sequoia so if you want to get away from the crowds, this might be the place.

I was extremely disappointed that this park was not well maintained. The hiking trails were poorly marked and many of the trails were either closed or littered with so many fallen tree's that you were forced to deviate from the trail and put yourself at risk. Cell signal is horrific It almost seemed like the only wanted you to drive in, take a few pictures at the few items readily accessible from the parking lot and get out..
I personally suggest if you are not an experienced hiker or have small children in tow to take more accessible trails nearest the parking lot and not venture out until the park has done their part to make it more safe.

From the top at panorama point you can look down on the Canyon. Driving down gave us a WOW round every turn. Lake Hume was tranquil to stop off. Unfortunately we went after a long dry spell so the river was more a meandering stream, and any waterfalls were trickles, but didnt take away any of the joy.

We spent three days in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks in our Grand Sport Corvette. The roads and sights were made to travel this way! From the road leading into the park (from Fresno), all the way to the end of the road in Kings Canyon, along the King River, it was spectacular. Be sure to pull over at the top and look down into the canyon on the way back out----HOO-HAH!! Those Sequoia trees are amazing in Sequoia National Park, but there was some road construction on the way out (toward Visalia). We really enjoyed our three days here.

One of the most beautiful and awe inspiring spots on earth. Go in spring and experience the wild flowers on the lower slopes and the immense grandeur of the Sequoia's high up in the mountains.

Due heavy delays from road construction to get into Sequoia (late May ‘18), we opted for King’s Canyon and spent a wonderful day hiking throughout the park. No big crowds, excellent access to the trees over easy trails. This is a wonderful national park for everyone.

Kings Canyon is a dramatic and stunning landscape! It is not as 'pretty' as Yosemite, but it is still breathtaking and the route alongside the river it awesome. Worth tagging on to Sequoia while you are in the area.

I don't know the technical distinction between a valley and a canyon, but this doesn't feel canyon-like to me (as in the Grand Canyon). It's more like a river trail/road through a valley with very high mountains on both sides. Pretty.

What a beautiful park! Very scenic and easier to come down through Kings Canyon instead of going back through Sequoia. Valley views. Fantastic views of the big trees.

I hadn't realized this part of the park vastly differed from Sequoia Nat'l Park . Beautiful canyon, very remote from rest of the park. Delightful, swift river even in September and beautiful meadows. Arrive in this little "community" of ranger buildings, campgrounds and the lodge, after a narrow steep 45-minute drive from the Park entrance. And towering beyond the canyon are the Sierras!!

This is another American Treasure. The views are
Just incredible.
Would recommend for those of all ages.

In addition to the giant sequoias in Grant's Grove, there are many beautiful places to hike if you are willing to drive to them. Mist Falls is a moderate 7.4 mile hike with a series of some of the prettiest waterfalls you will see. Bears were visible all along the hike.

Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls are worth stopping for as they are just a short walk from the road.

Some of the points of interest are currently inaccessible so there’s not a ton to do inside KCNP. It’s currently the main gateway to Sequoia NP, so it’s still worth a visit. The KCNP passport stamp is available only at the KC Visitors center; there are 2 pressed penny machines in the Grant Grove village, which is adjacent to the park visitors center and store. The General Grant Tree & Grove are really worth a visit. The scenic byway was closed, so we only got to visit the northwest section of the park. There isn’t a big area to pull off for a picture with the entrance sign; there’s a small pull-off area on the exiting side.

Had planned to hike this trail for a few months however I had to wait for the smoke from the fires to clear. I am so glad I did wait. Mid September is when the backcountry is closing up and there are few people in the park. It was wonderful to experience. Had an up close and personal experience with a bear which was exciting. Grizzly Falls we’re okay but the Mist Falls were so much better if you can hike to them.

