This was a great spot to watch the sunset! I didn't think we were going to make it on time or if…read morethere was going to be a sunset with the overcast weather we had been having. Our hostess who organized the volunteer event suggested we go to Sunset Rock to watch the sunset. I was hesitant to go after a long day of pulling invasive weeds in the sun and having hip issues. I was told it was only a mile. So I thought it was the area we cleaned up the other day and thought it was an easy walk. Well it turned out it was not the viewing rock I thought it was. Although I was very tired and a little bit in pain and still adjusting to the elevation, the hike was worth it! The sunset that day was stunning with different patterns of sunset colors. I messaged the hostess the other night and she said she plans to do it on our next volunteer project next month in August. I told her I was looking forward to it. The hike to the rock is a beautiful walk, with plenty of native plants to admire. I would rate it an easy to medium. Bring a head lamp or some type of lighting if hiking for the sunset. There are areas with a slight incline looks easy enough but if you haven't adjusted to the elevation it can be difficult. Well worth the hike, and swinging at mosquitos. Bring bug spray. The boulder is huge, bring a picnic, and remember to pack your trash out. There is no fencing so watch your step and any little ones, this is a serious fall. The views are breath taking, and at the golden hour we turned around and the lighting on the mountains and trees were an extra treat! Don't forget to look all around you.

This was a perfect short and sweet hike, on a very well marked trail in the Winter…read more Most of the trails were completely snowed in so we had a tough time snow shoeing in the area. We stopped off to ask a Ranger at the museum in front of the Sentinel tree, for some options since we'd rented snow shoes and really wanted to find some trails instead of wander around following bear tracks in the snow (which is fun too, but I wanted to see some actual trails). This was one he suggested as it was literally right across the road. It was a very easy and enjoyable hike. We were completely alone, most of our time in the park while attempting to find trails which made the experience different than high trafficked trails in national parks during Spring, Summer and Fall. We had this place to ourselves and it was incredible and a tad bit odd at times. I wondered where everyone was. We were to Sunset Rock in no time. I'd like to say out and back in around an hour or less and that was trekking through tons of snow and stopping at the rock for a bit once there. Once to the rock, which had visible patches showing through we took in the views. This was a very serene and peaceful trail in February. It wasn't strenuous at all so I'd definitely recommend it for all athletic abilities and ages. Will be nice to see it again in the Summer, sans the snow.

Great little trail that we used the All Trails map which I highly suggest you have since the map is…read morelive even if there is no reception. You will easily get lost if you don't have it. So many trails run off from the main trail. No facilities so plan ahead and do your business beforehand. Parking: Got there at 7:30am on a Saturday. Only a few cars there. When we left at 11:00am, the parking lot was full with about 10 cars in there. Plus it's so hot. So start early on a mid September morning. Bugs: For sure bring a head net. I had one and my two friends were suffering. I'd say it was 80% if the time, the bugs were all on the trail. Our big spray seemed to attract then and not deter them. Saw a large tarantula near the one of two picnic tables. Clothes: Be sure to wear a hat. It is pretty hot with only a few trees for shade. Also wear long pants with tall socks to avoid ticks and dust. Water: Brought two 24oz water bottles and that was enough on a 80 degree morning. Food: We bought snacks like a breakfast burrito to enjoy at the picnic tables. The Trail: If you go counter clockwise, it's a slow accent. Challenging and dusty. On the way down, it's a bit slippery so I used my hiking poles. So glad I brought them!

Less than 10 minutes drive from Cedar Grove visitor center,…read more parking at the Roaring River Trailhead Parking lot, then 5 minutes walk to Roaring River Falls, it's an easy walk and not crowded.

Well worth the drive up there. Such a beautiful and peaceful place. Quick walk from the parking lot…read moreand connected to 2 other short trails if you want to continue hiking.

Bathrooms weren't bad. A family of squirrels live in a tree stump nearby. Very cute! There ground…read morewas flat so good for the tent. The parking wasn't bad either, we fit 2 cars in there.

The campground has a great location at the bottom of the mountains near a creek and Marble Falls…read moretrailhead. There are actually two restrooms, though one is hidden. No showers but there are dish washing stations at each restrooms. No water faucets except at the restrooms. Bring bug spray as there were a good number of mosquitoes in May 2024. Larger number sites are closer to the loud but pretty creek while lower number sites are quieter and on higher ground.

Not being a serious hiker, I was pretty intimidated by the concept of doing a long, somewhat steep…read morehike like the Lakes Trail. But I wanted the views and the challenge and knew that I could always stop or turn around, so I agreed to go for it - and boy am I glad that I did! It was nice that the trail itself was not very busy because it was a weekday, but we did see maybe 5 other groups of people hiking. It did stress me out a bit since I'm slow and had to let people pass me, but I had to get over that and it was only a few people so it was not a big deal. I wouldn't say that the trail is too crazy challenging (7 miles each way and 3,759 elevation gain). It's somewhat of a constant incline the entire way up but nothing that I couldn't handle if I went at my nice, slow (~30 minute a mile) pace. We did this on the third day of our trip, so fortunately I didn't have to battle altitude (headaches and nausea) the same way that I had to the first two days. I also drank close to 4 liters of water, which is definitely double what most people probably need for this hike. The views are nothing short of stunning. The watchtower is unreal, and the view of Heather Lake is unlike anything I'd ever seen before. Definitely worth it! For the serious hiker, this is probably pretty easy (there was a guy doing it in sandals who went right by us, got to the end of the trail, turned around and came back before we even got to the end of it) but still very satisfying. Highly recommend!

