My first time visiting…read more If you love nature, you will love this park. It's just breathtaking and deserves to be seen. I only spent a few hours there as I drove from San Francisco, which is about 4.5 hours. $35 a car. One thing I didn't like, when paying to get in, the Ranger asked if I was a legal resident. He asked that because he said it's $100 for a non-resident. Trump at his finest because the Ranger said it was an Executive Order. There are so many beautiful sites. Definitely worth visiting. Oh, I almost forgot. They have gas stations, and when I saw the price, I filled my tank. $6.19 for regular.

Before I visited the place, I had heard of the Sequoia National Park several times throughout my…read morelife and all these mentions amounted to me believing one large fact: that the place was a sprawling, maybe never ending, sea of deep forest pageantry. And do not get me wrong, the place is in fact miles and miles and cubic centimeters of forest as commonly imagined. It had tall trees, meadows, dirt paths with twigs and shrubs all around and views so expansive the word majestic comes to mind. But after walking the same scenery for hours the beauty in green became a dull brown motif. Wood sprites might have heard my words or seen my unimpressed and tired face because Sequoia stopped being a forest of trees and green and it started to become a land of different weathers that not only gave me new challenges and vistas to experience but it also gave me beauty I had to endure. As I saw my friend Denise walk into a spherical cloud of fog, I realized that this place oscillated between being both proof of nature's magic and her jagged disposition. The fog seemed like a portal to Avalon where Pulk waited with prose, but it was also a reminder of all the sailors and drivers lost when the thickness of mist impairs good visual choices. The fog sphere was seen after Denise and I walked for hours, uphill, to see Morro Rock. As we walked up, we first passed mist that seem to have broken from a cloud. This was a sensational moment. She and. had both skydove but this is the first time where we felt like we walked through cloud veils, insetad of zooming past them with the hope of gravitiy abandon. I do not think I will ever re-feel the sensation of walking on cloud air, literally. She and I got separated. I thought I could follow the signs. But the signs were tricksters. As I walked toward the museum I saw a sign that said this way to Crescent Meadow. I did not see a sign that said this way to Crescent Meadow (pointing to the left) and this way to the Museum (pointing ahead). I assumed that because I no longer saw signs assuring me that I was on the right path, I must have gotten into the wrong one. I share this as the biggest piece of advice that I wish to give: Stay the trail, despite not having signs of reassurance that you are still in the right direction. The signs, and my broken internal compass, are both valid reasons as to why I eventually left the designated path and got lost. Like legit lost in the wilderness of Sequoia. I was not in an episode of Naked and Afraid but I did feel scared, disoriented and like I would not see my life tomorrow. Before I got to this point of panic, I arrived at a bluff of a white mountain that saw me greet miles of green pines that streched as far as the eye could see. It was a Rocky-like-triumph moment, except that I had to drag myself, as I sat, down this white mountain, but that was my survival experience that I am proud to have endured. After sliding down, I searched for paths that seemed walked on before, and found several that I had to follow and eliminae. I climbed over trees by hugging their fallen bark, and almost lost my shoe. I continued and eventually found a path and others humans. I was save for now. I got lost again but this time my survival was quicker as I walked down to the road. Rangers told me that I was not able to ride in the truck after I explained I was scared and unable to find my way twice. One of them told me to follow the road and eventually I would hit the museum. I did just that and I found my friend Denise waiting in the museum. After hugs laced with relief, she and I continued our trek to Sherman. But we got hit by rain. I had a hoodie. She did not. Her face looked beautiful covered with the remains of heavy rain. We walked and the sleet followed. We were wet, damp, and we were scared. What could be next? We could not find our path to Sherman. We waved people down, hoping that someone would take us to our car near Sherman. Eventually, we met Chester and he let us both into his car. The snow now was falling hard. She and I did not expect snow. We did not expect white to fall from the sky not when we were promised green on top of green all around. We got to the car and she drove in Snow for the first time. It was both scary and and beuatiful. I imagined that I was in snow caped mountains seeing frozen giants walk around. The night was gray. The monsters were there. She worried about us not having snow tired but still we drove down the snow covered pines, in a pilgramage to safety. Before we left the park we saw mist contrasted in the dark of the knight. It was a spooky evening, yes, the one that frames scary stories. But for us the night mist was further proof that Sequoia offers weather that is cyclical within a day. With space from the experience, I am only happythat I visited the place and was ensconsed by its many seasons. And, grateful that I survived the beauty of it all.

