We are a GPS-enabled app-based tour that narrates information based on your location right on your phone. You will need to bring all of your own snow play gear sleds, snowshoes, cross-country skis, etc. When you are ready to return to Visalia after your park visit, take the 2:30 p.m. or 3:30 p.m. departure from the park and catch the 6:30 p.m. V-LINE to Fresno. USA ROAD TRIPS: Planning your next big adventure in the USA? Gasoline is not sold within park boundaries. Yosemite National Park (southern entrance at Wawona on Hwy 41) An audio guide, map, and tour book all in one! Trek to a grove filled with plenty more ancient and enormous sequoias. Beyond them is the Giant Forest Museum, where youll find a short hiking trail through some of the parks enormous residents. Hike to a powerful waterfall that's off the beaten path. No televisions in the rooms and not very good cell phone reception, but you don't really need it. Stairs, [] view from my back yard of Moro Rock with rainbow on 9-20-11 [], [] that was tougher had 3 people on it. Whether you stay in an Airbnb in the surrounding areas, camp in Sequoia National park or just outside, there are so many things to do with your family and kids of all ages. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks sit side by side in central California. No visit to Sequoia National Park in winter or summer is complete without stopping by to say hello to General Sherman. This is the most epic of the trails in Sequoia offering amazing groves of sequoia trees, nature, tranquility and beauty. We also have detailed guides about how to hike Upper Yosemite Falls and the Mist and Muir Trails. The road passes through the Giant Forest, the largest concentration of Giant Sequoias, passes close to the General Sherman tree, the Lodgepole area, and Wuksachi Lodge. Now you will be driving on Generals Highway, the scenic road that connects the two parks together. Just avoiding the long lines in and out of the park daily is well worth any extra cost that you might incur staying here! My tip: start your day as early as possible! Not to be missed is the Foothills Visitor Center, which opens at 8 am and is just a short drive after entering the park. After that, youll arrive at Moro Rock, a 300-foot dome sticking out of the forest, which provides a stupendous opportunity for unbeatable views. Witness the giant sequoias in all their majesty, including General Sherman, the most massive living thing on the planet. Time: 6 hours, 30 minutes There are a variety of amazing options for hiking in Sequoia National Park in winter. Continuing, youll arrive at another fun landmark: the Tunnel Log. Note, the hotel is the furthest spot on the Generals Highway, right before the road closure begins. Hike the Congress Trail. The weather here can range from downright cold to moderate at anytime of the winter season. Find out how people traversed these parks as you make your way to Kings Canyon. From here, the Generals Highway climbs to 7,335-foot Little Baldy Saddle (a two-mile trail leads to Little Baldys summit), and then drops down to the left turnoff for Wuksachi Lodge, a great place for a meal or an overnight stay.One mile south is Lodgepole Village, with its well-stocked grocery store, visitors center, deli and pizza parlor, campground, showers, laundry, and trailheads for a number of hikes. On my bucket list to do, but I would also like to include some other stops on the way like the Wyoming, Utah and Montana countryside. Use a NPS map to note points of interest along the highway and group according to location and time. Tip: If you have space, carry a pair of small binoculars during your visit. Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes If you only do one hike in Sequoia in winter, the Congress Trail should be the one you do. Your tour begins at the Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Headquarters just south of the parks. 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It is located in a great location to be able to get to all the sights relative quickly without sitting in long lines along the way. If you want to explore further, walk the Congress Loop, a 2-mile loop that heads further into the forest. Points of interest in all three parks are detailed at www.MajesticMountainLoop.com. Moro Rock rises 6,725 feet above sea level, but hikers only have to climb the last 300 feet of that elevation to enjoy the vast panoramic views. After this fork, the main highway enters into a series of steep switchbacks, dropping into the deep canyon of the Middle Fork Kaweah River. