Just a three and a half hour drive from our home in the Bay Area, our family has now had the chance to explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks three times (and we know we’ll return again soon). Housing some of the tallest and oldest trees on earth, the incredible expanse of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, is an unforgettable landscape. With amazing groves of giant sequoia redwoods, an extensive cave system, an incredible deep canyon, and meadows bright with wildflowers, each visitor can find an adventure suitable for their passions. Our first trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon was when my oldest child, Grace, was five years old, and my Mom and I were looking to take her to her first National Park. Our second trip was in the Summer of 2018, when I took the kids for a few days on a whim, hoping to close out Summer with a grand adventure. And, finally, we visited Sequoia and Kings Canyon again this April of 2021 with our extended family, exploring many of our favorite destinations in the park again. On each of these visits, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks afforded the most amazing beauty, learning experiences, and soul-filling adventures.
On our first weekend trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, my Mom, Grace, and I visited for a “Girl’s Weekend.” This trip was particularly special because, as a child, my Mom traveled to several National Parks with her Mother, and my Mom had also taken my brother and I to numerous National Parks when we were children. I have such vivid memories of these adventures. Now that Grace was old enough to experience some of what these treasures had to offer, my Mom was especially excited about introducing her first grandchild to some of the wonder that both she and I had experienced as children. Our long weekend was fantastic, teaching Grace about the Park (she became a “Junior Ranger” for the first time!), exploring many of the wonderful trails, seeing the sights, and just enjoying each others’ company. Highlights of our first trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks included a visit to the Big Stump Area, walking the General Sherman Tree Trail, visiting Moro Rock and Falling Rock, and General Grant Grove, as well as a quick stop at Hume Lake.
Our second trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks too place in August of 2018, when I took the kids on a last-minute, spontaneous adventure there the week before school started. When I called Nonnie to see if she wanted to join, she was all for it. We stayed at the Wuksachi Lodge, and explored Sequoia for two days, and King’s Canyon on day three. Highlights included seeing the General Sherman and General Grant trees, Falling Rock, hiking to the top of Moro Rock (Mom and the three big kids – Quinn and Nonnie bowed out due to a fear of heights), a tour of Crystal Cave, exploring the gorgeous Crescent Meadow in Sequoia and Zumwalt Meadow in Kings Canyon, and seeing the variety of wildlife and insects.
We also did a tour of Crystal Cave. It was a the first cave experience for the kids, and they loved learning about the cave, wearing their headlamps, and exploring.
On our final day in the parks, the kids and I made the drive from Sequoia to Kings Canyon, where we planned to spend the day exploring. Our first stop was at Grant Grove, where we had a chance to visit the General Grant Tree, and several other giant sequoias in the grove.
Then, we made the hour and half drive from Grant Grove along the Generals Highway all the way to the end of the road in Kings Canyon. This drive is definitely not for the faint of heart with steep cliffs along the way, but I am so glad we ventured into the depth of the park to our destination for the day, Zumwalt Meadow. The kids LOVED this hike, and really enjoyed the chance to play along the river and skip rocks as we made our way around the meadow loop.
Our last trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks was this April of 2021, where we met our extended family there for the weekend during Spring Break. The weather was gorgeous! There were still small patches of snow along the highway in many places, but the trails were plowed and relatively snow-free. We spent the weekend exploring all that the park had to offer, and it proved the perfect playing field for the 12 people in our family, ranging from age 5 to 72.
On our way into the park, our family first drove into Kings Canyon to visit Hume Lake, where we set out to hike the flat 2.8 mile loop around the lake. It was a great place to stretch our legs after our drive from the Bay Area, and the kids especially loved the small waterfall that we were able to play in along the way.
After a night rendezvous with our family at the Wuksachi Lodge, located inside Sequoia National Park, we were ready to hit the park again the next day, first visiting the Big Trees Area of Sequoia, and setting out to hike the Big Tree Trail. The kinds really enjoyed throwing rocks and warring with sticks along the way, the perfect activities for a group of five young boys.
From the Big Trees area of Sequoia National Park, we drove to the General Sherman Tree Trail, where we hiked a half mile downhill from the parking lot to visit the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world by volume.
On our second day in Sequoia National Park, we set out to hike the 3.6 mile (roundtrip) trail to Moro Rock from the Big Forest Museum. You can also drive this road during the Summer if you do not feel like making the hike. We really enjoyed the hike together, and absolutely LOVED the climb up Moro Rock (over 300 stairs!) once we reached it.
After climbing down from Moro Rock, we hiked about two-tenths of a mile over to Falling Rock, where we enjoyed a fabulous picnic lunch with a great view. Keep in mind that the cliffs are steep here if traveling with young children. The view of Moro Rock is also wonderful from this side.
That afternoon, we set out to hike the Congress Trail, a two-mile long trail that you can access from the General Sherman Tree Trail. We loved the large grouping of giant sequoias along this trail, and enjoyed seeing several impressive groves along the way, including “The President,” “The Senate,” and “The House.” It was a thin paved trail, with very little elevation gain, perfect for families.
On our final day in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, our family headed to the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park, where we visited the General Grant Tree and took the one-third mile loop around the trees from the parking lot. This tree is the widest in the world!
From there, we headed out to hike to Panorama Point, taking the trail from the John Muir Lodge. This trail, at three and a half miles, was a great way to access a wonderful view of Kings Canyon National Park and Hume Lake from above. In the Summer, you can drive all the way up to the parking lot, save the last .5 miles to the Panorama, but since the road was closed for the winter, we opted for the hike, and we were so glad that we did. The views were spectacular!
What an incredible long weekend in Sequoia National Park!
