Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Information

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is located in California about a four drive from Los Angeles in the southern High Sierra Mountains.   Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks features giant trees, high Sierra peaks, and deep forested canyons.

The park is located in the southern ‘sand the parks’ elevations extend from 1,300 feet down low in the foothills to 14,491 feet at the summit of Mount Whitney which is the highest mountain summit in the lower 48 states.   Visitors flock from all over the world to see and touch a giant sequoia tree.  Most popular are the General Sherman tree and the General Grant tree.  This is one of the most unique national parks in the country.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Lodging

There are several lodging options in the park. Wuksachi Lodge is operated by Delaware North Park Services and is located inside the park.  It is open all year and phone reservations are accepted.  This rustic lodge is located approximately 4 miles from the Giant Forest.  The lodge features modern hotel rooms in multiple lodge buildings with a restaurant and gift shop.

From the Fresno Airport: 

Follow 180 from Fresno to King's Canyon.
Turn left on General's Highway to Sequoia National Park.
Turn left on Wuksachi Way.

The Grant Grove Cabins & John Muir Lodge that is operated by Kings Canyon Park Services is also open year round and phone reservations are accepted.  The Grant Grove Cabins and John Muir Lodge offer rustic modern rooms and in the summer season housekeeping cabins are available.  The lodge is in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, and 1/2-mile to a sequoia grove, visitor center, market, restaurant, gift shop, & post office.

Giant Sequoia Groves

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park’s most prominent and popular feature is the General Sherman Sequoia Tree which is the largest tree by volume on the planet.   It is very difficult to appreciate the size of the giant sequoias because neighboring trees are so large.

Believe it or not the largest of the sequoias are as tall as an average 26 story building.  As sequoias continue to grow, they produce about forty cubic feet of wood each annually.  The exact ages of the General Sherman, General Grant and other large sequoias are actually unknown, but botanist’s estimate that these remarkable giants are between 1800 and 2700 years old. These trees were here before civilization existed and survived countless wild fires and long periods of extended drought, and yet they continue to survive.

Giant sequoias get so large because they grow extremely fast over a long lifetime. They also live so long because they are resistant to many insects and diseases, and because they can survive most wild fires. Sequoias do have a weakness, however, which is a shallow based root system resulting in the main cause of death among mature sequoias being toppling.

Viewing and Climbing Mount Whitney

Mount Whitney is a coved summit by climbers from around the United States and abroad.  With its summit looming at 14,494 feet above sea level it is the highest peak in the lower forty eight States.

It is almost impossible to view Mount Whitney from the roads on the west side of the park.  There are too many high peaks blocking the view.  To view Mount Whitney the east side of the park is your best option.

Mt. Whitney is the most frequently climbed summit in the Sierras, if not in the country.  Because of this the National Park Service and the US Forest Service, who manage the Whitney Portal Trailhead, have initiated a limited permit system to minimize the impact of day hikers and climbers on the Mount Whitney backcountry environment.

Mount Whitney’s summit can be reached by a 10.7 mile trail from the Whitney Portal, 13 miles west of the town of Lone Pine on the east side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Ice axes and crampons are often needed in spring and early summer, but technical aid climbing equipment is not usually necessary between July and early October.  Always consult with a park ranger for current climbing conditions.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon Fishing

Fly fishing the backcountry of Sequoia National Park and nearby Golden Trout Wilderness offers anglers the chance to catch the shimmering yellow golden trout which is often heralded as the prettiest jewel of the trout family.  Golden trout live in the cold clear rivulets of the park and adjacent wilderness.

There are many fishing outfitters that can provide equipment and guide you on a fishing adventure.  Local Kern River Fly Fishing Guide Service can offer advice for the do-it-yourself fly fisherman or provide guiding service on the river.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon Wildlife

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have a wide diversity of animal species that reflects the range in elevation, climate, and habitats.  Park staffers have documented over 260 native vertebrate species are in the two parks.

The park’s wild residents include the black-capped chickaree, gray squirrel, golden-mantled ground squirrel, mule deer, black bear, mountain lion or puma, a variety of resident birds such as the western tanager, violet-green swallow, white-throated swift, Wilson's warbler, olive-sided flycatcher, hermit thrush, western bluebird, and pileated woodpecker.

Due to the relatively high elevation of the parks, reptiles are not common, but the mountain king snake, rubber boa, western fence lizard, and alligator lizard are occasionally observed by visitors.