On Labor Day, the sisters plan a trip to Sequoia National Park and reserve the Boyden Cavern. We…read moreneeded to arrive by 9:50 a.m., so we had to get up early and find out how to get there. Without a cell phone connection, there is no GPS connection. Make sure you have a full tank of gas and download the offline map first. We planned to meet at the King Canyon visitor center, but learned we needed to go to the Boyden Cavern visitor center instead. From the King Canyon Visitor Center to Boyden Cavern, it is another 45-minute drive on a windy route. Luckily, we arrived on time and checked in. While waiting, the views are stunning, and the tour lasts approximately 30 to 40 minutes. It's really nice inside the cave, the temperature within the cave is around 50 degrees, which feels cool and pleasant. When visiting Sequoia National Park, Boyden Cavern is a must-see attraction.

This was such a fun activity to do as you drive down the scenic road in Kings Canyon!…read more It was our first time driving down and when we saw this turn out we were so excited to sign up for a tour! Our tour guide Josh was so impressive & had captivated our group so much he had us laughing! 10/10 really recommend doing this!

This is the best place that you could possibly go where the best place to take your children to any…read morecamp I went from the time I was extremely young till the time. I am 56 now and my parents used to go to the marriage retreat every year for over 50 years. It is the most beautiful place you could ever want to be and you just feel this wonderful spirit of God all around you

The lake was absolutely beautiful and everyone was so nice. The amount of hard work the staff put…read moreinto this camp is incredible. The staff that works in the pondy kitchen are amazing. And the food was great. Love to come visit again sometime soon. Highly recommended this to people needing fresh air, great community and a great view.

As part of our quest to visit all 63 U.S. national parks, we set off on a six week road trip. I…read morehave a personal rule: I only count a national park as "visited" if I actually spend time there, hike or walk through it, and truly experience it. On this trip, we visited 14 national parks, and Kings Canyon National Park quickly became one of my favorites. We stayed five days between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, which gave us plenty of time to explore both at a relaxed pace. Staying in the middle made it easy to enjoy everything the area has to offer. Kings Canyon is simply breathtaking. The drive into the canyon reminded me very much of Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Around every curve, another spectacular view appears. Towering granite cliffs rise dramatically above the canyon, while the Kings River rushes below with crystal clear water, waterfalls, cascades, and rapids. It is one of those roads where you constantly want to pull over just to admire the scenery. Yes, the giant sequoias are magnificent, but Kings Canyon offers something different. The combination of the massive granite walls, the river carving its way through the valley, lush forests, and peaceful meadows creates an entirely different experience from neighboring Sequoia. The two parks complement each other beautifully. We were fortunate to drive into the canyon on a Sunday morning before the crowds arrived, making the experience even more enjoyable. The traffic was light, and we were able to stop often, take our time, and truly appreciate the beauty around us. The following day we returned, only to discover road construction and long delays, so we definitely felt lucky with our timing. One thing I would encourage visitors to do is not stop at Sequoia National Park alone. Many people come to see the giant trees and then leave, missing one of the most spectacular drives in California. Kings Canyon deserves just as much attention. In my opinion, the two parks should always be visited together. Whether you come for the towering sequoias, the dramatic granite peaks, the roaring river, or the incredible scenic drive, Kings Canyon National Park delivers an unforgettable experience. It is peaceful, majestic, and one of those places that reminds you just how extraordinary our national parks truly are.

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!

First, I did not see any signs from the 180 leading to this point, but it's Panoramic Point Road,…read morethe opposite direction of Grant Tree Road that intersects 180 near Azalea Campground about 2 miles from the visitor center. If the road isn't closed, just drive up and keep going up until you get to the parking lot. The paved path is a paved, pine-tree shaded, steady uphill climb of 100 feet, a 1/2 mile roundtrip. If my dad had walked this path when he was a kid, it would have been uphill both ways. A sign reads "...high mountains and deep canyons, the rocks, the hills and valleys, the result of forces (tremendous earth upheavals, erosion, the movement of ponderous glaciers and raging rivers, the winds and changing temperatures) operating over millions of years." A display points out the Obelisk, Mount McGee, North Palisade, Eagle Peak, and Spanish Mountain (which Trump is trying to build a wall around). You can also see spires along Tombstone Ridge, bald patches caused by landslides (or wearing a hat, my dad says), and a cradled Hume Lake 2,300 feet below (12 miles away/33 min drive). The view of the Sierra Nevadas look just like the beer label. Panoramic Point is one of many sites on the north half of the park including Big Stump (which you passed to get here), General Grant Tree (the opposite side of 180), plus continuing up 180: Junction View (11 mi up), Hume Lake (12mi), the Scenic Byway and Boyden Cavern (20mi), Grizzly Falls (25mi), Roaring River Falls (32 mi), and Mist Falls near Road End (35mi).

