Kings Canyon National Park in California brings you to feet of giants

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are often spoken of in the same breath. They even share the same website.

“They are two national parks, but they are managed as one, by one staff,” said Sintia Kawasaki-Yee, Chief of Communications and Management Support for both parks in California.

Sequoia actually gets more visitors – more than 1.15 million in 2022 compared to just under 641,000 at Kings Canyon, according to National Park Service records. But each park deserves exploring on its own. 

Kings Canyon alone spans 722 square miles of massive trees and staggering mountains.

“Driving down through Kings Canyon itself is just a magical experience, views that you wouldn't get elsewhere,” said Kawasaki-Yee.

Here’s what travelers should know about Kings Canyon, the latest national park in USA TODAY’s yearlong series.  

What is special about Kings Canyon National Park?

Like its neighbor, Kings Canyon is home to some of the tallest and oldest trees in the world, giant sequoias. 

The world’s second-largest tree, the General Grant Tree, stretches 268 feet up in the park’s Grant Grove.

“It's also the only living shrine to the men and women who have died in service to their country. And it's also the nation's Christmas tree,” said Kawasaki-Yee.

How far apart are Sequoia and Kings Canyon?

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are right next door to each other and Sequoia National Forest.

“We're very intertwined,” said Kawasaki-Yee. “So you get kind of a double experience in that.”

Can you drive through Kings Canyon National Park?

Yes. Visitors can drive through Kings Canyon to Sequoia on Generals Highway.

“If you're coming out from LA, you would go into Sequoia National Park, drive through both parks and come out toward Fresno,” the closest major city to Kings Canyon, said Kawasaki-Yee. She said the whole drive typically takes between an hour and a half to two hours, not including Cedar Grove, which is more remote.

One flat vehicle entrance fee of $35 covers access to both national parks for seven days. No reservations are required for entry to either.

What is the best time of year to visit Kings Canyon?

Kawasaki-Yee recommends visiting in the spring or fall, but she prefers springtime for waterfall viewing.  

“You get the really strong waterfalls with the snowmelt,” she said.

Visitors will want to check if Cedar Grove is open for the season during their visit, as the road to that closes for the winter. 

In addition to being a popular access point for wilderness exploration, Kawasaki-Yee said Cedar Grove’s views are unmatched.

“When you look up on both sides, you just see granite canyon,” she said.

Who are the Indigenous people of the area?

“Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are the homelands of the Mono (Monache), Yokuts, Tübatulabal, Paiute, and Western Shoshone,” according to the parks’ website, which lists the following affiliated federally recognized tribes.

• Big Pine Band of Owens Valley Paiute Shoshone Indians
• Big Sandy Rancheria Band of Western Mono Indians
• Bishop Paiute Tribe
• Bridgeport Indian Colony
• Cold Springs Rancheria
• Fort Independence Indian Community of Paiute Indians
• Fort Mojave Indian Tribe
• North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians
• Paiute-Shoshone Indians of the Lone Pine Community
• Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians
• Santa Rosa Rancheria Tachi-Yokut Tribe
• Table Mountain Rancheria
• Tejon Indian Tribe
• Tule River Tribe
• Utu Utu Gwaitu Paiute Tribe of the Benton Paiute Reservation