We had a beautiful long weekend (may 29 2017) in Kings Canyon national park. We camped at Stone creek camp ground (next to Sentinel camp ground). The drive to this camp ground is amazing with excellent scenic views . It is simply amazing to drive along the Kings river stream. Our camp site was one of the best that I have camped at. On day 1 we just relaxed. We had hard time coordinating as their is no network at all in this park. We used message boards at visitor center and camp grounds to co ordinate information about out site since we were looking for first cum first serve with folks arriving at different times. On day 2 we did a mist fall hike ( 9.3 mile round trip). This is really beautiful hike ( 2 mile flat and 2.7 mile with 600 ft elevation) This was not in our plan but we ended up doing it and it was simply mind blowing. We ended up going little further as the mist fall board is not clearly visible or we were busy watching the beauty and missed it but if you just walk for about .5 miles further you will get best views of water fall and a scenic snow covered mountains behind it. We were sitting and watching it for like 30-45 mins and didn't feel like going back. . And since our experience was so nice I thought of sharing it on tripadvisor. We are beginners in hiking so after 10 mile hike we were very tired so took a shower and recharged ourselves for BBQ at night. Next day we just stayed at our campground to njoy and relax nice site that we got next to river stream

It's a great park and the stunning views from the meadows to the massive trees are just the beginning of the beauty to be found here.

A very rugged park and the road is slow and windie but very worthwhile. Due to elevation changes you see many different plants and trees.

A fun scenic drive. Not that many places to stop by on the way down so better fill up your gas tank. Nice waterfall at the end. Definitely worth a half day trip to take a break from the Sequoias and crowds.

As a middle age camping family, this trip was probably one of the worst. National Park Service, Rangers, systems are all very old even with young staff. 90% of the General Hwy is very windy, highly do not recommend seniors or poor drivers for the small lane, attractions are far away from one another on the dangerous road.
Like previous reviews, the Crystal Cave is a hassle to book and travel to. We showed up at 11:30AM and tickets only available for 3:00PM which on our trip was on a cloudy & sprinkling day. Tickets can ONLY be purchased day of in person. We traveled 1 hrs back the next day before the museum opened at 8:45AM, sorry but only the 12:00pm tour is available. There is NO SIGNAGE of price of tour times just a gift shop staff stating all the rules to each family that inquired. Can you please get corporate and print tour times (there's only 5) and put up sign which were sold out. People can read and get the info...even the foreigners.
The 5days of lodging at 3-places in the park were all very ackward in their locations. Tent camping at Grant Grove was reserved on a poor website, lacked lots of info, lugging our ice-chest, frozen meats, supplies to the camp from parking was the farthests I've ever experienced about 70 feet away...unlike most camping, the $260 Wachiachi Lodge was no difference, had to drive from lobby to my room, drive from room to restaurant, even the parking to the room was a strange 6 minute walk. Lots of poor plumbing and structural (no AC, no elevators, windows had fans inside the frame so the cold air blew into the room on the rainy stay. The remoteness of the park requires all staff to move into cabins. Off season the staff quits and only a few workers year round causing park services to be limited.

Booked a trip to see Yosemite...then the fires closed the park. This gave us an extra day in Kings Canyon. Wow! Amazing park. Welcome center was very clean, water bottle filling stations, and great little gift shop. Some landmarks you don’t want to miss: (1) at the ‘End of the Road’ of Kings Canyon Bypass is a great rock ledge to jump off into the water and swim. Great way to cool off! (2) Grizzly Falls are beautiful and a nice cool mist (3) Panoramic Point has stellar views (4) General Grant and Sequoia Tunnel. Kings Canyon you did not disappoint!

We visited Sequoia after spending a few days in Yosemite, I thought I might be disappointed. On the contrary, this was equally spectacular and less inundated with visitors. We were limited on time, so only did short walks here, but the scenery was beautiful!

The ride to the canyon is incredible (and quite nerve racking when you're afraid of heights). The views are spectacular but drive cautiously. One wrong move and you're off the side of the canyon (thelma and louise style)! However, once you get into the canyon, there are great hikes and it was so much quieter than Yosemite! I would've loved to have spent more time here had we planned for it. However, we did do a short hike (~4 miles) and it was beautiful.

Would highly recommend the detour to Kings Canyon if you’re visiting Yosemite. Far quieter with amazing views across the Canyon. The drive along Cedar Drive was gorgeous with hardly any cars on the road but the views certainly equalled those at Yosemite without the stress of other road users.

The road drops 5,000 feet to the level of the river. There are many turnouts where you can pull over and allow cars following you to pass. Quite some views into the mountains and the canyon, unspoiled by few guard rails. Remember to down shift from Drive to a lower gear when going down. The are nice looking camp grounds and an attractive lodge near the end of the drive. Be sure to ask at the Visitors Center if the facilities are open before driving on.