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Distance: 400 mi/644 km Avoid routes that direct you onto unpaved roads, which may be rugged, gated, closed seasonally, or only suitable for 4WD or AWD vehicles. Your email address will not be published. Studying the view with awe, I suddenly realized that I was looking right at the top half of Moro Rock, in full sun, just beyond a ridge that was in the shadow of a lone cloud! Dress in layers because temps do get chilly as you head up the mountain! During the summer months, expect to share the views with lots of people. The clearlier the air day the farther you can see. Your email address will not be published. In other years, you can rent snowshoes from the Lodgepole Market or the Grant Grove Gift Shop on the Kings Canyon side. However, rangers will often not press too hard about chain requirements if the roads are very clear and there is no chance of precipitation in the forecast. If you cannot get a reservation inside the park or prefer to stay outside, we highly recommend staying in Three Rivers. By 9 am, Kings Canyon and Sequoia are filling with people. Its a great spot to get your bearings, use the restrooms and plan your itinerary for the day. Interested in creating custom self-guided tours for your customers? Or share this post with others by pinning on Pinterest! Need Tire Chains? At this time sequoias can be seen in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. General Grant Grove is located just beyond the entrance to Kings Canyon. Even if you stay right outside the park entrance, you still have over an hour of elevation to conquer to get to the big Sequoia trees, switching back and forth, making complete u-turns next to giant RVs and cars pulling boats. Please drive slowly and cautiously and use paved turnouts to view wildlife. The canyon also features some great hikes for those in the mood. As you tour this jaw-dropping primeval forest, you'll learn about the area's early inhabitants, from the Paiute tribe to . Its a half-mile hike down on a paved road to the spot and people line up to take pictures in front, although its nearly impossible to capture the giant tree in one photo! Stand at the base of the largest tree in the entire world and learn all about it. The park is divided into three general zones: low-elevation foothills, mid-elevation montane forests nad high-elevation alpine mountains. That is left for a second, longer trip. No gas in the Parks Gasoline is not sold within park boundaries. No worries! How do rate a park road? There are two areas within the park for snow play and sledding depending which side of the park you are on. I dont know if it is open all the time. This self-guided driving tour takes you through enormous, ancient groves at Sequoia National Park. With an area of 629 square miles of forest in the Sierra Nevada region of California, Sequoia National Park is adjoined by Kings Canyon National Park to the north/northeast, with the eastern boundary being at Mount Whitney (the highest mountain in the lower 48 states at 14,949 feet). Vehicle length limits and advisories are in place on many park roads, including the Generals Highway from the foothills to Giant Forest. For us, this was our favorite viewpoint of the day. More than 15,000 sequoias larger than a foot in diameter thrive in this grove. It's just scary on all of these highways (including parts of Sequoia) because many places have no guard rails and the roads aren't very wide. One of the most important parts of planning a visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in winter is understanding what is open, what is closed and what the road conditions are during your visit. Sequoias in Sequoia National Park are not accessible due to road closures. Driving in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Roads here are steep, winding, and narrow. Regulations restrict the length of vehiclesthey must not exceed 40 feet (12 m), although vehicles longer than 22 feet (6.7 m) are not recommended to use the road between Potwisha Campground and Giant Forest Museum.The scenic 50-mile Generals Highway was built in 1935 to connect the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon to the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. The two-lane road has numerous scenic pullouts and hiking trails including Junction View, Yucca Point, Grizzly Falls, Don Cecil View, Hotel Creek Overlook, Canyon View, and Roaring River Falls, before reaching Roads End. In Fresno, take exit 128 onto CA-180 W. Merge onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Across the highway is the trailhead for the hike to Buena Vista Peak (one mile).The drive continues southeast, reaching Stony Creek Lodge in seven miles (groceries and gas available). We then go to General Sherman tree trail, afterwards, we drove along the General highway to the Kings Canyon national park, there are some overlooks in the Kings canyon portions. Watch for steep grades. In Sacramento, take CA-99S. The 278-mile-long Grand Canyon, located east of Vegas, is one of the Seven Wonders of the Worldand a true American mainstay. There is also a free in-park shuttle if you dont want to worry about parking. Learn the surprising ways that wildfires work in this high elevation ecosystem. Be sure to use paved turnouts only, as hot brakes and mufflers can start fires in dry grass. If you need a great place to stay in Yosemite, the Yosemite Valley Lodge is right in the heart of everything, is a great place to stay, you won't be constantly fighting for a parking place because the shuttle comes to the lodge frequently and will take you anywhere you want to go in the valley. We did all three during our visit. Youre welcome! Lots of overlooks to enjoy the amazing scenery: sequoia groves or sheer canyons. This audio tour provides interesting facts and history for both parks. Learn how the Sierra Nevada mountains actually formed and what their future might look like. To get to the top, you will climb 400 steps (0.6 miles round trip) to the summit of a granite dome. Like where to fly into and rent a car for my