We went into Kings Canyon expecting a continuation of Sequoia – but what we experienced surprised us.

While the roads were scary, the drive was worth it, as rushing rivers, waterfalls, and granite-slab mountains greeted us in a personal way with few crowds.

Quick Facts

Location: Sierra Nevada Mountains, California

Time Needed: 1-3 days

Best For: Scenic drives, fewer crowds, great views, backcountry hiking

Don’t Miss: Boyden Cavern Cave Tour

Best Time to Visit: May-October

Overview Of Kings Canyon National Park

Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Kings Canyon National Park is one of the best places to see giant sequoia trees, towering granite mountains, and gushing waterfalls.

While most people visit Sequoia National Park, you are doing a disservice to skip this neighboring park. Kings Canyon stretches into lower elevations, with the Kings River carving Kings Canyon deeper than the Grand Canyon.

Kings Canyon consists of Grant Grove and Cedar Grove, separated by the Giant Sequoia National Monument of the Sequoia National Forest.

Understanding the Areas Around Kings Canyon

Before we dive into the post, let me explain the areas involved. Not everything accessible by entering Kings Canyon is considered part of the National Park, further adding to the confusion.

Grant Grove

This is where you will start your visit and find the main park visitor center.

Grant Grove is home to the General Sherman Tree (the second largest tree in the world) and many giant sequoia trees. This is the most straightforward area of the park to access, and it is the most visited.

Many people will only see Grant Grove on their visit – but missing the other areas is a big mistake.

Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove sits deep in the canyon at the end of the Scenic Byway, and driving there can be an experience in itself.

Once you arrive, you are surrounded by towering cliffs and the roaring Kings River. It is remote and quiet, but not isolated along the road.

Cedar Grove is home to the famous Zumwalt Meadows, and it is often considered a hidden gem. It is much less crowded than the other SEKI (Sequoia/Kings Canyon) areas.

Sequoia National Park

This is the more famous National Park, located just south of Kings Canyon.

It is home to famous spots like Moro Rock and the General Sherman Tree. It has a lot more traffic than Kings Canyon and it is a lot more developed.

We recommend visiting Sequoia National Park on the same trip as Kings Canyon.

Sequioa National Forest

The Sequoia National Forest surrounds both Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Park, and it offers recreation outside of the National Park experience.

You will drive through this area on your way to the National Parks. We enjoyed whitewater rafting on the Kern River, accessed through the south of this area.

Giant Sequoia National Monument

This area surrounds Kings Canyon National Park and is managed by the US Forest Service rather than the National Park Service. It contains half of the Sequoia Groves in existence.

You will drive through part of this National Monument on your ride between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.

Boyden Cavern

While not part of Kings Canyon National Park, Boyden Cavern is located on the road between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. This is an easy addition to your trip, but it would be very difficult to get here if you were not already heading to Cedar Grove.

This cave offers guided tours, and in the spring you can hike through water on your way out of the cave!

Hume Lake

Hume Lake is an 87-acre reservoir located off Hwy 180, and it is popular for camping, fishing, hiking, and paddle sports.

It is a good place to stop and stretch your legs, but it is not the main attraction.

Chicago Stump

Located off a short dirt road, the Chicago Stump is the remaining base of the General Noble Tree.

It was chopped down to prove the existence of giant sequoia trees at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Why Should I Visit Kings Canyon National Park?

You should visit Kings Canyon for a more remote version of Sequoia mixed with Yosemite.

This is the place to go for huge trees, small crowds, diverse hiking opportunities, and impressive scenery. The further you enter Kings Canyon, the fewer people you will see.

If you are from a flat area like me, Kings Canyon will even make you a braver driver.

Our Experience At Kings Canyon National Park

We spent a long day at Kings Canyon: starting at Boyden Cavern, exploring Cedar Grove, the Chicago Stump, and Grant Grove.

The Drive From Hotel to Kings Canyon

My wife and I started our day with a two-and-a-half-hour drive from our hotel in Tulare to Boyden Cavern. When we started our drive, the air smelled like smog and old mac n cheese. As we got up into the mountains, the air got cleaner and fresher.

While I had a full tank of gas, a full stomach, coffee, and willpower, I was by no means prepared for the journey ahead. To get from the valley to Boyden Cavern, you must drive up 6000 feet in elevation to Grant Grove before driving back down 3000 feet on the other side.

The thing about the drive up and down is that there were no guard rails. If you do not pay attention, there will be nothing stopping you from flying 500+ feet down into the canyon. I took the drive slow and pulled off to let people pass.

When we finally parked at Boyden Caverns, I felt relieved that we made it, excited for our upcoming cave tour, and blown away by the beauty of the parking lot. The parking lot here is right up against the King River, featuring rapids against granite cliffs.

Boyden Cavern Tour

Upon checking in, we hiked up to the entrance and waited for the tour to start. The ranger opened the door and we went in.

The ranger led the tour, lasting for roughly an hour. We were surprised by the quality of the formations inside the cave.

If you remember from our Jewel Cave adventure, we are big fans of cave bacon. This cavern did not disappoint.

