Sequoia/Kings Canyon trip report
 

We arrived at Grant's Grove Thursday evening 5/20. (it took about an hour and a half from Fresno). We stayed for 3 nights in a bath cabin and then 2 nights in the John Muir lodge. IMO it is the best place to stay if you want to visit both parks and want to stay in the same place. They state (and we found it to be true) that it takes about an hour to get to either Cedar Grove or Giant Forest in Sequoia from Grant's Grove. We ended up spending 2 days in each park, so if you know how long you want to be there--you would save driving time by staying a couple of nights in each park. The scenery is beautiful and the drive wasn't bad--so it worked for us on this trip. We went to the Visitor Center in Grant's Grove and picked up some pamphlets on different walks/hikes etc.

Friday we went to Panoramic Point (right next to John Muir Lodge and the General Grant Tree Loop (my favorite of all the giant tree groves) which is also right in the Grant Grove area. Then we drove to Kings Canyon--great views on the way down--and the Canyon itself is unbelievable. The Kings River (at least at this time of year) was continuous rapids. We stopped at Boyden Cavern (didn't do the cavern tour) to get an ice cream and just sit by the roaring river.
We walked the Zumwalt Meadow Trail and stopped at Canyon Overlook and Roaring River Falls (there is an overlook on the other side of the falls that isn't marked, but you can see it from this trail and you get a little different view. There is a small turnoff before the falls parking area--you follow a short trail to the left.

The next day we went to Giant Forest in Sequoia. We did the Big Trees Trail, Congress Trail, Crescent Meadow/Log Meadow Trail (seeing Tharp's Log and Chimney tree), stopping at Parker's group, tunnel log, auto log and Dead Giant trail (about 0.2 mile) along the road. We stopped at the Museum where there was a mother bear and cub. We saw quite a few bears in that area. The ranger said that since the snow melt was so early, the bears were out and the berries they usually eat weren't ready yet, so they were "grazing like cows" in the meadows. There were 3 or so bears in the meadow in the Big Trees trail and one near the parking lot in Crescent Meadow. Also when we were on the log meadow trail, one ran up the hill away from us. We've been trying to see bears on trips for years (only place we saw them was in Glacier)--this was unreal--there were bears everywhere.

Sunday we decided to try the Mist Falls trail. Excellent trail--the trail to the Falls is at least as good as the falls themselves. If you go to the top of the Falls, you get a great view. On the way we stopped at Grizzly Falls (right by the road), and on the way back we went via River Road (a one way unpaved road) which was okay, but not a must see IMO.

The last day we climbed up Moro Rock (back in Sequoia). On our way down, some rock climbers were walking up with their ropes. If you go on down General's Highway past Moro Rock and Crystal Cave, you can look back and get some good pictures of Moro Rock (and we saw our rock climbers). We then went to the Hazelwood Nature Trail which is across the road from Big Trees Trail--and were the only ones there, except for a man who had been following a bear and cub for a few hours--so we did the same for a while. We spent some more time then, just sitting at Big Trees Trail's meadow, watching the bears there. Relaxing day before our trip home.

There is a restaurant at Grant's Grove where we basically ate most of our meals (not too many choices of eating places). The food was fine. There is a snack/grill place at Cedar Grove, a grill and deli at Lodgepole area, a restaurant at Wuksachi (you need reservations), a restaurant at Stoney Creek, and that is about all we saw. There is a pretty well stocked market at Grant's Grove, but I'm not sure where you are allowed to cook/have fires in that area. You can buy gas at Stoney Creek, Hume Lake and there are 2 old pumps at Kings Canyon Lodge (I think it is called) about half way down the road to Kings Canyon.

Thanks for the report! We used to have a home outisde of the park for many years, but sold it recently. Your report brought back many memories.

My daughter caught her first fish at Stoney Creek, it's beautiful there. We used to hang out at the Sequoia-Montecito resort. Did you have a chance to go there?

All of my kids have spent many summers at the Hume Lake Christian Camps and I have attended many retreats there, also. It's just a gorgeous part of our state. Very different feel than the Yosemite area.

The Grants' Grove restaurant used to make a very good trout almadine that I remember and some very good chocolate-chocolate cake that my daughter had to have each time we visited the area.

The restaurant at Stony Creek always looked very nice. Actually, rather formal for dinner with the white linen tablecloths and red roses at each table. I didn't ever get a chance to try it, tho. ***kim*** :)

We drove through Sequoia-Montecito, Wuksachi, Hume Lake, Stoney Creek (had thought about making reservations there because they have the only rooms with televisions in that area-- didn't miss it as much as we thought since we were gone all day and really tired by the time we got back to our room) and ate at the grill in Lodgepole area. I wanted to see these places, since I was familiar with the names when trying to decide where to stay. It was actually pretty cool (which was perfect weather for what we wanted to do) while we were there--nobody was on the lakes, swimming, etc. Staying in Grant's Grove ended up being the best place for us as far as location. And yes, I did have the trout almondine--our first night there and again our last night there and it was very good. We didn't try the chocolate cake, but on different nights took apple pie, blackberry pie and cheesecake back to our rooms and they were very good too.

We were curious about Hume Lake. It also is a beautiful area. We drove down to see it and then went back for gas. Can anyone stay there? We're from the midwest and probably won't be back to the area for some time, so weren't really asking for ourselves--just curious.

Yes, anyone can stay there. The camps are for church groups and retreats, but anyone can stay in the area. There is some great fishing on that lake!

That's funny about the trout dish. Did you eat in the formal or the casual restaurant? I believe their formal dining room was open for dinner, starting at 5:00pm each night.

We also really enjoyed their gift shop there and used to Christmas shop in it. Our family got lots of Sequoia-Kings Canyon hats, shirts, sweatshirts, etc. ***kim***

maj,

Zipped right to the Yosemite report so I missed this at first. Again, great report. Thanks. I really appreciate the detailed info. You guys did many of the same hikes we're planning. And it's good to know what's worth the time if we have to chose between things. Also glad to know that my choice of the John Muir Lodge for our base is going to be good.

We won't have as much time in either Park as you had but we intend to see as much as we can. The bears will probably be munching on berries by the time we get there and therefore much harder to see.

Thanks again.

To Kimamom

There was only one restaurant open when we were there. With your back to the visitor center--on your left was the gift shop, in the middle the registration desk and on your right was the restaurant. There was a folding partition separating the restaurant from a room behind it where they had a tour group one of the days. I'm thinking now that it may be where their casual restaurant was in the busy season--there was a pizza sign on the porch by it--and no pizza on their menus.(that would explain that). Although they didn't have any vacancies the last couple of days of our trip--the tent cabins weren't open yet. Most of their employees were new and in training--so I guess they just needed one restaurant for the time we were there--which was fine.

To Floridafran

I sent you an email, but forgot to sign it--if you have any questions while you're planning your trip, I'd be glad to try and answer anything I can. You can definitely do these parks in less time than we did--or you can take a week or more if you want to backpack, fish or just relax.