Photo:
RuggyBearLA / CC BY 2.0
Kings Canyon is the wild, vertical heart of the southern Sierra Nevada, a park of one of the deepest canyons in North America, groves of giant sequoias, and a vast high country of granite peaks and alpine lakes that runs unbroken into the John Muir and Sequoia wilderness. Co-managed with neighbouring Sequoia, it trades crowds for grandeur and serious backcountry.
The park spans a huge vertical range, from the giant sequoia groves and mixed-conifer forest at Grant Grove, down the glacially carved gorge of the Kings River at Cedar Grove, and up into a high country of bare granite, snowfields and hundreds of alpine lakes along the Sierra crest. Black bears, mule deer, marmots and, high up, bighorn sheep range the park.
Summer through early fall is prime, when the Cedar Grove road is open, the high country is clear of snow, and the rivers settle from their spring surge. Snow lingers at elevation into early summer and returns in fall, closing the canyon road for winter, though Grant Grove stays open year-round for snowshoeing and quiet forest walks.
Highway 180 from Fresno enters at Grant Grove and, in season, drops into the canyon at Cedar Grove, the paved end of the road and the gateway to the backcountry. The park connects by road to Sequoia via the Generals Highway. There is no park-wide shuttle, so a vehicle is needed, and distances between areas are long.
Walk among the giants on the General Grant Tree loop, drive the dramatic canyon road to Cedar Grove, and hike to Roaring River Falls, Zumwalt Meadow and Mist Falls. For the ambitious, Kings Canyon is a gateway to legendary backpacking, the Rae Lakes Loop and the John Muir and Pacific Crest trails all pass through, with alpine lakes and passes in every direction.
Black bears are active, and bear canisters are required through much of the wilderness. Store all food and scented items properly. The Kings River and its tributaries run cold, fast and deadly in spring and early summer, so keep well back and never wade swift water. At altitude, hydrate and pace yourself, watch for lingering snow on high passes, and carry a map and satellite messenger in the backcountry.
A single entry fee covers both Kings Canyon and Sequoia, and all overnight backpacking requires a wilderness permit, with quotas on popular trailheads. Reserve ahead. The Cedar Grove road is seasonal, so check its status. This page is a general overview, not a live conditions report; always confirm current conditions, road status and permits with the National Park Service before your trip.
Set this declination on your compass, then align it to the map's north lines; it is the angle between true north and magnetic north, refreshed each year.