I am so glad we got to experience this magical cave. It had been closed for a few years and I am so…read morehappy it's open to the public. Remember make a reservation. Our guide was amazing made everything so interesting. The cave is cool so it definitely got us out of that heat. The hike to the cave could be a little tough you are not a hiker as it contains many steps. You will get to see a waterfall on the way there.

So happy this is open again. It was closed for 4 years due to fires and road erosion. It's safe…read moreto drive now. Book in advance, they fill up early. Pack a picnic munch and store in the bear box. It's a fun to walk down, much with no railing. Then you get to the beautiful series of waterfalls. The cave tour lasts 50 min. It's really amazing. it's lit up so flashlights not needed. Some of the caves are big with so many sparkling features. Watch out for water on the ground. Wear appropriate shoes. Flip flops not recommended for the climb or the caves.

Great stop between LA and Mammoth for kids. There are nearby restaurants and gas stations as well.read more

Beautiful spot to have a picnic. Playground and creek are fun. Also has a gazebo. Plenty of shade…read more Dog park just next to it.

Excellent spot to take a break, let my dogs out and walk the beautiful grounds. Lots of grass,…read morebeautiful trees and plants, stream with two bridges. Plus on the west end of park there is a one mile trail. Just a pleasant spot.

Really nice park with plenty of amenities. Stopped by here to eat our sandwiches we picked up in…read moreBishop. Wind was calm here, unlike at Division Creek up the road. There's a Creek running through and plenty of shade, along with numerous picnic tables on both sides of the creek. They also have grills in a bunch of locations, so grilling is an option if you bringyourown charcoal. There is also a large playground, a half size basketball court, and a couple of locations for horseshoes. Parking appears adequate and there is spillover parking to the South in 2 locations. You can even walk to the museum through the back trail. Definitely worth a stop to soak up some history and just calm.

My family has been camping at Buckeye Flats Campground for over 50 years, starting with my grandma…read moreand her best friend Sylvia. The scenery is beautiful, the river is peaceful, and the campground has a charm that keeps us coming back year after year. It's a special place full of memories for our family.

Best camping place ever it's a wonderful place to take the entire family of just the wife..read more

Legendary park, lots of great memories made at this part from playing basketball on the courts to…read morefootball games in the green grass, the sanctuary seating area makes it a well environment to relax.

I love this little neighborhood park! It is nice and open to the community. It has a basketball…read morecourt, playground, an open field, a baseball backstop, and a wide cemented path that surrounds the entire area. I love to walk the path when the weather is good. This park is very family friendly and I am delighted to live near it :-)

I've been to Sequoia once, long time ago, and I just recently found out there's another side of the…read morepark where you can see beautiful mountains, waterfalls, and rivers. We came during Memorial Day weekend, and thank God the entrance was free. Surprisingly, it wasn't too crowded even though it was a long weekend. We didn't get the chance to explore all the scenery because the wait at the restaurant inside the park was super long -- around 2 hours or so. We still managed to do a short hike at General Grant Grove and explored Boyden Cavern afterward. That ended up being the highlight of our short trip. I highly recommend the cave tour -- it was absolutely beautiful inside, and the history behind it was fascinating. We'll definitely be coming back next time for camping!

What to do on the Fourth of July? Join the horde of other visitors at a National Park!…read more We started on our way early enough to be at the gate to Kings Canyon National Park by 8:38 AM. I highly suggest arriving as early as possible to avoid slow & stopped traffic on the road and a long wait time at the gate. We entered here and left from Sequoia National Park. As we drove out, we were struck by the sheer volume of cars waiting to enter the park. The last car waiting was about a mile away!! There is an entrance fee to pay for most people. U.S. Military personnel and individuals with the Access Lifetime Pass enter for free. We have a National Park Pass, so we were good to enter. The signs with prices are posted at the gate. TIP: Bring a major Credit Card or Mobile Payment because this is a cashless park. The road is windy, so take care while driving. I'd also like to recommend that slower vehicles use the pullouts so others can pass. 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 third largest tree in the world by volume! By viewing this tree, I've now seen the world's widest-known Sequoia! Things to see while taking a leisurely stroll around General Grant Trail, which is about a 0.7-mile loop: *General Grant Tree - named after General Ulysses S. Grant & is a Living Shrine *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. *Centennial Stump *Fallen Monarch - view the log which is the upper part of the tree is down slope from the Grant Tree. There are many trails and places to explore in this park! Enjoy the great outdoors!