trip close to the Sequoias? Once you arrive, youll see why this park is a state treasure! From Moro Rock, we drove south on Generals Highway, exited Sequoia National Park, and drove to Visalia. Subscribe to our newsletter belowcoupon code on the next screen. The road ends just past Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park. So once you've filled your belly, follow Lodgepole Road down to the Tokopah trailhead. If your friends dont believe how big these trees are, show them a picture of your vehicle dwarfed by that wooden tunnel! Renting an airbnb allows you to cook your own meals rather than relying on the offerings at the hotels inside the park. Extensive road damage requiring significant repairs occurred during winter storms in early 2023. If you are entering the park from the Sequoia side one of the first places with a lot of snow that you will come upon is probably the Big Trees Loop. There are two areas within the park for snow play and sledding depending which side of the park you are on. PRO TRAVEL TIP #1: This is a very, very windy road. Would we be able to take this drive? Save these tips for . Every thing about it is amazing the entire way. There was only about 6 inches of hand rail showing and that drop to your death weighed heavy on my mind at the time! Time: 45 minutes tours at your own pace and literally at any time of the day! The road is well maintained, especially during winter, but as you enter Sequoia NP the many switchbacks can give some kids (and adults!) The trees are also a sight to see. Weather in Sequoia National Park in Winter. Take CA-198 E to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park. Watch the kids carefully to see you need to descend a bit. Waterproof Outer Layers: If you plan on doing any winter hiking, or snow play, you will want waterproof hiking pants (these are also great) and a waterproof jacket. Overall, this drive must be completed on any trip to Sequoia National Park. Eshom Road is rugged and may not be passable, especially during storms or when snow is melting. It is a beautiful drive in good weather but slow, especially when there is much traffic. Winter conditions may exist at higher elevations between November and June; roads occasionally close for plowing and chains may be required at any time. The Generals Highway is a highway that connects State Route 180 and State Route 198 through Sequoia National Park, Giant Sequoia National Monument, and Kings. Your Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks tour begins at the southern end of Sequoia National Park, near the visitor center. Note that some of the smaller roads like the road to Kings Canyon Panoramic Point are closed in winter. This is another large area great for snowshoeing and sledding. In this guide, learn how to plan a trip around the world. This is not an entry ticket to any of the attractions along the way. Fresno The drive from Zumwalt Meadows in Kings Canyon to our first stop in Sequoia, the General Sherman tree, takes 1.5 to 2 hours (63 miles). If you are visiting during winter you have to be prepared for both sunny, clear days as well as cloudy, overcast snowy days. Our website uses cookies. I wish I was this adventurous! Even though we didnt do it, I still wanted to include Crystal Cave in this post since this is a popular spot to visit in Sequoia National Park. The beauty of a winter visit means you most likely wont have to wait in line though as the park is much quieter. His snow boots werent quite as great as we had hoped! No gasoline is available in the national parks, though nearby national forests have gas stations. There was very little traffic in October and the trees are beautiful. Highway 180 is a good road (vista views is the only issue you will have). In Sacramento, take CA-99S. Here is an affiliate link to Booking.com to look at properties in Three Rivers. Take I-80 E to I-580 E. Continue onto I-205 E, merge onto I-5 N. Take CA-120 E to CA-99 S. Then take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park. While social distancing measures are still being enacted, the restaurant and bar are available for take out only. Subscribe to our newsletter below. Winter Accessories: No matter what the temperature is like, it is always good to bring along a selection of winter accessories: a hat, waterproof gloves, and a scarf. There are many giant sequoias here, but finding the General Sherman is easy. Your email address will not be published. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. This tree used to hold the record for the second largest tree in the world by width, but I believe that has been overtaken by The President which can be found on the Congress Trail mentioned above. Next up is Sequoia National Park. Time: 4 hours, 15 minutes Parking is limited in the small lot, so plan to arrive early or wait around for a spot during busy times. In the parks, wildlife has the right of way. This section also consists of numerous switchbacks, and has a speed limit of 10 MPH. Filled with alpine peaks, deep canyons, and the largest trees in the world, you could spend several days here. As you tour this jaw-dropping primeval forest, youll learn about the areas early inhabitants, from the Paiute tribe to the founders of a secretive, ill-fated colony.
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