207: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Vacation Mavens

Family travel adventurer Karilyn Owen, from NoBackHome.com, shares her love of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in California. Find out why you should look beyond Yosemite to these lesser visited National Parks. Tamara also shares a some new attractions in New York City that you should check out if you are planning a visit soon.

About Karilyn Owen

Karilyn, the founder of the popular family travel blog No Back Home, is a writer, photographer and influencer sharing her family’s adventures at home in Southern California and around the world to inspire other families to get out and explore, even if it’s just in their own city. Karilyn and her nature-obsessed 11 year old focus on hiking, backpacking, camping, hands-on learning and seeking out the world’s beauty wherever they find themselves. Karilyn has traveled to 50 countries on her own and to 35 with her son. Follow Karilyn on Instagram.

Read Karilyn's blog posts about:

• Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
• Camping in Kings Canyon
• Visiting Sequoia National Park in the winter
• Sequoia National Park in one day

Tips for Visiting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

• Sequoia and Kings Canyon are actually two separate national parks, but they are operated together
• They are south of Yosemite and many people will extend a trip to Yosemite to include Sequoia and Kings Canyon, but they have enough to make for a good stand alone trip, even for multi-generational families
• They offer huge sequoia forests, granite canyons, and rivers
• If you wanted to fly out for a trip, the largest major airport would be Los Angeles (LAX) and it is about a 3-4 hour drive from there. You can also connect and fly into Fresno, CA
• Sequoia is good to visit any time of year and you can go snowshoeing and you can drive all the way into the park (in the summer you need to take shuttles)
• You need to visit Kings Canyon in the summer as the road that goes through the park closes after the first snow. Giant's Highway which connects the two parks is also closed in the winter. The roads generally open in late spring, as early as April and as late as June, depending on the snow
• You can drive from the Giant's Forest area of Sequoia to the main tourist area in Kings Canyon in about one hour, although it is another hour into the Canyon
• If you are doing just these two parks, you will want to stay three days or longer, especially if you are visiting in the summer when you are spending more time waiting for shuttles
• Some people will do Yosemite, Kings Canyon and Sequoia in one week
• The must-see places in Sequoia are:
  • The Congress Trail - about 3 miles through the forest
  • Morro Rock - climb up about 430 stairs to the top, sometimes people like to do this for sunrise
  • Mt. Whitney is the highest mountain in the continental US but you need a permit to climb it as part of the John Muir Trail
  • Big Trees Trail is great for kids because it is a boardwalk with signposts explaining the life cycle of the trees
  • Topakah Falls - there aren't sequoias but it is a great trail that has a waterfall, you can see wildlife, and it isn't as crowded
• In Kings Canyon do Mist Falls trail, but not in the early season because the rivers are too high
• Sequoia and Kings Canyon don't currently require reservations to enter the park or permits for hikes beyond the John Muir Trail or backpacking
• Favorite camping sites:
  • Camping is the best for both parks because the nearest towns are about 45 minutes away (without traffic)
  • Sentinel Campground, open mid-May-September is best in Kings Canyon
  • Lodge Pole in Sequoia is a good spot for families with plenty of amenities
  • In the winter, stay in Three Rivers, near the entrance of Sequoia, and there are places to explore in town
  • If you want to stay outside of Kings Canyon, there are Airbnbs in small towns outside of the park but the biggest large town with hotels would be Visalia, CA, about an hour - an hour and twenty minutes away
  • If you are driving an RV or camper van, there are limitations on lengths/heights for both parks that you should check ahead of time before you go or book a rental
• A food truck called Gorilla Quesadilla in Three Rivers and a restaurant in Visalia that is delicious and large portions that make everyone happy
• Visalia is a great town because there are more restaurant options (there aren't any places inside of the parks) and you can also take an orange grove tour
• There have been a number of forest fires in recent years so you may want to avoid August and possibly September, and follow the National Parks on social media to get updates about smoke or park closings
• When you are visiting make sure to follow the Leave No Trace principles and bring in recyclable materials that you can easily pack back out because garbage is limited in the parks
• There are a lot bears in the park (especially Sequoia) so make sure to make a lot of noise as you are hiking, but luckily they are generally not aggressive. Make sure to store all food in bear lockers
• Bear spray is not allowed in the California National Parks
• There is not good cell service in the park so you may want to invest in a GPS tracker like a Garmin Inreach device
• Make sure you bring in enough water and food in case of an emergency
• Karilyn loves wearing wool and has been wearing a Wool And dress every day for the last year