There is a trail along the river all the way to Muir Road at the Road's End. It's an easy to medium…read morehike. We passed by bridges, giant rocks and a beautiful meadow. The meadow itself is magnificent with grass field and hills. Half of the trail was not shaded, so be prepared to get some radiation shields (SPF, hats and sunglasses)

One Effn winding road (180) to get to Zumwalt Meadow and it's not only winding ( if you get car…read moresick , this road might be tough ) the road is on the edge of the cliff most of the time. Why is it worth the drive ? Cuz it's simply beautiful and way less crowded than Yosemite. Depends on the time of the year we have this place all to ourselves. Even though 180 is winding, the views of the mountains and the Kings River from this part of the road is spectacular. Just a few more miles further from Zumwalt , you'll find the trailhead to the Mist Falls Trail ( not to be mistaken from Mist Trail in Yosemite).

We hiked the Alabama Hills but didn't bring mountain bikes so we were looking for somewhere to bike…read morewith our folding street bikes. An evening ride was beautiful with the eastern hills lit by golden light reflected on the calm lake. Be sure to use mosquito repellent or cover yourself cause they are swarming in mid-October. Staying overnight costs $8 but day use is free.

For Father's Day, my brother-in-law and his husband reserved 3 spots for us and his husband's…read morecousin. My kids and I love tent camping and dry camping, but my wife is an RV girl (class A if you must know). This was her first tent experience so we wanted to make it memorable. Funny how things work out: careful what you wish for... I'll get to that later... The site we got was amazing. Level, flat with direct access to the lake. We had a tree next to us and a hose bib. Across the way was a fish cleaning sink that we used to wash dishes. The fire pit had a swing away grill which was nice. There were Porta-potties close by, but we brought our own portable toilet and privacy pop up shelter. The view was amazing. The sun set over the lake, and the mountains (the Eastern edge of the Sierra Nevadas) basked in hues of purple, deep red and blue. We called it the Disney mountains because it looked so amazing it must be fake. The night sky was simply awesome. My 8 year-old, who loves astronomy and science, couldn't stop looking up. Shame on me for not bringing our telescope or remembering I had binoculars in the truck. If you wanted to be amazed by the beauty of a star filled sky, just look up. The days brought high temps in the low to mid 90's, so we brought a portable generator and AC, I know, but it was my wife's first tent camping trip and we didn't want to make it her last. Early evening brought some gusts and our first night was windy. The tent held up well, but my wife and kids were cold. We didn't bring sleeping bags, only blankets, and had a large 4 room, 12 man tent, so staying warm was an issue. Luckily, I brought our Mr. Heater Buddy propane heater, so we stayed warm until the propane ran out. We explored the next day looking for a propane fill up station in nearby Lone Pine. The quaint town reminded my boys of Radiator Springs from Disney's "Cars." As is typical for small towns that rely on tourism, the propane was majorly expensive, but we had no choice. The town, though, was nice to explore. Early morning hours brought an almost glassy lake with no waves. Wait until late morning and you got the wake waves from the motor boats, wake boarders and jet skis. Wait until the late afternoon and you got wind and waves. We used a blow up canoe and oars, so the afternoon wind and waves were impossible for us to get through. The winds on our last night really picked up in the afternoon. A 60 mph gust or stronger blew through our site and ripped apart our tent, destroyed our Coleman canopy and blew our raft, life jackets, oars and other supplies at least 30 yards away. With our tent destroyed, we had to pack up everything in the wind. We threw away both our canopy and our tent. I'm spite of our surprise excitement of the wind gust and destroyed camp gear, it was an experience we'd never forget. A memorable one, for sure, that ended up landing me with a new tent for my birthday and shade canopy, something that I wished for for a long time. Careful what you wish for, eh?