lock up your food
Written: May 16 '02 (Updated May 16 '02)
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Pros: the trees; breathtaking views east into the Sierra; easy to get to; bears
Cons: certain areas crowded; bears
The Bottom Line: An amazingly remote and unspoiled place, considering its accessibility. A huge diversity of landscape, and it's even possible to escape the crowds if you try.
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| mjb2's Full Review: Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park |
The first, and most surprising thing I noticed about Sequoia was its ruggedness and remoteness. Though the park contains a spot that's farther from a road than any other point in the lower 48 states, the park itself is easily reachable from both LA and San Francisco. In my mind, that makes Sequoia the ideal destination, easy to reach but easy to get lost in.
The park will live up to the most glowing praise you've heard. The trees — obviously the main attraction here — are truly a sight. Though redwoods may be somewhat taller than sequoia, the latter convey a sense of sheer massiveness and ancientness that the redwoods do not.
I visited Sequoia in late October, when there was already snow on the ground, and it was a perfect time. The air was very fresh and brisk (though not too cold) and the crowds were far smaller than you'd see in the summer. Additionally, the white snow forms a beautiful contrast with the rust-colored bark and green boughs of the trees, adding an entire dimension to the landscape that would be lacking in the warmer season.
The most famous trees, unfortunately (but not surprisingly), are in areas that are frequently crowded with visitors. Though the crowds are a pain, it's definitely worth seeing the General Sherman tree — the circumference at the base is more than 100 feet, and it seems to go up forever. The General Grant tree is similarly impressive, and in an area that's a bit less crowded. Nonetheless, all the trees in the park are impressive, so once you take a token look at the famous ones you can easily walk off into a grove and appreciate the anonymous trees just as much.
I suggest coming into the park through the Ash Mountain entrance to the south, and getting the General Sherman tree out of the way right away, so you won't be distracted all weekend by a compulsion to see it before you leave. I've heard some people complain that the road leading into this entrance is harrowing, but I didn't find it any windier or scarier than your typical mountain road. Furthermore, I saw more bears on that road (in the early morning) than I've ever seen in my life.
Indeed, though I expect to see wildlife at national parks, I must admit at Sequoia I was expecting more on the flora side than the fauna side. Be aware that you may get quite a bit more fauna than you bargained for at Sequoia. I don't know if it just happened to be an odd weekend, or if I was just lucky, but there were bears EVERYWHERE (with the greatest numbers concentrated on both sides of the road near the Potwisha campground). It was great to see so many bears up close, but it necessitated being really careful about keeping my food locked up in airtight containers the whole weekend. In one particularly harrowing incident I realized that I had left some granola bars out on my passenger seat and had left the passenger-side window cracked — not such a good idea, but fortunately disaster was averted.
Since the elevation is so high, many of Sequoia's roads are closed in the winter, so certain sites (Crystal Cave, Mineral King, etc.) are inaccessible. After the Sherman Tree, then, I went up to the Grant Grove, which in my mind was nicer than the area around the Sherman Tree, and less crowded.
Also, there's a little-visited trail behind the Grant Grove Visitor Center (not even noted on the official park map — it only appears in the National Geographic guide) that leads to an overlook east into the high Sierra that is probably the most unspoiled, serene yet dramatic vista I've ever seen. Seriously, I mean this is where I'd like my ashes scattered. To reach the point, you drive up an unpaved (but relatively accessible) road and then hike a short way uphill. The view is amazing — it's a full 180 degrees; you can see about 50 miles east into the peaks of the Sierra in Kings Canyon and literally not see a single manmade structure aside from a lone, far-off fire tower. I caught the view at sunset, but I imagine sunrise would be just as spectacular — or any time of day, for that matter.
Most people don't venture into Kings Canyon National Park, even though it's administered jointly with Sequoia and borders it to the north. Kings Canyon is inaccessible in the winter months, but fortunately was still open when I was there in late October. The road into Kings Canyon is very dramatic: at one point you can see the sheer face of the canyon rising 8,000 feet above the river on the other side — far deeper than even the Grand Canyon.
The road then dips down and follows the South Fork of the Kings River, which in itself is beautiful, and worth taking time to pull over and gaze at. The water is freezing cold and very rapid, so it's definitely not a good idea to go in. But there are plenty of large, flat rocks that would be great for just laying out or bringing a picnic lunch.
There are no real "star" attractions at Kings Canyon except for the canyon itself, which the road enters and follows for a number of miles. There are camping and ranger facilities at Cedar Grove Village, and the road continues about 5 miles past that before terminating at a cul-de-sac. There are countless great places for fishing along the way, and a number of unpaved roads that are accessible only with 4-wheel drive.
On the whole, Kings Canyon is quieter and more remote than Sequoia, which in my mind makes it just as appealing a destination. The sense of stillness and quiet in the heart of the canyon, even near the road, matches some of the more remote areas of Sequoia. Together, the two parks offer a surprisingly diverse landscape, considering that they're adjacent and so close to Fresno. So it's well worth the trip from either LA or San Francisco (about 4 hours from either) to get out to the clean air and trees unlike any you've ever seen.
Recommended:
Yes
Best time to go: September-November
Recommended for: Anybody
Review Topic: Overview
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Epinions.com ID:
mjb2
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Location: New York, NY
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 6 members
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