Hiking
You can enjoy many of Kings Canyon's sights from your car, but the giant gorge of the Kings River canyon and the sweeping vistas of some of the highest mountains in the United States are best seen on foot. Carry a hiking map—available at any visitor center—and plenty of water. Check with rangers for current trail conditions, and be aware of rapidly changing weather. Except for one trail to Mt. Whitney, permits are not required for day hikes.
Roads End Permit Station. You can obtain wilderness permits, maps, and information about the backcountry at this station, where bear canisters, a must for campers, can be rented or purchased. When the station is closed (typically October–mid-May), complete a self-service permit form. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633. . Hrs vary, but typically Mid-May–Sept., daily 7–4.
Easy
Big Stump Trail. From 1883 until 1890, logging was done here, complete with a mill. The 1-mile loop trail, whose unmarked beginning is a few yards west of the Big Stump entrance, passes by many enormous stumps. Easy. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Grant Grove Trail. Grant Grove is only 128 acres, but it's a big deal. More than 120 sequoias here have a base diameter that exceeds 10 feet, and the General Grant Tree is the world's third-largest sequoia by volume. Nearby, the Confederacy is represented by the Robert E. Lee Tree, recognized as the world's 11th-largest sequoia. Also along the easy-to-walk trail are the Fallen Monarch and the Gamlin Cabin, built by 19th-century pioneers. Easy. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Roaring River Falls Walk. Take a shady five-minute walk to this forceful waterfall that rushes through a narrow granite chute. The trail is paved and mostly accessible. Easy. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Zumwalt Meadow Trail. Rangers say this is the best (and most popular) day hike in the Cedar Grove area. Just 1½ miles long, it offers three visual treats: the South Fork of the Kings River, the lush meadow, and the high granite walls above, including those of Grand Sentinel and North Dome. Easy. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Moderate
Big Baldy Trail. This hike climbs 600 feet and 2 miles up to the 8,209-foot summit of Big Baldy. Your reward is the view of Redwood Canyon. Round-trip, the hike is 4 miles. Moderate. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Mist Falls Trail. This sandy trail follows the glaciated South Fork Canyon through forest and chaparral, past several rapids and cascades, to one of the largest waterfalls in the two parks. Nine miles round-trip, the hike is relatively flat, but climbs 600 feet in the last 2 miles. It takes from four to five hours to complete. Moderate. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Panoramic Point Trail. You'll get a nice view of whale-shape Hume Lake from the top of this Grant Grove path, which is paved and only 300 feet long. It's fairly steep—strollers might work here, but not wheelchairs. Trailers and RVs are not permitted on the steep and narrow road that leads to the trailhead parking lot. Moderate. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Redwood Canyon Trails. Two main trails lead into Redwood Canyon grove, the world's largest sequoia grove. The 6.5-mile Hart Tree and Fallen Goliath Loop passes by a 19th-century logging site, pristine Hart Meadow, and the hollowed-out Tunnel Tree before accessing a side trail to the grove's largest sequoia, the 277.9-foot-tall Hart Tree. The 6.4-mile Sugar Bowl Loop provides views of Redwood Mountain and Big Baldy before winding down into its namesake, a thick grove of mature and young sequoias. Moderate. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Difficult
Buena Vista Peak Trail. For a 360-degree view of Redwood Canyon and the High Sierra, make the 2-mile ascent to Buena Vista. Difficult. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Don Cecil Trail. This trail climbs 4,000 feet up the cool north-facing slope of the Kings River canyon, passing Sheep Creek Cascade and providing several fine glimpses of the canyon and the 11,000-foot Monarch Divide. The trail leads to Lookout Peak, which affords a panorama of the park's backcountry. This strenuous, all-day hike covers 13 miles round-trip. Difficult. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
Hotel Creek Trail. For gorgeous canyon views, take this trail from Cedar Grove up a series of switchbacks until it splits. Follow the route left through chaparral to the forested ridge and rocky outcrop known as Cedar Grove Overlook, where you can see the Kings River canyon stretching below. This strenuous, 5-mile round-trip hike gains 1,200 feet and takes three to four hours to complete. Difficult. Kings Canyon National Park, California, 93633.
