Hello. I am planning a trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National parks. This is part of a larger trip and I understand we won't be able to get a thorough look at the parks but am wondering if 3 nights would be good to get a nice feel for the parks and see some of the major highlights. We don't mind moving lodging frequently if it makes site seeing more convenient. Should we spend 2 nights in Sequoia and then 1 night in Kings Canyon? I had hoped to stay at the Cedar Grove Lodge in Kings Canyon but we are going the 3rd week in October and it appears to be closed for the season. Should we spend two nights at Wuksachi then one at Grant Grove village or the John Muir Lodge? Would those places be convenient to the major sites? Will the road through Kings Canyon likely be open at this time of year (I understand no one can predict the weather this far out - just in general, is this a bad idea to even attempt at this time of year or should we go ahead with our plan?).

We are a couple in our 30's. We like hiking, photography and just general siteseeing. We don't care at all about lodging in the parks being luxurious (we have stayed in many national park lodges) but just want something in a great location to get out for early morning photography.

IMO three nights is enough to cover the highlights in both parks. The two are adjacent, so the accomodation change might be more trouble than it's worth for that short of a trip.

As for specific recs, the one and only place I used to recommend in Sequoia (Giant Forest Lodge) is no more, thanks to my state's environmentalists, and nothing repeat nothing comes close to replacing it in or near the parks, in either location or amentities.

Late October wil be iffy -- we were in a 4 year drought but we are in a major El Niño year and it may very well last until next Fall.

I'd plan on 2 nights total, three if you want to do some significant hiking -- in the same location. If not at Wuksachi or John Muir Lodge, maybe in Three Rivers.

Check weather conditions at the time you plan to go there. On one of our visits it was sunny in Kings Canyon and extremely foggy in Sequoia NP.

By the way, the sequoia are impressive but they don't grow in large groves as do the redwoods of northern California. There are a few here, some there, and another one over there.

HTtY

> By the way, the sequoia are impressive but they don't grow in large groves as do the redwoods of northern California.

Mostly true. Giant Forest (location of the former lodge) contains well over 8000 Giant Sequoias, Redwood Mountain Grove (which straddles Sequoia and King's Canyon NPs) has almost twice that number. But it's true that the numbers and sizes of groves don't compare to the coastal redwoods of CA, the Giant Sequoias themselves imo are more impressive due to their much larger trunk diameters. Even the drive into the park feels like going back in time a few thousand or million years. At least it does for me.