We had dipped our toes into Kings Canyon on the day of our Sequoia National Park visit, as many visitors do. We had made a brief stop at the General Grant Grove which features the General Grant Sequoia tree, the second largest tree in the world, and at the recommendation of a park ranger cruised the approximate 10 miles to the Junction Vista which overlooks the treeless valley where the north and south forks of the Kings River come together. It was well worth the drive. At the time we thought that might be the extent of our exploration of Kings Canyon, the lesser known of the three Sierra Nevada national parks.
However, after returning to our base, we talked amongst ourselves and felt that it would be a shame to return to the Ohio River Valley without experiencing more of Kings Canyon.
On our earlier foray we were on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway for a while and we all noted the differences in the landscape between it and Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. First, Kings Canyon is a fragmented park, with two sections that are connected by the Scenic Byway that winds through Sequoia National Forest (not park!). The first section is quite small and hosts Grants Grove (highlighted in yellow on the map below). Due to its proximity to the park entrance, and to Sequoia National Park itself, it can be somewhat crowded, as it was on the day of our brief visit. The Sequoia trees of the grove are striking, but it is hard to get reflective in the hustle and bustle of the crowds. The remaining part of Kings Canyon National Park is approximately 20 miles away (outlined in purple on the map below), on the twisting and turning two lane Scenic Byway that, as we noted previously, travels through the national forest.
We started our second visit to Kings Canyon at Panoramic Point, with the view that was captured in the title photo. The drive to the site is a tortuous narrow one lane, two way road. Luckily we faced no oncoming traffic. The parking lot is at 7950 feet altitude and there is a 0.5 mile ascending hike to the overlook. The air was quite thin. The effort was worth it as we were rewarded with an outstanding vista onto Kings Canyon Gorge and a large wilderness area with some snow capped mountains in the background. The peaks of these mountains approach 14,000 feet, and the timberline, where trees stop growing, is at 11,000 feet. Lake Hume can be seen in the base of the valley.
From there we headed out on the scenic byway, with the road descending approximately 4000 feet over 12 miles. This part of the landscape is dramatically different. It is largely void of the massive trees of the other two parks, but rather hosts unidentified shrubs that cling to the steep, rocky mountainsides. Pull offs offered tremendous views.
Once in the valley the road parallels and, at times, crosses the beautiful South Fork of the Kings River. The river is clear and bounding with energy as it drains its massive watershed and dances over boulders.
Perhaps this is best captured in video.
Our timing to visit Kings Canyon in early June was outstanding as snow melt had filled the rivers. In addition, the distant section of the park had just reopened to the public after a fifteen month closure due to road damage to the scenic byway by rains of late winter storms in 2023. We shared the more remote part of Kings Canyon with only a handful of other visitors.
Our first stop, once we were in the valley, was Grizzly Falls. It is a 75 foot waterfall on a tributary to the river, perhaps 100 feet from the roadway. We could feel the mist in our face as we ascended the short climb to the base of the falls.
Through the magic of digital photography this close up view captures the water dancing down the face of the falls.
Conversation was hard as the falls were at 80 decibels.
Our next stop was another roadside pull off to see the Roaring River Falls. This river is also a tributary to the Kings River. While the vertical drop was less notable than Grizzly Falls, the volume of water and the witnessed energy were even more impressive.
Again, video demonstrates the volume of water flowing through this narrow gorge.
The vista on the trail back was memorable.
Our last hike of the day was on the Zumwalt Meadow Trail. It starts out simple enough, winding along the north shore of the Kings River, through a wood with an understory of grasses. The impressive granite bluffs of Kings Canyon are the backdrop,
with beautiful views on the Kings River.
Soon we cross the river on a substantial bridge, allowing for even better study of the river:
upstream,
and downstream.
Shortly after crossing the bridge, the trail takes on a new character as we find ourselves entering a boulder field.
We are climbing up granite boulders and trying to find solid footing on fist size chunks of granite that cover the trail.
It was in this area that another hiking party passed us going the opposite direction. Just a few seconds later, perhaps when they were 30 feet beyond us, we heard a yell. One of the hikers had misstepped, fell, and fractured her wrist. We splinted her wrist best we could and she and her companions headed for the parking area which was three quarters of a mile away. It was the first time in two years on the trail that I used my first aid kit.
This stretch of trail was elevated, at times allowing great views onto the wet Zumbalt meadow.
Eventually the trail delivered us to the eastern edge of the meadow where a group of rocks and logs allows one to take a breather and observe the wildlife. We opted to continue the hike to the bank of the Kings River, which in this stretch was much more peaceful.
Historically this trail was a loop trail but a flood in 2019 wiped out a portion a of riverside wetland boardwalk so we knew that eventually we would have to turn back and face the gauntlet of granite again. After having seen the wrist injury, I believe that we were all even more cautious on our way back.
The scenic byway ends at Muir Rock which projects out into the Kings River. Famous conservationist John Muir loved Kings Canyon and felt that it rivaled Yosemite Valley. This prominence, nestled beneath some towering conifers, was one of his favorite landmarks and settings.
The views onto the river from Muir Rock are serene and memorable. It was a fitting end to our day in Kings Canyon National Park.
To be honest Kings Canyon seemed to be about scenery and vistas but we were still excited for some of the sightings that we experienced on our hikes.
Those included a couple of birds that were new to us:
Green-tailed Towhee and Stellar’s Jay
We saw both a brown and blue form of the Western Fence Lizard.
The botanist in me enjoyed seeing this extremely small leaved “holly” that was noted along the Roaring River. I’m embarrassed to admit that I did not study it enough to verify that it was a holly as I have since learned that there are oaks in California that have”holly like” leaves – a botanical faux pas on my part.
This Sierra Gooseberry caught our attention. Both the branches and fruit capsule has spines. If you can get past the spines of the fruit, it is reportedly delicious.
In summary, our revisit to Kings Canyon National Park was a great decision. This place is about the energy and beauty of the Kings River, the backdrops of the granite bluffs, and the vistas. Due to the fifteen month road closure that ended the week of our visit, we had the more remote section of the park largely to ourselves. Other than at Grants Grove, absent are the Giant Sequoias that define Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. It is like a younger sibling that is looking for a different identity than that of their older siblings. And it was done successfully. If you head to the Sierra Nevadas schedule a day in Kings Canyon – it is unique among the three national parks.
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Photo credits to Peggy Juengling Burns, Patrick Burns, Caroline Burns, James Grizzle, Ellen Burns, Marie Burns Dawson, and Joe Dawson.
Overview:
Location – Visalia, California, 57 miles from Fresno.
Parking – many paved and gravel lots.
Facilities – restrooms at the Welcome Centers and at the picnic areas in the park.
Trail Conditions – asphalt, bare dirt, pine needles, and native rock/gravel.
Print Trail Map Link – you are given a park map that includes the hiking trails at entry.
Benches – throughout the park and on every trail that we hiked.
Picnic Tables – in the formal picnic areas.
Kids – Kings Canyon is a little more challenging than Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks. Both Grizzly and Roaring River Falls would be doable with a 4 year old, but both Panoramic Point, and certainly Zumwalt Meadow, would be more challenging.
Dogs – are prohibited on most trails. Please see website for more information.
Links:
Absolutely stunning 😍