The panoramic point was closed in last April and finally we could check it out this time. My hubby…read morehas been there before so he wanted to take me there. This place is hidden gem! You can choose to hike start from the trailhead at the end of Panoramic Point Road, 2 miles up from the park visitor center and market at Grant Village. We chose to drive up to the parking lot instead. It was about a 10 minute drive up on a narrow road from the John Muir Lodge. Gorgeous overlook and amazing views from the top. Highly recommended!

Stopped by here back in 2021 and absolutely loved the trees, its an easy loop, beautiful meadows,…read morelarge trees, large rocks and on the drive up there gorgeous views where you can pull up and see the hills Overall great spot, loved it

Big Trees Trailhead is next to Giant Forest Museum. An easy…read moreloop trail around beautiful meadow, the trail path is mostly paved. There are several information boards along the trail giving you great knowledge about the tress and the meadow. Overall, it is a tranquil and awesome view with meadows and trees.

sequioa national park in the spring time is so beautiful! lodgepole campsite was great w/ other…read morecampers at next door campsites and attentive rangers. the trailhead for tokopah falls is a 2 min walk away from the middle of the camp grounds. site 76: one "block" away from the river but close to the main road. only single parking spot right in front per campsite so the 2nd car parked a little farther away. bear box was right next to the picnic table w/ enough space for 6 ppl's worth of food, cooking gear and all toiletries. trash cans and bathrooms are within short reasonable walking distance. closest spicket was across the street but we washed out dishes at a sink in front of the bathroom. *research and prep well for bear safety including storing ALL proper items in the bear bins before booking a campsite! *bring a lantern into the bathroom b/c there's no lights in there! *end of may was 35 deg at night so super cold so definitely bring enough cloths and layers to sleep in!! day time in the sun is quite warm and nice

I'd give this place a 4.5 stars if I could. They lost half a star because the bathrooms were…read moredisgusting. It appeared they cleaned it maybe once a day. But it was stocked with toilet paper. Other than that the campgrounds was great. I love the fact the market is reasonably priced. They have a Cafe, showers, cleaner restrooms, and a laundry facility. The campsite was beautiful. Not too many bugs. Everywhere you looked it was beautiful. There's lots of campsites nearby but not too close. Our campsite was 202, right behind the large rock and pretty close to the river. It was nice hearing the rush of water throughout the day. The bathroom was close enough except for during the the night. Knowing that bears are in the area made it really scary going in the middle of the night. Wear a headlamp, it's much better than a flashlight. The shuttle will come inside the campgrounds and pick you up near the restrooms in the main parking lot. There are a few trails for hiking (which we didn't have time to do). I do recommend if traveling with another family to work out the food situation because there's only one bear box per site. One large cooler can fir or two smaller ones. One large and one small cooler will not fit in the box. ALL food, snack, even perfume, & body spry should be put into the bear box.

Parking at the General Sherman Tree Parking Lot, then took The Congress Trail, you will first see…read moreMcKinley Tree, it's the center of the trail, which you can go to Lincoln and the the rest of the giant trees in the Congress Trail. It's about 1 mi to The President (third largest sequoia in the world, after General Sherman and General Grant). The Chief Sequoia is located a few steps from "The President", then further down the trail, you will see The House, The Senate (group features 7-8 giant sequoias clustered together). The whole loop is about 3 miles. Quite easy trail, with few easy incline.

This hike was much longer than I thought. But WOAH! The amazing Sequoias that you can see here are…read morejust priceless. If you have the time definitely try it.

Amazing hike on the Discovery Trail! Cool and knowledgeable volunteer guides. About three and a…read morehalf miles over the course of a few hours.

Had a blast hiking on the McKenzie preserve. It will have a few days open to the public so check…read morethe website. Learned a lot about nature. The flat mountains are called basalt. There's tons of stink bugs and Jerusalem crickets and water striders to look and catch. Perfect place for bird watching. The docents were very fun and knowledgeable.