Day 39-40: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
National Parks #15 & #16
Have you ever wanted to see the largest tree on earth? If so, you’re in luck. All it will take is a quick trip over (and up, and up) to Sequoia National Park. As an added bonus, you can then pop next door to Kings Canyon National Park and see the second largest tree in the world.
Located in along the Sierra Nevada range in California, these two connected national parks boast some of the largest trees on earth (by volume — it’s a long story) and some equally spectacular views. As you drive in to Sequoia National Park, you’ll ascend several thousand feet of elevation to get up to where the famed Sequoias grow. This was especially scenic in early spring when the higher altitudes are covered with snow.
Our first stop was to see the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on earth (again, by volume). The tree itself is anywhere from 2,300 to 2,700 years old, and clocks in at 275 ft. tall and 36 ft. in diameter. While it is neither the tallest nor the widest tree on the planet, in terms of sheer volume the General Sherman is unmatched.
Due to the weather many of the trails here were not accessible yet, but the snow and fog did provide an excellent (and eerie) backdrop for photos. We spent the remainder of the first day exploring the sequoias and some small trails that were not completely snow covered.
On day two we ventured just north into Kings Canyon National Park (the two parks are connected and administered together by the NPS). Again, winter conditions here meant that the canyon itself was closed, but the General Grant Tree and the Hume Lake Trail in Sequoia National Forest (just outside Kings Canyon) were open and made the trip worth while.
What you need to know:
These parks are heavily impacted by the seasons. We found plenty to do and see despite many parts being unreachable, but just know what you’re getting into. If you go during winter/early spring, you probably only need 1.5-2 days to do both parks. If you go during peak times you’ll want at least 2 days or more.
Parking, especially around the big attractions like the General Sherman tree can be challenging. Get here early.
There’s a lot of elevation change as you go into the park, and you can quickly lose 15-20 degrees once you get up by the sequoias. Pack accordingly.
Depending on the weather, you may be required to get chains for your tires in order to reach the higher elevations. There are a number of places on the road in that will rent these to you.
There aren’t a ton of lodging options close to the parks. We stayed in nearby Visalia which worked out very well - it was 1 hour into Sequoia and 1.5 hours into Kings Canyon from there. If you do stay in Visalia, we highly recommend trying out Good Times Diner.
As you can imagine given the terrain, cell service was nearly non-existent in both parks. There was Wi-Fi available at the Sequoia Visitors Center.