Travel Guide for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
 Entrance area to Sequoia National Park in California |
Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California.
The park is south of and contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park; the two are administered by the National Park Service together as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree, the largest tree on Earth. The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the ten largest trees in the world.
The Giant Forest is connected by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove, home to the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias.
The vast majority of the park is wilderness; no road crosses the Sierra Nevada within the park's boundaries. About 84% of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is designated wilderness and is accessible only by foot or by horseback.
Animals that inhabit this park are coyote, badger, black bear, bighorn sheep, deer, fox, cougar, and other wildlife.
Activities in the parks include hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking, as well as viewing the massive trees and exploring the streams and mountains.
Because of the extreme elevation range in these parks, weather conditions vary widely between areas. In summer, the sequoia groves have comfortable temperatures and the foothills are hot and dry. Snow lingers on high-mountain passes well into summer. In fall, some areas close or reduce their hours. Winter brings snow to sequoia groves and rain to the foothills. Be prepared for tire chain requirements. Spring is a great time to hike in the foothills and snow begins to melt at higher elevations.
Six facilities offer visitor assistance and information
- Foothills Visitor Center
- Giant Forest Museum
- Lodgepole Visitor Center
- Cedar Grove Visitor Center
- Mineral King Ranger Station
Spend a day, or more, and enjoy and explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks!
| What this National Park is all about ... the giant Sequoia trees! |
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 The famous Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park |
How to Get to Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Two highways provide entrance into the parks.
Highway 180 from Fresno leads east to Kings Canyon National Park, then continues 30 miles east to Cedar Grove.
Highway 198 from Visalia leads east to Sequoia National Park via Three Rivers.
Inside the parks, Highway 198 becomes the Generals Highway, which connects 198 to 180.
Vehicles over 22-feet long should enter the parks via Highway 180.
In winter, the Generals Highway between the parks often closes. Chains may be required on park roads.
No roads cross these parks east to west.
| One of dozens of towering Sequoia trees at the parks |
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Lodging Options in the Sequoia National Park Area
The park has four lodging options: Wuksachi Lodge, John Muir Lodge, Grant Grove Cabins and the Cedar Grove Lodge. Lodge details and reservations. Other lodging can be found in nearby area cities and towns ... see below for hotel and lodging options, reviews and reservations at TripAdvisor.
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| Sequoia tree ... hundreds of years old! |
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Sequoia National Park Scenes
| The roots of a fallen Sequoia tree at the park |
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| General Grant Tree ... The Nation's Christmas Tree ... A Living Shrine. Estimated to be 1,800 to 2,000 years old |
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| Entrance area to Kings Canyon National Park ... adjacent to Sequoia NP |
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Map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (Courtesy of NPS)
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Interactive Map of the Sequoia National Park Area
Other Travel Destinations in California |
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More Information about Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks official website at NPS
The address of the park 47050 Generals Highway, Three Rivers, CA 93271. Phone 559.565.3341