Sequoia & Kings Canyon Activities

Winter is a great time for snowplay--or to find plenty of solitude in the parks. Depending on how much time you have, here are a few suggestions.
If you have only a few hours:

Entering via Hwy 198: Stop in Ash Mountain at the Foothills Visitor Center to learn about California's fascinating and diverse oak chaparral ecology. (In all of North America, only the Central American rainforest has a richer array of plants and animals than California oak chaparral.) Stop at the Museum in Giant Forest. From the main parking lot, walk down to the General Sherman Tree, the largest, single-trunked living tree on earth. Allow 20 minutes each way for the walk to the tree plus your time there.

Entering via Hwy 180: Stop in Grant Grove Village at the newly-redesigned Kings Canyon Visitor Center and see the orientation film. See the General Grant Tree in Grant Grove (allow 20 minutes to walk the loop) or the General Sherman Tree in Giant Forest. Stop at the Museum in Giant Forest.

Either direction: Allow at least 2-3 hours for the drive time between entrance stations on the Generals Highway loop (red road on map at left)--more if winter conditions prevail--plus at least another two hours for your activities. Always bring tire chains, layers of warm clothes, and some emergency water and food.

If you have a day:

Entering via Hwy 198: Sled, ski, or snowshoe at the Wolverton Snowplay Area. Rent snowplay gear at Wuksachi Village. Allow at least 2-3 hours drive time on the Generals Highway loop--or longer depending on winter conditions. Always bring tire chains, layers of warm clothes, and emergency water and food.

Entering via Hwy 180: Sled, ski, or snowshoe at Big Stump or Columbine near Grant Grove Village at the Visitor Center and buy your ticket for a Grant Grove Village Market. Allow at least 2-3 hours drive time between entrance stations on the Generals Highway loop--or longer depending on winter conditions. Always bring tire chains, layers of warm clothes, and emergency water and food.

Either way: In Giant Forest, stand among the giant sequoias on the Big Trees Trail.

If you have a couple of days:

Entering via Hwy 198: On your way up to see the General Sherman Tree and the Museum in Giant Forest, stop at Hospital Rock to see the Native American grinding stones and pictographs.

Entering via Hwy 180: Come for a free snowshoe walk in Grant Grove Village. Watch for wildlife track on one of the trails around Grant Grove Village. Stop at the Redwood Canyon Overlook (just south of Grant Grove Village). Redwood Canyon is home to the world's largest grove of sequoias.

Either direction: At Wuksachi Village, join a ranger walk. In the Foothills, hike one of the trails near Ash Mountain. If you're staying in Wuksachi Village or the campground in Lodgepole Village, hike one of the trails in Giant Forest.

If you have a week or more:

The Sequoia Field Institute offers a wide variety of programs--both indoor and outdoor. Learn to cross-country ski or snowshoe. Or how to winter camp.

Enjoy park campgrounds without summer crowds. Campgrounds open in the winter include Potwisha (near Ash Mountain), Lodgepole, and Azalea in Grant Grove Village.

Strap on your skis or snowshoes and journey to the Pear Lake Ski Hut high above •Wolverton. From Ash Mountain or Grant Grove Village, allow 1 1/4 hours to the Wolverton Trailhead--plus however long you plan to stay in the wilderness.

For the skilled and adventurous with proper equipment: Stop at one of the visitor centers for a permit for wilderness travel to the splendid snowbound High Sierra.

For additional activity ideas, check the park newspaper or ask at one of the visitor centers.

Summer Activities

If you have only a few hours:

Entering via Hwy 198: Stop in Ash Mountain at the Foothills Visitor Center to learn about California's fascinating and diverse oak chaparral ecology. (In all of North America, only the Central American rainforest has a richer array of plants and animals than California oak chaparral.) Stop at Giant Forest Museum. From the main parking lot, walk down to the General Sherman Tree, the largest, single-trunked living tree on earth. Allow 20 minutes each way for the walk to the tree plus your time there.

Entering via Hwy 180: Stop in Grant Grove Village at the newly-redesigned Kings Canyon Visitor Center and see the orientation film. See the General Grant Tree in Grant Grove (allow 20 minutes to walk the loop) or the General Sherman Tree in Giant Forest. Stop at the Museum in Giant Forest.

Either direction: Allow at least two hours for the drive time between entrance stations on the Generals Highway loop (red road on map at left) plus at least another two hours for your activities.

If you have a day:

Entering via Hwy 198: Stop in Ash Mountain at the Foothills Visitor Center and buy your ticket for a Crystal Cave Tour. Allow at least two hours drive time on the Generals Highway loop from one entrance station to the other--plus 3 1/2 hours for the cave tour.

Entering via Hwy 180: Stop in Lodgepole Village at the Visitor Center and buy your ticket for a Crystal Cave Tour. Allow at least two hours drive time on the Generals Highway loop from one entrance station to the other--plus 3 1/2 hours for the cave tour.

Either way: If you prefer to stay outside: Go on a ranger walk. In Giant Forest, stand among the giant sequoias on the Big Trees Trail. Or in Lodgepole Village, walk up to Tokopah Falls. If you're hankering for more, in Giant Forest look for wildlife big and small around Crescent Meadow and climb Moro Rock or hike out to Eagle View.

If you have a couple of days:

Entering via Hwy 198: On your way up to see the General Sherman Tree and the Giant Forest Museum, stop at Hospital Rock to see the Native American pictographs and grinding stones.

Entering via Hwy 180: Have a picnic in Grant Grove Village at Big Stump. Hike into Redwood Canyon (just south of Grant Grove Village), home to the world's largest grove of sequoias. Visit Converse Basin (just north of Grant Grove Village) where a ghostly forest of sequoia stumps surround the massive Boole Tree. Stand in awe of gigantic Kings Canyon.

Either direction: Ask at a visitor center for a Junior Ranger Program booklet. Camp in one of park's 14 campgrounds. Attend campfire programs. Hike to the Watchtower near Wolverton, the Congress Trail in Giant Forest or Little Baldy Trail west of Wuksachi Village.