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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

These two adjoining national parks in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains holds some of the largest trees in the world – Giant Sequoias – as well as brut mountain scenery. Named after the giant redwood trees it preserves, Sequoia National Park is a collection of redwood groves spread out along the rugged Sierra foothills. The centerpiece of Kings Canyon National Park is Kings Canyon itself, which is a mile deep glacial-cut valley reaching far into the heart of the Sierras.

Both parks are situated next to each other, making it easy to see the features of both parks in a day or two. Both parks are home to the largest concentration of Giant Sequoias, a smattering of waterfalls, and offer a variety of rocky Sierra Nevada Mountain scenery.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in photographs

Yosemite Half Dome
Yosemite Valley
El Capitan
Kings Canyon
Big Sur
Alcatraz
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Planning a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Two parks run as one, side by side on the western slope of the southern Sierra Nevada. Sequoia holds the giant forests, including General Sherman, the largest tree on earth by volume; Kings Canyon holds one of the deepest canyons in North America and far fewer people.

Getting up there is part of the trip. The Generals Highway climbs several thousand feet in tight switchbacks and has vehicle length limits on the steepest section, which is why the drive takes considerably longer than the distance suggests. The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway down to Cedar Grove is seasonal and normally closed through the winter.

These are snow parks in winter. Tyre chains are routinely required on the approach roads from November into April, and the giant forests under snow are one of the better reasons to come out of season.

The backcountry east of here climbs to Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet — the highest point in the lower 48, and reached from the far side of the range rather than from the parks themselves.