Walk among giants
Written: Jul 23 '09 (Updated Jul 24 '09)
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| icio's Full Review: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park |
Sequoia & Kings Canyon NP in a nutshell.
I see only two reasons to come to these two NPs: sequoia trees and views of the Sierra Nevada mountains. To achieve that you will put in lots of driving, put up with overall very basic lodging accomodations, eat food that is not much better than fastfood and breathe some of the dirties air of any parks in the US.
The National Parks Conservation Association warns that the Sequoia and Kings Canyon has had the most days exceeding the national health standard for ozone of any unit in the National Park System. Because the threats from ozone and fine particulate matter is hazardous to the health of visitors and employees, since 2000 Sequoia and Kings Canyon has been issuing daily air advisories to warn of unhealthful air.
Yet, even with all this, standing at the feet of General Sherman and/or General Grant or even just driving your car through Tunnel Log is an experience that humbles a person and touches the child in each of us, regardless of our real age. Also, driving on CA-180 down to the valley in Kings Canyon NP is a reward of its own. Besides dramatic views of the canyon, the majestic peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains, there is time for some solitude and silence broken by the rumor of the water rushing through the canyon or some falls.
How much does it cost to enter the park? As of 2009, it is $20 per car. Or, if you plan to see other parks during the year, just get a yearly pass good for the entire NP system in the US for, I believe, $80.
How do I get there? Unless you are planning to fly into smaller airports, Los Angeles and San Francisco are likely your best bet (about 200 miles from either town). Then you need to rent a car and put in quite a bit of driving. As far as the car you rent goes, you do not need a mammoth SUV, but be sure to rent a car with some power as you will be doing lots of uphill and downhill driving. It is not unknown for smaller cars to suffer from engine overheating. So, be sure that your car is in order.
The two main entrance point are via Hwy 180 from Fresno and Hwy 198 from Visalia off Hwy 99. Having done both ways, I would say that Hwy 198 is more scenic, but it is so twisted that the driver will hardly have any time to check the scenery. Plus, if you find some slow vehicle in front of you, chances for such vehicles to pull out and let you pass are few and often far between. So, my suggestion is to use Hwy 180 from Fresno. From Fresno it is about 1 hour to reach the entrance of the park.
Is the Park very crowded? Thankfully not. I inquired with the rangers and was told that the park sees approx. 1.2 mln visitors a year. For a comparison, the Great Smoky Mountains NP sees over 9 mln, the Grand Canyon NP, approx 4.4 mln, and nearby Yosemite 3.4 mln with Yellowstone coming in 4th at a little over 3 mln. (Those interested in statistics should check: http://www.npca.org/parks/visitation.html )
I would not go so far as to say that you will definitely get a spiritual experience while walking to the sequioa trees, but you will not feel like you are in Manhattan or driving in LA during rush hours.
However, mind that lodging is not plenty and booking ahead is your safest policy. In particular when one considers that lodging outside the park is not near by any metric one might think of using to measure such proximity.
Lodging... how is the situation? There is not really an abundance of choice when it comes to lodging. And one should be aware that lodging outside the park, while possible, is time consuming, as the driving distance easily exceeds one hour each way. Also, do not anticipate any luxury hotel as there is no grandiose lodge with a fancy restaurant incorporated. I stayed at the Stony Creek Lodge. Rooms had private bath and there was internet access in the lobby. No air conditioning (and in the evening it was hot). Luckily keeping the windows open and using the fan provided, I managed. Problem was food: there is really no food other than pizza. They do provide breakfast though. We paid about $150/night. We had friends at the Montecito Sequoia Resort... so we dropped by.. The setting is definitely beautiful because of the little lake.. But the food, while adequate, was nothing too exciting. Pricing was roughly similar. But it was all booked out.
Wuksachi Lodge is supposed to be the choicest alternative in this Park and it offers a restaurant with more luxury accomodations. It was built in 1999 so it is definitely newer than the other lodges. The cost per room varies based on the type of room.. When I checked rates ran from approx. $150 to over $300/night. But, be sure to book ahead, as this lodge can be all booked quickly. They have about 100 rooms. Another choice, this time within the Kings Canyon portion of the park is the John Muir Lodge... We just had a look inside.. Looked not too different from where we were staying... about 40 rooms in all. Room decor is basic. Finally, I should mention the Cedar Grove Village nestled in teh canyon section of Kings Canyon. We stopped there for an early dinner. They only serve light meals and, while the food was definitely nothing to brag about, the place looked clean and listening to the sound of the water in the nearby Kings River was really relaxing. Rooms are basic and there are only about 20 of them. Finally, one should keep in mind that probably most people staying here are camping. My wife and I do not like camping so that was definitely not an alternative, but others might enjoy it.