Our favorite part of the Boyden Cavern tour was hearing about Mr. Boyden, and how he lived in the cave. Mr. Boyden worked as a cook at a nearby (roughly 10 mile away) mining camp. When he discovered Boyden Cavern, he fell in love and had to move in.

 Every day, Mr. Boyden emerged from the cave and hiked to work, down the mountain. He performed his work and hiked home. He slept on a flat-ish rock. We are told that one day, his candle went out, and he had to basically swim out of the cave in the dark.

We asked the park ranger if Mr. Boyden ever married and had a woman move into the cave with him. She said that he never did marry, but he did have a man as a roommate one summer.

Our Boyden Cavern tour concluded and we hiked back down to the car. Unfortunately, the wild exit was dry during our July trip. We are told that in the spring you have better odds of getting your feet wet.

Cedar Grove

We began our short drive to the end of the road, stopping at Grizzly Falls. Though not flowing as hard as it would during the snow melt, we found it to be great just the way it was.

Driving further down the road, we found the Cedar Grove Visitor Center and Village. This visitor center was small, but it was nice to talk to the rangers about the trails. Here we noticed how hot it was getting in the July sun.

Our next stop was Knapp’s Cabin, where we stood for a moment and thought about how nice life must be next to the King River.

We hiked the Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring River Falls Trail. We enjoyed seeing trout in the King River and realized that we really need to start bringing a fly rod on these trips.

While we enjoyed the quiet around Zumwalt Meadow, it was not the highlight of our trip. It is not clear to us why it is mentioned so much in podcasts and media surrounding Kings Canyon.

Muir Rock was really cool, and we found this spot to be a little crowded. This area of the river is often used as a swimming area, and we paused our hike for a moment to cool off. While California can get hot, the humidity was very low. I dunked my hat in the water and the evaporation cooled me on the rest of the hike.

There are no sequoia trees in Cedar Grove, but there were some massive ponderosa pines. This national park smelled very fresh, and the burnt ponderosa pines smelled like butterscotch.

Our last stop in Cedar Grove was the Roaring River Falls. This was aptly named and sprayed mist everywhere, which was very welcome given the heat. There were people swimming there despite numerous signs telling us that people drown there every year.

We ate a picnic of uncrustables and honey stinger waffles next to the waterfall before packing up and heading back up the mountains.

The Chicago Stump

On the way back to Grant Grove from Cedar Grove, you will pass the road to the Chicago Stump. We took this dirt road into the Sequoia National Forest, and it was safe enough in our small rental SUV. There were a couple medium sized rocks in the road that looked like they might pose issues, but we ended up being fine.

We arrived at the Chicago Stump, which was so large it looked fake. This stump exists because a 285-foot-tall sequoia tree was cut down to bring to 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, in an effort to further conservation initiatives.

The tree was cut into sections and transported to Chicago, where it was reassembled. The goal was to show the world that these massive trees are real, and that they deserve protection. This tactic did not work, as skeptics called the tree “The California Hoax”.

The Chicago Stump was cool, even though it was a little burnt.

Grant Grove

Our last stop for the day was at Grant Grove. I feel that we saved the best for last, as this was our first experience up close and personal with the sequoia trees.

We hiked the paved trail through the sequoia trees, craning our necks to see the tops. The trees are so tall that it is challenging to fit the whole tree in one picture.

Grant Grove was surprisingly interactive, with two dead and hollowed-out sequoia trees. One tree was perched on a hill, such that you can climb up it. This made for a fun challenge.

The other hollowed-out sequoia tree was known as the Fallen Monarch. This one had a trail running through it to hike inside a tree.

We finally saw the General Grant tree, which is the Nation’s Christmas Tree and the third largest tree in the world. Its trunk is so large that it could hold 159,000 basketballs, or 39 million ping pong balls.

Whatever is making the sequoias in Grant Grove grow so large is also making the pine trees grow massively huge. We saw a pine tree on the ground that was about 4 or 5 feet in diameter.

Last, we had dinner at the Grant Grove Restaurant. We both had trout sandwiches, which really hit the spot after getting hungry watching the trout swim in the King River.

We made sure to drive back down to our hotel before it got dark.

What We Would Do Differently

Every recommendation we saw told us that one full day in Kings Canyon would be sufficient. We saw all of the highlights and touristy parts in one day, but we missed out on where Kings Canyon really shines – backcountry.

If we have more time on our next trip to Kings Canyon, we will take a backpacking trip up into the mountains. There are several 20–60-mile loops in the park, and this is the ideal way to really take in the park, the way that God, Teddy Roosevelt, and John Muir intended.

My next trip to Kings Canyon will be a backpacking trip, beginning where the road ends. I plan to bring a fly road and try to catch my dinner.

If I was to repeat the exact same day trip again, I would stay in the park at one of the lodges. The long drive to and from Kings Canyon really wore on us, and we had to make sure to time it so that we were not driving at night with the cliffs.

Pro Tips

Do the park in the same order we did – Boyden Cavern (to make your tour time), Cedar Grove, the Chicago Stump, and finishing at Grant Grove. This will be the most efficient with timing and will break up the drive, as you will finish near the exit.