This hike is stunning. We started off from Lodgepole campground spent a few miles climbing through…read morethe forest. It is a strenuous hike but when you get to the treeline you are at the Watchtower which is a massive rock face above a sheer drop into a valley. You then can take a trail along the edge of the cliff to several alpine lakes. We went to heather lake - you can swim and chill out there or hike on to two more lakes. We only went to the first one and then headed back- we were pretty wiped. It's a long day but so worth it.

We visited on Jul 4, 2025 ... Happy Independence Day,…read moreAmerica! The General Grant Tree is located in Grant Grove in the Kings Canyon National Park. You will need to enter the gate of Kings Canyon National Park or Sequoia National Park to see it. Once inside either of these National Parks, you can traverse to the other without going through another entry gate. We arrived at the gate to Kings Canyon National Park by 8:38 in the morning. I highly suggest arriving as early as possible to avoid slow-moving traffic and potential line of stopped vehicles on the road with a prolonged wait time at the gate. We stopped in at the Kings Canyon Visitor Center & Grant Grove Village for a potty break and to check out souvenirs and information there. There's also a restaurant here if you need sustenance for your day. If you need Wi-Fi, you can connect here. Otherwise, reception is spotty at best out in the park! There are so many majestic Sequoia Trees to enjoy! This park is home to a famous tree named General Grant. We came to take in its grandeur! This is the second largest tree in the world by volume! By viewing this tree, I've now seen the world's widest-known Sequoia! After viewing this tree, we went over to Sequoia National Park to see the largest tree which is the General Sherman Tree. General Grant Trail is completely paved and is accessible by wheelchair. There is a parking area there as well. There are information signs pointing out things of interest. The signs are in English & Spanish and also include Braille. Things to see while taking the leisurely stroll around the approximately 0.5-mile loop General Grant Trail are - *General Grant Tree: a) named after General Ulysses S. Grant in 1867. b) In 1926, then President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed it the National Christmas Tree. Instead of taking the tree to a Christmas celebration, it is brought to the tree. A wreath is placed at its' base every second Sunday in December during the "Trek to the Tree". c) It was also named a Living Shrine in memory of the men and women of the Armed Forces who fought & died to keep this Nation free ... by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1956. It's the only living shrine in America! *Centennial Stump - the tree was cut in 1875. Part of it was sent to PA. *Gamlin Cabin - built in 1872 by the Gamlin brothers, who lived there until 1878. This park was established as General Grant National Park in 1890. The cabin was turned into a store and later became the first Park Ranger's quarters. It was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. *Fallen Monarch - The trunk was hollowed by a fire and is on its' side. You are able to walk through it and get a sense of how massive these trees really are! There's a large hole (skylight) at what is now the top. Fun Facts: The Fallen Monarch was once used as a Saloon! It was also used as a stable for the horses of the Cavalry that guarded the park. FYI: Dogs are not allowed on the General Grant Trail. The General Grant Tree was way less busy than the quite congested General Sherman Tree.

The General Grant Tree Trail is a must go place for all visitors to the national park. It is…read morewell-paved, not too incline. you will first see the Fallen Monarch which is a fallen sequoia tree so huge that you can walk thru it like a tunnel, it's very photoworthy. Continue walking and you will see Centennial Stump and Gamlin Cabin (closed for repair), then you come to the General Grant Tree, it's huge and if you walk around the tree, you will see the huge fire scar on the tree trunk. Michigan tree is further down the trail, overall this is an interesting trail, don't miss it when you visit the national park Fun fact: General Grant Tree is world second-largest tree by volume, it is also known as the Nation's Christmas Tree.

Weaver Lake is in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness and it's a nice lake. It's only 4.2 mi RT from the…read moreFox Meadow Trailhead and you can get a FREE campfire permit for overnight stays from the Hume Lake Ranger Station. Weaver Lake is the easiest-to-reach lake in the wilderness and nice day hike. Trail has good signs. You'll take a Left at .7 mi, then do a bit of climbing uphill. You'll see Shell Mountain and the lake is at the base of it. You can try fishing, sit by the lake, or go swimming. We were tough hikers and did this after Jennie Lake http://www.yelp.com/biz/U0c1xXRqQ4tVUAnAk0khlQ#hrid:Hq3uExwk4GhLqpUk_27j2w which made it a long hike (about 12.8 mi RT) but doable. website: http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/sequoia/

Beautiful glacier lake that is fine for swimming. Hike a little higher and refill your water…read morebottles with the glacier water

Class 4 Kings River for the win! Went initially in 2011 then back again in 2013. Long time posting…read morebut absolutely recommend, worth the trip during rainy season. So much fun and respect for the river. Probably the best water activity that rivaled being on the Colorado river in the Grand Canyon.

We were lucky enough to get to go rafting during the 2019 high-water season which was unique…read morebecause many of the rapids were even better than normal. We took advantage of the whole experience Zephyr offers and camped the night before as well as doing the 2 day rafting experience. The King's River Base camp Zephyr has is an all inclusive experience depending on what options you choose to purchase from them. The staff cam provided everything including tents if needed so that you can focus on having fun rafting. Not only are the guides excellent at navigating the river and tailoring the experience to all levels they are amazing camp cooks too! If you have never been white water rafting before this is the perfect place to get your feet wet, and if you are experienced you will enjoy the ease of rafting with these folks! Thanks guys for such a fun relaxing trip!