Getting to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

GETTING TO THE PARKS
Both roads leading to these parks approach from the west. They are open all day, every day, depending on weather. No roads cross these parks. From the east, no roads reach the park boundary. See the map below.

    To enter Sequoia Park:
    From highways 65 or 99, go east on Highway 198 to the park entrance.

    To enter Kings Canyon National Park:
    From Highway 99, go east on Highway 180 to the park entrance.

    The main park road, the Generals Highway, connects these two entrances.

ADVISORIES:

    * Construction delays on the Generals Highway between Giant Forest and the foothills: more...
    * No gas stations lie within park boundaries. Be sure to fill up on the way in. Once up in the parks, the closest gas available year-round is at Hume Lake (15 miles north Grant Grove in the national forest). From late spring into fall gas is available at Stony Creek (between Lodgepole and Grant Grove), and at Kings Canyon Lodge (on private land between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove).

RVs & TRAILERS: VEHICLE LENGTH LIMITS
Many park roads have very tight curves, so vehicle-length advisories are in effect:

    * Generals Highway: For 16 miles between Sequoia's foothills and the Giant Forest (from Potwisha Campground to the Giant Forest Museum), the advised maximum vehicle length is 22 feet (6.7 m). The alternative: take Highway 180 from Fresno to Grant Grove.
    * Mineral King Road: Not recommended for RVs or trailers (RVs and trailers are not permitted in the campgrounds there).
    * Crystal Cave Road: Maximum vehicle length is 22 feet (6.7 m). No trailers permitted.
    * Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow Road: RVs and trailers are not recommended.

DISTANCE & TIME to SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK Entrance via Hwy 198 from:

    * Visalia - 46 miles--allow 1 hour
    * Fresno - 76 miles--allow 1 hour 30 minutes
    * Bakersfield - 114 miles--allow 2 hours
    * Yosemite NP Wawona Entrance - 138 miles--allow 2 hours 45 minutes
    * Los Angeles - 225 miles--allow 3 hours 45 minutes
    * Oakland or Sacramento - 250 miles--allow 4 hours 30 minutes
    * Death Valley NP West Entrance - 320 miles--allow 6 hours 15 minutes
    * Las Vegas - 400 miles--allow 6 hours 30 minutes

DISTANCE & TIME to KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK via Hwy 180 to Grant Grove entrance:

    * Fresno - 57 miles--allow 1 hour 15 minutes
    * Visalia - 67 miles--allow 1 hour 30 minutes
    * Yosemite NP Wawona Entrance - 114 miles--allow 2 hours 15 minutes
    * Bakersfield - 135 miles--allow 2 hours 30 minutes
    * Oakland or Sacramento - 230 miles--allow 4 hours
    * Los Angeles - 245 miles--allow 4 hours 30 minutes
    * Death Valley NP West Entrance - 340 miles--allow 6 hours 45 minutes
    * Las Vegas - 420 miles--allow 7 hours

Seasonal Closures

    * Highway 180 into the Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove facilities: Closes at the junction with the road to Hume Lake from mid-November to mid-April.
    * Mineral King Road and facilities in Sequoia National Park close November 1 through late May (open Memorial Day weekend, weather permitting).
    * Crystal Cave Road and some campgrounds close for the winter.
    * The Generals Highway (the main park road) closes between Lodgepole and Grant Grove for plowing during and after winter snowstorms.
    * Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow, Panoramic Point, Redwood Mountain, Middle Fork, Big Meadows, Quail Flat/Ten Mile, and Converse Basin roads close in winter.