Kings Canyon

Overview

Kings Canyon National Park, administered jointly with neighboring Sequoia, protects some of the deepest canyon terrain in North America. Kings Canyon itself, carved by the glacial Kings River through granite walls, plunges to a depth of over 8,200 feet — deeper than the Grand Canyon. The canyon's floor, reached by a winding scenic drive, opens into a broad glacial valley where the South Fork of the Kings River meanders through meadows beneath towering cliffs that evoke a California Yosemite without the crowds. The road ends at Roads End in Cedar Grove, the starting point for backcountry adventures into the Sierra high country. The Rae Lakes Loop, a 41-mile circuit through alpine lakes, granite basins, and the 11,978-foot Glen Pass, is one of the Sierra Nevada's premier backpacking routes. Day hikers can walk the Mist Falls trail (8.2 miles round trip) to one of the park's most impressive waterfalls, thundering with snowmelt through early summer. The Grant Grove section near the park's entrance holds the General Grant Tree, designated the Nation's Christmas Tree and the third-largest tree on Earth by volume. A short walk through the grove puts you among giant sequoias that have been growing for over 1,500 years, including the hollow Fallen Monarch log that was once used as a stable and a hotel.

Things to Do

• Hike to Mist Falls on the Kings River
• See the General Grant Tree, third largest in the world
• Backpack the Rae Lakes Loop
• Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway into the canyon
• Walk through the hollow Fallen Monarch log
• Fish for trout in the Kings River
• Hike to Zumwalt Meadow along the canyon floor

Wildlife

Keep an eye out for these animals during your visit:

Weather & Best Time to Visit

Canyon floor is hot in summer (90s). Higher elevations are cool and pleasant. Heavy snow closes Kings Canyon Road from November through April. Spring snowmelt creates dramatic waterfalls.