The Perfect 2 Day Itinerary for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
You'll feel incredibly small as you walk amongst the giant trees at Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks. Hike to mountain overlooks and through forests using this itinerary to guide you.
2 day itinerary for Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
These national parks don't have a ton of hiking. There is more sightseeing than there intense hiking, but you can find some trails to hike as well.
Day 1: Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon is a very small park. Half a day to a day here is enough time to see it. There really wasn't much hiking here, but there were a few places to take a stroll.
General Grant Grove
As the second largest tree in the world, the General Grant Tree is the star of the show here.
The grove has plenty of large sequoia trees to wander through. There's no set trail here, so we spent about half an hour exploring the grove.
Panoramic Point
This is right across the street from the General Grant Grove, but most people don't stop here. It's a couple tenths of a mile walk up to a scenic viewpoint.
Scenic Byway
The main road through the park is this 50 mile long scenic byway. As the name suggests, there are great views along most of the drive.
There are plenty of pull offs to stop at for pictures including a great panorama from Junction View.
Zumwalt Meadows
Located at the end of the scenic byway, this was a great place to stop and stretch our legs before making the drive back. We went on a short walk along the river. Part of the path was closed, so we just walked until we couldn't figure out where the trail went anymore.
Day 2: Sequoia National Park
A full day at Sequoia is enough time to see the park. There is a little more to do here than at Kings Canyon National Park, so if you have an extra day, I'd spend it at this park. There is more hiking compared to Kings Canyon as well. The activities below are in order from the Three Rivers entrance of the park.
Moro Rock
This was less of a hike and more of a climb. From the parking lot, climb up a few hundred steps to the top of this rock. There are 360 degree views of the park from the top.
Tunnel Log
While it's a little touristy, it's still fun to stop here. Tunnel Log is a tree that fell over with a hole carved out to drive through. There can be a bit of traffic here, but there is a bypass to avoid the traffic driving through the log.
Crescent Meadow
This was the most peaceful and serene place we stopped in Sequoia. We hiked about 2 miles through the meadow which was surrounded by giant sequoias.
We took the Log Meadow spur which eventually stopped at Tharp's Log. This was a fallen tree that was converted into a cabin.
At the very end, we followed the signs to Chimney Tree before heading back to the parking lot.
Big Trees Trail
The trail starts at the Giant Forest parking lot and there's a short connector trail to get to the Big Trees area. There's only handicap parking at the Big Trees Trail. The loop is less than a mile around a meadow surrounded by sequoias. It's flat and handicap accessible.
General Sherman Tree
Measuring as the largest tree in the world by volume, the General Sherman Tree is the main attraction of the park. There's handicap parking closer to the tree, but the main parking lot requires about half a mile walk downhill to get to the tree.
It's in a much larger grove of sequoias that are fun to explore.
Congress Loop
This loop starts near the General Sherman Tree. Not very many people continue on to do the loop as well, but this was our favorite part of the grove. It's much more secluded and quiet since there are fewer crowds.
The loop is about 2 miles and it's fairly flat. Along the loop there are many other named sequoias.
Where to eat around Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Sierra Subs and Salads
We found this on our first night and it was so good that we came back on our second night as well. We tried four different sandwiches and they were all delicious. There's no indoor seating, but there are picnic tables outside overlooking the river.
Three Rivers Yogurt
Located right next to Sierra Subs and Salads, we came here to get some dessert both nights we were in Three Rivers. It's similar to other frozen yogurt places, but it has a better variety of toppings.
Getting to and around Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
The closest major airports to the parks are in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rent a car there and drive 4-5 hours to get to the parks. A car is necessary to get around the parks too. You'll need a pass to get into the parks. It costs $35 for a week long pass that is good for both of these two parks. I highly recommend getting an America the Beautiful Pass which covers all national parks entrance fees for $80 per year.
Where to stay near Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
I'd recommend staying in Three Rivers which is right outside of the entrance to Sequoia National Park. This small cabin was perfect for two people. Since the parks are connected, it's easy to explore Kings Canyon while staying closer to Sequoia.
Best time to visit Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
These parks aren't as crowded as some of the most popular national parks, but I'd still recommend visiting in the spring or fall to avoid the peak tourist season. The temperatures in late spring and early fall are still comfortable for hiking.