Sequoia & Kings Canyon
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
Sequoia National Park
Sequoia is such a magical place. I booked a two night stay in the park and I absolutely want to go back and spend more time here.
Getting there
I flew into the Fresno airport for my trip, which is a little over an hour away from Grant Grove. This trip started with a visit to Yosemite, and the parks are about three hours apart depending on traffic and any stops you’d like to make in between.
Hotel
I stayed at the John Muir Lodge in Grant Grove during my visit.
It is located just between the Sequoia side and the Kings Canyon side of the park. There are rocking chairs on the porch at the lodge - a pro. A con is that the parking lot is rather small, so in busier seasons you may have trouble parking at the building.
Click here for other lodging options and information.
Food
The Grant Grove restaurant near the lodge had a ton of gluten free options, and the grocery store next door was well stocked, too.
Laundry
If you have been traveling for a bit and need to do laundry, there are coin-operated machines at the Lodgepole Visitor Center. The store inside has individual detergent packs you can buy, and there are groceries as well as a snack counter with fruit cups and other items if you need to stock up.
Hikes and drives
I visited in mid-October. There were crowds at the most popular sights and trailheads in the park, but I thought the weather was perfect and I was still able to find plenty of quiet space on my hikes.
Two hikes that I loved were a short loop near Grant Grove to see the General Grant and a longer loop in the Giant Forest that included the General Sherman, the largest tree on Earth, and Congress.
Aside from the main park roads, a drive that is worth your time is Crescent Meadow Road near the Giant Forest Museum.
There will be some crowds near areas like the auto log and a few of the really popular trailheads, but the drive is beautiful and there are a ton of spots to pull aside and take photos or just enjoy the sequoias and the views.
Kings Canyon
A nearby wildfire had made Kings Canyon pretty hazy and smoky on the day I set aside to take the scenic byway toward Bubbs Creek and do a few hikes.
Even with the haze, the drive was gorgeous and I really enjoyed all of the scenic overlooks and views along the way.