This place is truly beautiful. That being said the road to get there is pretty daunting, it’s totally safe but if if you’re afraid of heights don’t look down! There’s waterfalls, the river and even some sequoias here, although it takes about an hour to get to the real sequoias. We stayed for 5 days and it was an awesome experience to unplug. There’s no cell service for hours, it was so awesome not hear a phone ring! Don’t feed the wildlife, and put all your food or anything scented in the lock boxes and you’ll have an amazing time!

It’s been years since I have been here. Now being married my wife and I came here to visit. We got our National Park Passport stamped/Cancelled. Had a great day sunny and clear.

We where here while driving our road trip, Kings Canyon is a gem.. The General Grant Tree Trail is impressive with these massive sequoia's. A must see !!!

I am currently touring through Washington, Oregon, and California visiting all of the National Parks. Sequoia NP had road construction, but every two hours the crew would open the road and let visitors pass through from one area of the park to the next. A minor inconvenience, but understandable and acceptable.

Then I get up to Kings Canyon and find that the only road to the actual canyon was completely shut down and did not have any provisions for allowing park visitors to reach the actual canyon. Obviously, this was not acceptable. You just can’t close the road down and prevent visitors from seeing the canyon. People come from all over the World to see places like this, so a complete road closure is the absolute dumbest idea ever. One could understand if the road was temporarily closed due to snow, wildfire, or some other natural cause. But this was a permanent close with no idea when the project would be completed and the road would be re-opened.

Of course, CalTrans blamed the NPS and the NPS blamed CalTrans. We all own the road equally as US taxpayers and US Citizens, but neither CalTrans nor the NPS liked my idea of parking across the roadway to block it myself and preventing CalTrans and NPS workers from going back and forth to their desired destinations. Another example of Government ineptitude where they just don’t care about the public / people who they are supposed to serve. I have spent thousands and thousands of dollars on this once in a lifetime trip and have driven thousands and thousands of miles to get here, and Kings Canyon is the only one of my bucket list items that I will not be able to cross off of my list as a result of NPS / CalTrans terrible project planning.

Giant pines, cedars and sequoias living next to each others creating unique forest. Multiple hiking trails,great view points and few lakes to visit.

We enter Kings Canyon from Grant Grove info center. Followed 180 E. to Cedar Grove stay over night and went back on 180 to grant grove and headed south to sequoia National park.

Pros: we were able to see roaring rock fall and see the meadow at the end of 180. Both are beautiful.
The scenery along 180 to cedar grove are breathtaking.

Con: you need to double back on 180 the next morning (about 30 miles each way). Cedar grove lodge is very primitive.

Couple tips: museum at sequoia National park is closed due to COVID. 180 has road construction near cedar grove. Just follow detour and you’ll be fine.

Sites recommended: general grant tree, Sherman tree, roaring rock fall, panoramic view point near grant cedar info center, vista points along 180 between grant grove and cedar grove

We loved this side of the 2 parks. We enjoyed the drives. Especially the drive down to zumwalt meadow

Plan to spend some time exploring and taking it all in. Truly lovely. We went in January but would love to go in various seasons to see the changes. Worth the drive

King's Canyon is a truly stunning place. It's just the most wonderful drive through the mountains with Amazing Views to be had from the various rest stops and lively trails to walk on from time to time
The Great Sequoia trees are just majestic and our favourite views in the region are definitely at Moro Rock.
But King's Canyon itself is mesmerising. We spent two days in and around it and it was a joy to behold.

We visited here with a hired RV, BUT before you take an RV through, check the size of the RV you have against the route that you want to travel. Ours was 34' long, so was prohibited from some routes.
The views are stunning, the roads amazing, and for some will be quite challenging to drive. Very knowledgeable and friendly Rangers on hand to advise, and have all the time you need to make your visit even better.
The Restaurant served excellent food for breakfast and dinner, and there is also a well stocked and not too outrageously priced gift shop on site.
You can also stay in some wonderful camp sites dotted throughout the Park, and at only $18 dollars a night great value.
Waking up to views of the sun breaking through the forest will stay with me for ever.
The sequoias are a site to behold, and for trees that only have 3 foot of topsoil to grow in, a natural wonder.
A must see.