In any case my recommendation is: book early!!
Is there a lot of hiking to see the Sequoia trees? No, not really. For example the General Grant is within 1/3 of a mile of the parking lot and the path is not hard... General Sherman is a little bit more work, but there is a trick. The driver could let you off at the parking lot for persons with disabilities and then "sacrifice" him/herself. In this case, from this special parking lot, the tree is only 2 minutes walk and mostly flat as opposed to a 10 minute walk down the stairs which you then need to do upward as well. The Congress Trail is a little bit more walking, but nothing too strenuous. And, let's be honest, think of John Muir who used to walk all over the places... We are lucky.. we just drive around and walk the bare minimum.
Moro Rock? Worth doing it ? I think so. It is a fun experience overall unless you are uneasy with heights. It is a little bit of work: about 400 steps and you have to deal with a path that gets very narrow at points (i.e. only one person at a time), but overall not too bad. By getting to the top you gain a chance to take some nice pics, but that is about it. There are plenty of warning to leave the place immediately in case on thunderstorms as the place gets hit by lightnings with a certain regularity. It must be the granite nature of this dome, just like El Capitan in Yosemite where climbers take serious risks if caught by a storm while climbing that demanding face.
Others sites worth seeing? I would suggest at least a couple more. First: Tokopah Falls. You park near the Lodgepole visitor center/campground. It is about 1.5 - 2 miles hike.. Moderately strenuous. This fall is also a place for ice climbers in the Winter.
My second suggestion is to drive all the way to the bottom of Kings Canyon. The views of the Sierra are quite spectacular and it adds a sense of peace and a somewhat more spiritual dimension to your trip. The road is in good conditions, but it is very curvy and you should try it only if you are not in a hurry. At the bottom, the river, the many little falls allow for excellent pictures. Grizzly Falls is also not a bad place to stop by and have a sandwich or a family picnic. Limited space so, you need some luck. Roaring River Falls in the Kings Canyon portion of the park are also worth seeing. Climbing on the Sierra mountains is a sure recipe for a great adventure, but it requires stamina and equipment. As the climate changes with altitude, you will encounter niches of different landscapes, ranging from desertic heat to snow and ice. But, I am not aware of any easy trail in that sense. This would be real backpacking and hicking. Mount Whitney Trail might be one of your best bet.
What lenses should I have for good pictures? This is a question one should ask him/herself since once you are in the park, the most likely subject of your photos are sequoia trees. When something approaches 2-300 feet in height and you add to this fact that, to take a picture you need to be fairly close, anything short of a fish eye is not going to do it. You could perhaps make a 24mm lens work but only if there is enough space between you and the sequoia you want to take a picture of. I tried with 28mm and it is not that great. More than that and you are out of luck. For those who like to use digital cameras and Photoshop, I would suggest to become familiar with stitching images. In this case even unsophisticated cameras could actually give you great photos to take home. 24mm lenses are ok for General Grant and General Sherman, but they are going to look very small once you print them...
Should I concern myself with animals? Yes. The black bears population is very active at night and you need to follow strict regulations to avoid problems. That being said, it is not like there is a bear ready to eat you behind any tree. Mostly store your food properly and you will be fine. We got to see a few mule deers as well. If you are lucky and pay attention, you might be able to spot also a condor.
How to dress? When we were there, the temperature range was mid 60F to 90F so it was fairly hot. But it was early July and it was the beginning of a heat wave. If you go at different times of the year you could experience also snow and road closing. So, check the website or call the Park to check on the weather. Even if it is hot, if you plan to seriously hike you need to be able to handle a certain variety of weather and temperatures.
Any serious risk to get a sequoia tree on my head? The probability is small but it is not zero. For example, if you decided to climb Moro Rock, you will encounter a fallen tree early along the trail. That tree was still standing in September 2004. In August 2003 a 200 foot tall sequoai fell on the park's main road and crushed a vehicle into "a pile of crumpled metal". Luckily, nobody was inside the car.(http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2003-08-19-trees-fall_x.htm)
These trees are huge but their roots do not go very deep. Usually less than 4 feet and there is no telling when they fall. The rangers do remind you that it is not a matter of if but of when. So watch out and try not parking under one of them for too long :-)
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: June-August
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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Epinions.com ID:
icio
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Location: Thousand Oaks, CA
Reviews written: 59
Trusted by: 6 members
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