This is not a quick-stop park, it is out of the way. Plan for at least one full day to visit Kings Canyon, If you just stop at Grant Grove, you will miss the other dimension entirely. The river and lower elevation Cedar Grove are what differentiate this from Sequoia National Park.

Where To Eat Near Kings Canyon National Park

For lunch near Cedar Grove and Boyden Caverns, I would just pack some uncrustables and beef jerky. You can eat seasonally at the Cedar Grove Grill, but why not have a picnic out here?

For dinner, you should try at the Grant Grove Restaurant. We were impressed that they try to locally source their food. There are not many options to eat in and near Kings Canyon so this is your best bet.

Lodging Near Kings Canyon National Park

There are several options to stay in and near Kings Canyon, and if money is no object you should stay at the John Muir Lodge.

The Wuksachi Lodge is another high-budget option, it would be best if you are visiting Sequoia National Park the following day.

There are some lodges and cabins on the way down the mountains to the California valley, but we stayed in Tulare. We found this to be central and a really good price. The downside of staying in Tulare is that it is not somewhere you want to walk around at night.

You may also find a moderately priced hotel in Fresno or Visalia. Make sure wherever you pick is central to your other day trips.

Camping is available in Kings Canyon, but make sure to grab a reservation.

Tips For Visiting Kings Canyon National Park

Here is our advice for visiting this park:

• Fill up on gas before driving up there, you will not find a gas station
• Start early, and plan for extra time to arrive
• Bring food and water
• Take your time driving, the roads do not have guard rails
• Download offline maps
• Bring layers – this park can be warm at lower elevations and cool in higher ones

When To Visit Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park is open 24 hours a day and year-round, though road and facility access may vary by season.

We recommend visiting in the late Spring or Fall. Spring will be best for roaring waterfalls and wildflowers, while Fall showcases fall colors and low crowds.

Always check the Kings Canyon National Park website or call for the most up-to-date information.

What To Bring To Kings Canyon National Park

This park has dramatic elevation and is remote. We recommend bringing extra supplies here compared to some of the other parks:

• Lots of water
• Sunscreen
• Layered clothing
• Hiking Boots
• Snacks
• Lunch
• Offline maps
• First Aid Kit
• Insect Repellent
• Backup battery for phone
• Camera
• Rain jacket
• Full tank of gas

Does Kings Canyon National Park Have An Entrance Fee Or Require Reservations?

Kings Canyon National Park does charge an entrance fee of $35 per vehicle. This entrance fee is valid for 7 days and also grants access to Sequoia National Park.

While reservations are not required for day visits to Kings Canyon, reservations are strongly recommended for Boyden Cavern tours.

Wilderness permits are required for overnight backcountry trips and should be reserved in advance at recreation.gov.

Camping reservations are also highly recommended for summer visits.

Itinerary For Kings Canyon National Park

We recommend that you visit for 1 full day to see the highlights, or 3-5 days if you plan to backpack.

1-Day Itinerary:

• Drive to Boyden Caverns
• Guided morning tour at Boyden Caverns
• See quick highlights off of Hwy 180: Knapp’s Cabin and Grizzly Falls
• Continue driving to Cedar Grove, visit the ranger station
• Hike the Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring River Falls Trail
  • Dip your toes in at Muir Rock
  • Picnic at Roaring River Falls
• Visit the Chicago Stump on your way back from Cedar Grove to Grant Grove
• Explore Grant Grove and take in the sequoias
  • Take a picture with the General Grant Tree
  • Walk through the Fallen Monarch
  • Go to the Visitor Center for your stamp and souvenirs
  • Finish up with dinner at the Grant Grove Restaurant
• Drive back to your hotel as the sun sets

If You Only Do One Thing

Drive down to Cedar Grove and hike Zumwalt Meadows and Muir Rock.

Summary

We visited Kings Canyon with moderate expectations, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our trip.

We thought that Kings Canyon would be a continuation of Sequoia National Park, but this park is multidimensional, with significant backcountry opportunities, meadows, rivers, and waterfalls.

In addition to the giant sequoias at Grant Grove, Kings Canyon provides access to the Sequoia National Forest. A visit to this underrated National Park lets you also see highlights like Boyden Cavern, Hume Lake, and the Chicago Stump.

If nothing else, the drive up to Grant Grove and down to Cedar Grove will build character.

Other Sights Near Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia National Park – Home to the world’s largest tree, this park shares the same entrance fee and management as Kings Canyon.

Sequoia National Forest – Surrounds Kings Canyon National Park and contains the Giant Sequoia National Monument, home to sights like Boyden Cavern, Hume Lake, and the Chicago Stump.

Cesar Chavez National Monument – This nearby NPS Site tells the story of Cesar Chavez and the farm worker movement. It includes a Visitor Center, Memorial Garden, and the home of Cezar Chavez.

Yosemite National Park – Iconic scenery, hikes, wildlife, and waterfalls. This top-10 National Park is also one of the 7 Natural Wonders of North America.

Devils Postpile National Monument – An unusual rock formation of columnar basalt, with a fun hike and huge waterfall.