This is another wonderful tree to see. The Nation's Christmas Tree. If you're in the area, you must go see Kings Canyon and The General Grant Tree.

Enjoyed driving the scenic byway. Zumwalt Meadow is a nice hike with a variety of landscapes. The after falls are accessible and easy to visit . We wouldn’t go out of our way to visit this park if short on time - pre-teen felt the hikes were repetitive to Sequoia. This park is likely best for true campers and back-country hikers - not casual hikers like us!

Our experience in this beautiful place was amazing outside of one aspect, the idiots operating the hotels. Do yourself a favor and stay in Fresno or nearby, because these idiots should loose their license to operate inside a national park and we have stayed at numerous parks and their hotels.

Big shout out to a great help, who was a Park Ranger named Jen who could not have been nicer nor more helpful if she had tired. What a wonderful lady and true gem. She tired to save the hotels from abandoning guests in the middle of the night (literally) in the middle of nowhere with no service, no telecommunications.

Adjacent to Sequoia NP and a relatively short drive from Yosemite, this amazing canyon has spectacular views, waterfalls, and varied hikes. The Mist Falls hike at the "end of the road" is long (4.5 mi each way) but doable for most people. Camping, fishing, and less strenuous recreation also abound.

Not quite as awe inspiring as sequoia, but worth a visit if you’re in the area. Trail we went on was not very well marked, we went the wrong way and ended up doubling our hiking distance. The sign for the trail seemed to point opposite of the map which was confusing. Less visitor amenities than sequoia

Some of the most spectacular scenery in the Sierra Nevada. The road down into Kings Canyon is one of the most spectacular in the world...equal to Highway 1 along the California Coast. Not to be missed...Zumwalt Meadow, Boyden Cavern and the adjoining Kings River, Hume Lake, Grant Grove and Big Stump trail. So many other great activities in Sequoia as well...like the Moro Rock climb and Crystal Cave.

My husband and I always dreamt to be able to see these majestic beautiful trees. We were not disappointed! We enjoyed the drive up, I’m a afraid of heights so some parts of the drive I had to close my eyes. The trees are very beautiful and you feel so small. Just like our trip to Grand Canyon, you need to see these trees in person. Pictures and videos don’t do them justice

Kings Canyon is a great day trip or the leaping off point for probing deep into the Sierra Nevadas. To reach the canyon you drive about 30 miles - but it takes nearly an hour from the Grant's Grove area of the park. The road twists and turns as it snakes its way to the valley floor with awesome views all the way down. The road is not for the faint of heart. Make sure you are not too scared to drive it and if you are really shaky be sure to use the pull offs to let others by.

Once you finally reach the valley floor you drive along the edge of the Kings River, which was roaring in full throat in June of 2017 when we visited due to the massive snow melt from the previous winter.

Lots to do in the valley, but the highlights I would say are 1) the river and valley themselves with stunning views everywhere, 2) Grizzly Falls just outside the National Park in the National Forest, 3) Roaring river falls, 4) Zumwalt Meadow, 5) Roads end, and 6) Cedar Grove.

We did all these sites in a short day before heading out of the valley and driving up to Yosemite for the next leg of our vacation. If you plan no longer hikes then devoting a day to Kings Canyon seems like a good balance.

I drove down to the end of the road at Cedar Grove. The drive down into the canyon is impressive with the mountains surrounding you, eventually arriving at the river at the bottom of the canyon. At the end of the road there are several trails where you can take in views of the surrounding mountains from the canyon floor.

This is definitely a must see in Sequoia National Park! The scenery is absolutely spectacular! Keep your camera ready!

Came here on the weekend when I heard about how bad Yosemite gets on the weekends. Glad I did this place is amazing and hiking along the valley floor along side the river is a memory that will last a very long time.

The primary road into Kings Canyon is closed in October 2018 for repair. So all that there is to do in the park is the Grant Grove and the Panorama Point (both good things to see).

We were uncertain of what to expect from this park. We were blown away by the views. The views of the meadow, river and canyon were fantastic. The road to drive down to the main area is super curvy and either fun or nerve racking, but supplies fantastic views.

