Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are 2 of the earlier parks -- Sequoia was established (the southern area around Hockett Meadow) about a week before Yosemite and General Grant (the precusor to Kings Canyon) were created and the Giant Forest was added to Sequoia. Later, the Kern drainage, with no Sequoias, was added to Sequoia, and the Kings drainage was added to General Grant and the name changed to Kings Canyon.

Not the largest identifiable grove of Sequoias, just the most accessible. This is the home of Crescent Meadow, General Sherman, Congress Trail, the former site of the Giant Forest cabins (replaced by the Wuksachi Village), and (almost) Moro Rock.

While this is a portion of Kings Canyon, it more logically is part of Sequoia. This is the original part (and was originally called General Grant, after the tree) of the park with the less accessible Kings Canyon added later. This small part of the park has several campgrounds, a variety of lodging options, the visitor center, the General Grant tree, and Wilsonia (a private in-holding).

Lower Kings Canyon exhibits the V shape of an eroded valley more than the U shape of a glacial valley. Roads End (where the lodging and trail heads are mostly located) is only a little lower than Yosemite Valley, but is much warmer due to lattitude (i.e. it is about 100 miles South of Yosemite), shape of canyon, amount of water, etc. Plus, the rain and snow generally decreases as you go south along the Sierra (or more generally south along the Pacific coast with the Sierra variation only a small part of that).

Some references call this the deepest canyon in some subset of the world (with the depth measured somewhere in the vacinity of this picture). Since there is no really obvious flat top for the canyon (as is the case of the Grand Canyon) I take no stand on how deep it may be, except to say it is not an easy hike up. The view is primarily up the Middle Fork, but the road is up the South Fork (to the right). Access to areas on the North Fork is via other routes (e.g. Courtwright Reservoir). These are far more interesting for hiking than the lower Middle Fork, and for most purposes, the trails that leave the hot, dusty, low end of the road at Cedar Grove.

Mineral King is a separate valley -- East Fork of the Kaweah, which was first developed as a mining area. This prior development kept the area outside of the early park boundaries. Mineral King was added to the park after a series of events that led to a proposed ski resort that finally alerted people to the potential of this region and the need to protect it. Thus there are groups of private cabins and abandoned concrete dams enlarging lakes. The mining was not as extensive as the classical gold rush regions or parts of Colorado, but traces will remain for a few more centuries. The road remains closed through the winter, but is not as bad as people often describe it, assuming that you do not mind constant curves, constant up hill, and a minimal two lanes. Compared to many other Sierra access roads, this one is very good.

There are several campgrounds and a privately operated "lodge" (Silver City Resort) so that you can spend some time in this remote, yet accessible, valley. Most hiking starts out UP, but leads to lakes and passes relatively quickly (relative to Cedar Grove it is quick). Sawtooth (peak and pass) is a good hike. Sawtooth peak is visible from other parts of the park such as Alta Peak.

Most of Sequoia and Kings Canyon is managed as Wilderness (essentially everything more than 1 mile from a road -- wilderness is best defined by what the law that created wilderness areas says, not by anything else). It is also where you see fewer people. We have spent several consecutive days on major trails (i.e. the Muir Trail), and encountered less than 5 people. You have to walk to see it. Horses are allowed on most of the trails -- like everything this is both good and bad (it means trails need to be well constructed, but also that trails can be dusty).

The combined backcountry includes the Kern Trench, Mt. Whitney, and numerous high lakes and basins of the Kern and Kings rivers, and a bit of the San Joaquin river. The only way to appreciate it is to visit more than once. Each trip will be different, with different weather and different snow, but the beauty is constant.

The Sequoia backcountry is dominated by the straight North-South Kern Trench, with plateaus on either side. Access is either from the park roads, or from the Inyo National Forest (or from the south) via the Mt. Whitney trail, or Shepard Pass -- neither of these trails are easy.

The wilderness of both parks is accessible from a variety of points and provides diverse experiences. The divide between the Kings and Kern is Forrester Pass. Going south, be sure to make the turn at the top or bring your parachute. The Kings Canyon wilderness has numerous basins, lakes passes, side trips, and alternate access trails to the east (many of which are not for the lazy -- e.g. Sawmill, Baxter, Taboose) or from the north via the hydro power lakes (Courtright, Edison, Florence) built by SCE or PGE. At least these are outside the park, unlike San Francisco and its destruction of Yosemite.

Are they the same? (No) How do you tell them apart? (other than location)

Some History and more Information

The Online Book, The Challenge of the Big Trees gives a detailed history of the establishment of the two parks with their growth and development up until 1990.

Maintained by Keith Price.