Sequoia National Park

National ParksCalifornia

Sep 7

Written By Cara

This past summer, we got the opportunity to go camping in Sequoia National Park and to see Sequoia and Kings Canyon, as well as hike the Lakes Trail in Sequoia (Heather, Emerald and Pear Lakes Trail). In this travel guide, we’ll talk about the best things to do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, camping, and summer activities like hiking the Lakes Trail.

Sequoia National Park And Kings Canyon National Park are often combined into one when talking about them or when visiting because they are right next to each other, so you can visit both Sequoia and Kings Canyon in one day. And they are jointly managed by the National Parks Service in the U.S. as Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park. You can get between the two by driving Generals Highway which takes you from the Giant Sequoia groves to the expansive Kings Canyon, a glacial valley with stunning views. You can visit year-round, but there are occasional road closures and limited camping due to snowfall in the winter and wildfires in the summer.

Related Posts: Yosemite National Park Itinerary

General Sherman Tree & the Giant Forest

This is probably the best thing to do in Sequoia & Kings Canyon, going to see the largest tree (by volume) in the world! Arrive here early in the morning if you can to walk amongst actual giants in the Giant Forest sequoia grove in the quiet and magical time before the tour buses start. We went on a weekend and started the short half mile paved trail at 7am and I’m so glad we did. It was so peaceful and we got to stand under the General Sherman Tree alone for a while and by the time we got back to the car around 8am, the parking was filling up!

The Nation’s Christmas Tree

The next best thing to do? See the second largest tree in the world! The General Grant Tree is located in Grant Grove and is another short paved loop trail. This area used to be part of General Grant National Park before it became Sequoia & Kings Canyon and the Grant Tree has been known as the Nation’s Christmas Tree since 1926. The Fallen Monarch and the Centennial Stump are also in this area to check out.

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway

Drive the 50 mile Kings Canyon Scenic Byway in southern Sierra Nevada to see deep valleys and cliffs made from glaciers, waterfalls and a river that flows right next to the road. You’ll need to reserve a few hours for this but we thought it was definitely worth it and is one of the most scenic drives in California in my opinion. This is a great way to see Kings Canyon in one day.

Note that this route is closed in the winter and we didn’t have phone signal here, so grab a map or offline download.

Grizzly Falls

You can find Grizzly Falls just off of the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (there’s a sign just before the turn off) and it was beautiful when we went in the middle of summer so my guess is that you can usually see it flowing. If you have more time, be sure to also check out Roaring River Falls along the scenic byway.

Moro Rock

Hiking the Moro Rock trail is a very popular activity to do in Sequoia. Moro Rock is a granite dome similar to (but smaller than) Half Dome in Yosemite National Park. The short hike to the top of the rock is steep and narrow in parts with over 350 steps to get there. We went in the evening just as the sun was setting and it was quite dark at times but was a good way to avoid the crowds in the day. There are also many other granite domes to visit here! You can also add Little Baldy, Big Baldy, Beetle Rock & Sunset Rock, and the Wilderness Granite Domes (Fin Dome, Tehipite Dome, and the Obelisk) to your list and I highly suggest Little Baldy or Big Baldy over Moro Rock if you’re visiting during peak tourist times.

Stargazing in the Dark Sky Park

Something that I feel gets left off lists like these is looking at the stars! Of course, if you’re short on time this may be hard to do but if you’re camping in Sequoia or you’re visiting in the autumn or winter when it gets darker earlier, make sure you look up at the stars for a while. This is known as a dark sky park so there is little light pollution and also many vantage points to choose from to do some astrophotography (Moro Rock is a great option for this) or just stargaze under a cozy blanket by your tent.

The Lakes Trail

The Heather, Emerald and Pear Lake trail is just over 13 miles and takes you along three stunning lakes that are surrounded by mountains and is rated hard on AllTrails. This is usually completed as a day hike or overnight hike which requires a backcountry camping permit (you don’t need the permit for day use). We opted for the challenge of doing the long day hike and completed it in under 8 hours including time to stop at the lakes and eat lunch. The lakes trail is popular but we didn’t find it too busy when we went especially after the first lake where most people turnaround for a shorter hike. This is one of my most favourite hikes we’ve ever done.

Camping

We managed to get a last minute campsite at Lodgepole Campground and it was an amazing experience. This is probably one of the best campgrounds in Sequoia but also hardest to reserve. I thought the spaces were decently spread out (we had campsite #94) and there is also RV sites, toilets, water and the lodgepole visitor center at this campground. Lodgepole is also conveniently located close to the Giant Forest, Tunnel Log and Moro Rock.

Part of the visitor center where you can buy food and coffee was closed due to lockdowns when we camped but the gift shop part has almost everything you need if you forget something, want some extra snacks or a souvenir. We even brought home our own baby Giant Sequoia tree from here!

Note that there are designated firepits at each campsite, but check if there are any fire restrictions right before you go, especially in the summer.