We drove along the canyon road and enjoyed the thrills of the hairpin curves, the magnificent canyon views. So glad we took the time to drive to Kings Canyon!

I enjoyed the ride up 180 to the park. It was the only road open during this time of year. It was a sunny day but cold. I didn't realize the park is 6000 ft above sea level. I only got to see the general grant tree because there was so much snow on the ground. The hiking trails were compact but I didn't bring the right shoes. I think the park should charge less when it gets like that. Overall a pretty drive. Don't forget to fill up your gas tank before you head out there.

Like ha Canyon is a hidden treasure. Visited in November and weather was great with no crowds. I've been to the Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon, Yosemite and Zion, and Kings Canyon is one of the best. Take the road all the way to the end but go slow and enjoy.

This is truly an awesome park! I came here for a one-day visit, which of course is not nearly enough to see everything. However, given the nature of the park, unless you want to backpack, one day is enough to get a great experience. I came up the night before and stayed in a Grant Grove tent cabin which was cheap and relatively close. Early the next day, my brother and I left very early in the morning to drive to "Roads End" in the canyon. The drive took about an hour and was delightful. There were no crowds this early and as always, I recommend hiking by 7:00 if you want solitude.

We were definitely rewarded for being early. The air was cool and we only saw a couple of people on the way up the trail. The views are spectacular. I would definitely compare them to Yosemite (but without all the people). Massive granite mountains and cliffs. Beautiful rivers and waterfalls. And we saw several bears along the way. They mostly just checked us out (from as close as 20 feet) and then moved on. The trail was very nice...not too steep, but still going up enough to yield greater and greater views. Mist Falls this late in the year was not generating too much mist, but it was still beautiful. We hiked about a mile beyond the falls because it was so nice on the trail I would definitely recommend hike a ways beyond the falls as the views of the valley became even more spectacular. The trail did get rather hot on the way back down.

We stopped at several turnouts on the way back out of the canyon, including the Valley View overlook, and the Grizzly Falls turnout. Very very nice. I could not get enough. I've been to over 30 national parks, and in my opinion, this is a hidden gem...not because it is small (it is definitely NOT small), but because it is about as amazing as Yosemite without the crowds. I will be back for sure.

We took the road until it dead ends into Cedar Grove Lodge. What a drive. It rivals the going to the sun road in Glacial National Park. The views of the western slopes of the Sierra Nevadas are spectacular, there are two water falls that are picture perfect. Stop at the Grizzly Falls-- the water is rushing so fast that you'll be soaked if you get with 50 feet of the falls. It'll take you about an hour to make the 30 mile trek but take your time and stop along the way, you won't be disappointed.

Beautiful drive from Grants Grove to Kings River. Different landscapes and views of the park than up the top. Meadows and waterfalls. We drove down to Cedar Grove at the end of the road. We hesitated at first. But I am so glad that we made the drive. It is a beautiful, peaceful drive. It was cold up at the lodge but sunny and warmer at the end of the road. We saw the John Muir rock where John Muir made his conservation speech. Definitely worth the drive. So glad we didn't miss this part of the park.

The drive is incredible and you will see beautiful cliffs in a wide variety of colors and look from the highway's edge onto a rushing river and waterfalls behind you. There is a huge rushing waterfall right beside the road that sprays water everywhere. Don't miss a thing and there are big trees there, too. There is a place to eat and sit by a river and beautiful birds try to steal your lunch. Get up early to avoid the crowds in high season and you will enjoy it more.

This road is not for the faint of heart. Take your time and enjoy the lookouts. The King River Gorge is definitely impressive. We also enjoyed the Roaring River Falls.

I loved it there. We stayed at the lodge for 2 nights. We did a lot of hiking. It was a bit crowded on the weekend. There were a lot of campers at the camp grounds. and the popular trails had a decent amount of people on them. During the week the place cleared out and it was awesome! The drive up and down is scenic. Just go slow

My wife and I were visiting California from the east coast. We love American and Canadian national parks in general and have visited, camped in some when we were younger, and hiked most of them. But we had never been to Kings Canyon and Sequoia. They were not affected by the forest fires burning at the time except for some distant haze on one side. And so much less crowded than Yosemite, which sounded like a nightmare in July, 2017. We enjoyed the Kings Canyon section even more than Sequoia. Big trees are great. Kings Canyon has some. But the canyon is really scenic and the river was beautiful in its fierce flow. Nice hikes and beautiful, varied scenery and views at various elevations. Mountains, rivers, meadows, trees, rock formations, waterfalls. This place has it all without the crowds of some of the more famous parks.

