50 plus DC - Kings Canyon

Part of the western flank of the Sierra Nevada mountains is home to the largest tree in the world, in terms of volume rather than height. These are trees that occur in groves scattered through forest populated with other trees. John Muir visited the area in 1873 and was impressed with both the giant sequoia and the scenery in Kings Canyon, which he likened to Yosemite. Concern about about the impact of logging on the giant sequoia resulted in two national parks being set up in 1890, Sequioa National Park and General Grant National Park. The latter covered the area around a grove containing the General Grant tree. In 1940 Kings Canyon National Park was created bringing together Grant’s Grove and the back country in the upper reaches of Kings Canyon. In 1965 the rest of Kings Canyon was added to the park. Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are adjacent to each other and are administered as a single park.

Tunnel Rock, Sequoia National Park

Not far from the Ash Mountain entrance to Sequoia National Park is a sight that shows just how much cars have grown in size. When the road was built in 1938, the easiest route here was to dig a tunnel under this huge rock. It is quite narrow and not at all high. 1930s cars could get through easily, but for modern cars it was a bit of a squeeze. In 1997 the road was widened and Tunnel Rock bypassed, but you can still walk through it.

Kings Canyon & Sequoia N.P.

Kings River Canyon from Junction View

Although Kings Canyon National Park was enlarged in 1965, the Grants Grove and Redwood Canyon section of the park is still separated from the main Kings Canyon part of the park by a gap of some 41 kilometres (26 miles). To travel between the two parts of the park you drive along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. This view of Kings River Canyon from the byway is outside of the National Park, although the side of the South Fork Kings River along which the byway runs is protected as Giant Sequoia National Monument. While this view is not in the National Park, you have to drive through the National park and pay its entry fees to get to the byway. The road runs only a few kilometres (or miles) into Kings Canyon as most of the National Park is wilderness accessible only on foot.

General Grant Tree, Grants Grove, Kings Canyon National Park

The General Grant tree was named in 1867 after General Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the USA and Civil War Union Army hero. This is the second largest (by volume) sequoiadendron (giant sequoia) in the world and it is estimated to be over 1,800 years old. Next time an American tells you that the west coast is devoid of anything really old, just remind him or her of the giant sequoia.

Kings River Canyon near Boyden Cave

Further along the byway and about 13 kilometres (8 miles) from the entrance to Kings Canyon the Kings River Canyon becomes narrow and the byway has to run close to the river. The similarity between the scenery here and that in Yosemite becomes more apparent. This is the deepest canyon in the USA, some 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) deep. Close to where this picture was taken is the Boyden Cave, a 1.6 kilometre (1 mile) long cave. The cave is outside of the National Park so cave tours are provided by a commercial company and not by the National Park Service.

Click on Minimap to navigate

Home > US States > The West > California >

Pictographs, Hospital Rock, Sequoia National Park

The name Hospital Rock dates back to 1873, when a certain James Everton stayed by the rock to recover from a gunshot wound that he had received as a result of stumbling into a shotgun snare set to trap bear. The pictographs in the rock predate Everton’s enforced stay in the area. They are believed to have been left by the Monache Indians who first settled in the area around 1350.

General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park

The largest giant sequoia by volume is found in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. The General Sherman tree was named in 1879 after General William Tecumseh Sherman, Civil War Union Army hero. The tree named after him has a height of up to 83.8 metres (274.9 feet) and a trunk diameter of 11.1 metres (36.5 feet) at the base. The volume of the tree is estimated at 1,487 cubic metres (52,508 cubic feet). Giant sequoia grow at elevations between 1,400 and 2,150 metres (4,600 and 7,000 feet) where winters are long and hard. This picture was taken in May but there was still plenty of snow on the ground.

- Good Sierra Nevada scenery, rather eclipsed by the spectacular scenery at Yosemite.

- The Sequoia are well worth a visit.

- More of a warning than a don’t like; most of the roads in the park are at high altitude so in winter and spring keep a very careful eye on the weather.

To move forwards or backwards through the California trail click the arrows above, or select your next destination on the Minimap.

DLU100528

The contents of this page may not be reproduced in full or in part without permission