It seems like most people limit their visit to Kings Canyon to the Sequoia grove close to the park entrance. They are missing out on a the best the park has to offer. Driving on over the hill, along the river to the end of the road provides access to beautiful scenery, great waterfalls and lot's of fantastic picnic spots. Even if you are not into hiking, access direct from the parking lots is easy. And there are no crowds!
Many of the sites compare favorably with Yosemite - and you don't have to share them with busloads of other tourists.

The drive along the kings river is great. Love the review but need to be careful. some water falls along the road is nice and approachable. no hiking even needed.

We had driven for hours and hours and finally reached Kings Canyon National Park in California on our way to Mariposa. It was beautiful. It was really nice, park staff was helpful and a nice visitor center.

Spectacular views! Huge craggy mouintains. We drove from an elevation of 7ooo ft down to 1500 ft. The drive to the bottom of the canyon will test your courage.

Kings Canyon is quite a long drive from the Grant grove part of the park. There are a few trails, a visitor center and camp grounds that were all closed when we visited.

It is pretty spectacular and not a lot of people go out there.

Make sure you bring your camera. Beautiful scenery and wonderful drive through the canyon. There's a visitor center that's very informative, a restaurant, stores for souvenirs, supplies and snacks. Stop and see the General Grant tree just a short drive or walk from the visitor center. Take the road into the canyon and stop at the pull offs to see some amazing scenery. As you drive the road, you'll see how the river has cut down through the mountains to form the canyon. The road usually doesn't have a lot of traffic so you can take your time. It's a can't miss for those that love the outdoors.

The Canyon is lovely with some waterfalls to stop off at. From the bottom of the valley the topography is not so easy to see so stop off before for the stunning views from the mountain road.

The views were so amazing on the drive down into the canyon that we kept stopping to take photos. We passed numerous waterfalls as we drove to the end of the road and even saw a bear. We met a very friendly Federal Ranger in the parking lot before taking off on an 8 mile round trip hike to Mist Falls. We loved this hike!

A beautiful drive and definitely not crowded. There are numerous places to hike and even fish. Plan on warm days in the summer, bring plenty of water, use bug spray, and have good hiking shoes.

It is cool to stare out and see so much nature in front of you. I mean how often do people get to do that? It's a scenic experience you won't forget and you will be memorized from the sights you see. I got goose bumps.

Kings Canyon is unique as it is the only joint run national park, as it is right next to Sequoia National Park, so you only need one admission fee. It should be noted that Sequoia National Forest is between them, and it is significantly larger than Kings Canyon so if you want to drive to the other national park, you need to allow at least 30 minutes and it’s on a two lane, winding road. Compared to the two, Kings Canyon is much less crowded.

We visited the main attraction, the General Grant tree and it is very impressive and it’s the second largest tree (by volume) in the world. There is a decent sized parking lot and there is a trail you can take. There is also a tree you can walk through that was interesting. Another recommendation is Panoramic Point, and it is not easy to find as the road to take is right next to the John Muir lodge. The road itself is a little challenging as it is winds up hill and it is a tight squeeze if another car comes in the other direction as it should really only be a one-way road, but they don’t have a choice. However, it is well worth it as it is a short walk and then you have some great views. If you are doing a picnic, this would be a great choice. One other trail we took and it is a mile up each way is the Buena Vista Peak, and the views were good as well.

We stayed at the lodge but it should be noted if you want to visit the other part of Kings Canyon and the Cedar Grove area, you have to drive (it’s called the Scenic Byway) through the National Forest as well and it’s a good 30 miles with a large portion being twists and turns but it’s worth the effort and as you can enjoy some water falls as well. Also, if you want to see the official national park sign, you will have to take this road as there isn’t anything at the main entrance, Big Stump. The Kings Canyon Visitor Center is not large, but the staff was helpful. They also have an above average gift shop, a restaurant (separate review but was a disaster), and a small general store as well.

Overall, my expectations going in were not that high but was pleasantly surprised and would be happy to come back.

We chose to visit King's Canyon via CA-180 since my mother read that the route through Sequoia has a lot of curves and switchbacks and she didn't want to do that. So we headed to King's Canyon with its less scary roads. The drive was pleasant and we enjoyed seeing the big trees throughout the park. We stopped to see the General Grant tree and enjoyed our walk there. Short on time and with my mother unable to walk any great distance, we headed back out of the park to continue on to Yosemite. A stop at King's Canyon is well worth it, especially if you are able to hike and camp to enjoy the beautiful scenery for longer.

Kings Canyon has some of the best all around scenery from Giant Sequoia Trees, marble and granite mountain sides to beautiful streams and meadows. Very quiet in the fall compared to Sequoia to the South or Yosemite to the North. We encountered very few hikers and no road traffic driving to Cedar Grove area. Panoramic Point Trail is a real treat and a super easy hike. General Grant area is awesome and you will see large Sequoia trees without alot of crowds. Big Stump is one of my favorite hikes especially if you have kids that like to climb trees. I highly recommend this area for a quiet and beautiful getaway. Food is higher priced in the small store so plan ob bringing your own for sandwiches etc unless you plan on eating at only restaurant for around $10-$15 per meal.

We drove to the end of the road and were not disappointed. Some say the views are better than Yosemite but I would not say so. We spent only one day in the park and hiked Big Stump Trail, Gen Grant Tree, Roaring River Falls, Mist Falls and ended with Zumwalt Meadow. We were here in October and the weather was perfect. While we were driving out the sunset was gorgeous. It is definitely worth taking a day to visit this park.

It's a long drive to the 'Road end point' in the canyon, but it's really worth your time. You have amazing views. There are a lot of good places to stop and take pictures. When in the area, don't skipp this part!

Kings Canyon and Sequoia national parks are connected and similar, but not the same. The southwestern section of kings is very similar to sequoia (really, really big trees). The back of kings is the actual canyon and worth the hour drive to see. In both places you end up at pretty high elevation and you may feel it. Most of the short hikes are easy enough, but go slow.
Drive the generals highway from the bottom of sequoia to the front section of kings. It’s a lot of steep switchbacks, so go slow and don’t worry about the people behind you driving too fast. Lots of pull-offs to let them by.

Actually connected to the Sequoia Park, I am so happy I went there. There are many attractions not to be missed here. The roads are also great drives!

There is no doubt that Kings Canyon is beautiful but you need to drive and drive to get there especially if you’re coming from outside the park. It’s only really worth coming here if you’re going to get out into the wilderness and experience it properly - otherwise it’s a driving day with the views experienced from the car window. Stick to neighbouring Sequoia which gives a much better return for your time spent driving if you desire a decent hike.

Really great hiking opportunities. Lots of wildlife including bear encounters as well as mother / cubs too. Keep your distance. but wonderful opportunity. I prefer to do the river walk right from roaring river falls up to Bubbs creek. Its about 9-10 mile round trip but low on hill climb and great opportunity to spend time down at the water.
Extend a hike up to Mist falls...see trout, snakes etc
bring bug repellent....!!!
The drive in and out is truly spectacular.

The hiking is cool, the staff at visitors center were helpful. The trees and views are awesome. Not the most well known park but awesome.

My husband and I visited in early October and were very impressed with the breathtaking beauty of the park from the high peaks to the valley below. We made a point to stop at many of the pull offs and look around with binoculars to observe the birds and the distant views. The weather was variable with clouds blocking the view at some of the higher elevations and sun shining through in different parts of the journey. We particularly liked to see the giant Sequoia trees at Grants Grove and the walk through the grove was invigorating after the drive from Fresno. The park was not crowded at all during our visit.

Kings Canyon Road is NOT for the faint hearted. This is one scary road, and there are NO guard rails or retaining walls. Too many sharp turns and the road is not well maintained. The drop-off is almost vertically at the side of the road, We turned back after about 2 miles. The scenery is not very good either.

The foliage is all dead and brown, some area's burned black. I imagine it looked pretty before the drought wasted everything. I'm not sure what the draw is to ths area. It looks like a desert.