Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park are adjacent to each other and also managed together. When travelers visit, they’ll likely visit areas in both parks, whether they intend to or not, since it can be difficult to always know which park you are in.
While I personally believe each park is worth one day in your itinerary, you can visit the highlights of both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in one day. The tradeoff is that you miss some of the out of the way places and will be sticking to the most popular (but no less impressive) sights. Additionally, it’s a longer day than what I typically plan because there’s a lot to see.
About Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is home to some of the largest trees in the world. Notice that I say largest and not tallest. There are other tall trees, but if you measure by total volume, those trees are here.
Beyond the trees, which are the biggest draw for visiting this park, you’ll also find some excellent mountain views. As you drive in on a very windy highway, pull off and take in those views of the surrounding mountains.
You can also hike to viewpoints and through meadows.
Learn more about the best of Sequoia National Park.
About Kings Canyon National Park
Kings Canyon National Park is home to the deepest canyon in the United States and because of that, you get some incredibly stunning scenery. The area that makes up Kings Canyon National Park is split in two and connected by the Kings Canyon Byway through Sequoia National Forest (not Sequoia National Park). As you drive this highway, take in the absolutely stunning views all around you.
Because you’re adjacent to Sequoia National Park, you’ll also find sequoia trees here as well. While Sequoia National Park has the world’s largest tree, Kings Canyon has the world’s second largest tree. That doesn’t have quite the same ring, but it’s still nice to see.
Learn more about the best of Kings Canyon National Park.
One Day in Sequoia and Kings Canyon
This one day itinerary is a full day. Depending on where you stayed the night before, you may have to get up even earlier to start. My recommendation is that you arrive at the southern entrance at Sequoia National Park no later than 8:00 am. If you’re traveling on a hot day in summer, you may want to consider arriving even earlier since this itinerary has one hike that you’ll be doing around noon.
Now, let’s get into this one day itinerary for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
8:00 – Enter via Sequoia National Park
As mentioned you’re going to start your day in Sequoia National Park. Start from the southern entrance, which is not marked on Google Maps, but is just a bit south of Tunnel Rock. From this entrance station, you’re going to start on the very windy Generals Highway.
8:15 – Views along Generals Highway
Your goal over the next hour is to make your way to the trailhead for Moro Rock. From the entrance station, it’s about an hour drive to the trailhead. However, don’t get too stressed if you take more than an hour to drive this route. The views are beautiful and there are plenty of pull outs. Plus, the road is full of hairpin turns and you can’t drive very fast, even if you wanted to.
While it’s up to you which view points you want to stop for, I’m going to make a few recommendations.
First is just a quick photo stop and it’s for Tunnel Rock. This is a short (very short) tunnel made up of stacked rocks. You can stop for a quick photo, but there isn’t too much more to say here.
Next, there’s plenty of pull outs, and I’ll just name a few. Amphitheater Viewpoint and Vista Point were great, but you’ll find even more unnamed points that you can stop at.
You’ll eventually make your way away from the scenic mountain views and into the first of the sequoia forests. We made a quick stop at the Four Guardsman which can be great for photos. Well, I assume it was great. We made this a quick stop because there was one woman taking what appeared to be hundreds of photos in the best spot. This is not the only place to get up close with the sequoia trees, so don’t stress if you’re in a similar situation.
9:15 – Hike to Moro Rock
The parking lot at Moro Rock is small and therefore it makes sense to try to get here early. Plenty of people park along the road leading to the lot instead. The problem is the road is a one way road so if you don’t get a spot at the lot, you’ll need to leave the trailhead area and loop around to get one of those spots along the road. This happened to us, but it was early enough in the day that we had no problems getting a decent spot when we looped around. When we finished the trail though, there were very limited spots remaining so it pays to get an early start.
Moro Rock is technically a hike, but it’s not a hike like you might be thinking. Instead of hiking through a forest, you’ll walk along carved out rock and stairs to reach an amazing view point. The trail is narrow in spots so this is definitely a trail you don’t want to do with a lot of people, which is all the more reason to try to get here earlier in the day.
The hike is short, only about a half mile in length, but you’ll have 200 feet of elevation gain. All that elevation gain comes from the 350 stairs that you’ll climb to get to the view point.
It took my mom and I about 25 minutes to do this trail and that includes plenty of time for pictures at the top. After you finish the trail, head out to your next stop.
11:30 – Visit General Sherman Tree
It’s time to visit General Sherman Tree which is the largest tree in the world. Not the tallest, but the largest by volume. Sure, largest doesn’t have quite the same ring as tallest, but the tree is still massive and it’s a must see for your one day at Sequoia National Park.
From the parking lot, you’ll walk downhill for about a quarter mile until you reach the crowds and General Sherman Tree. The tree is massive and it’s worth venturing out here for, but I think it’s also important to be aware that everyone else coming to Sequoia National Park has the same idea. This was the busiest area of the park when I visited.
If you want a picture of yourself with the tree (and the General Sherman Tree sign), be prepared to wait for it. If you can live without having the sign in your photo, you can walk the perimeter of the tree and easily find a spot with fewer people. The other suggestion is to get creative. I managed to snag my picture by waiting near the front of the line and snapping a quick picture while two groups swapped places. Not bad.
11:45 – Congress Trail
From the General Sherman Tree, look out for signs for the Congress Trail. This is the only hike of the day (excluding Moro Rock which is more stairs than a hike) and in my opinion, I’ve saved the best for last.
During my visit, it seemed like 95% of visitors stopped at the General Sherman Tree but didn’t venture much beyond that. Well it’s their loss and my gain because the scenery here was what I envisioned seeing at Sequoia National Park.
This trail weaves you through groves of sequoia trees. You’ll pass the McKinley Tree (even if you don’t see a sign, look for the tree with a “mustache”) as well as two groves known as “The House” and “The Senate”. Do you see where the name “Congress Trail” comes from? These two areas have a tight group of a few trees. These are ideal places to get that photo looking straight up. You’ll feel very short with so many of trees towering around you.
That’s not to say that there aren’t other places to find tall trees. Tall sequoia trees are all over Sequoia National Park, but rather there’s are two places where you can find trees nestled together. In most places, the trees are a decent distance apart.
Starting from the parking lot and including time at General Sherman Tree, we logged 3.2 miles and 479 feet of elevation gain over 1 hour and 25 minutes while on the Congress Trail.
1:00 – Head to General Grant Grove
After the General Sherman Tree and the Congress Trail, we’ll say goodbye to Sequoia National Park as we head north toward Kings Canyon National Park. You’ll never go through any entrance or exit stations, which is why it can be very confusing to know which park, if any, you are currently in. Your next stop is General Grant Village and the General Grant Tree.
From the General Sherman Tree, it should take about an hour to drive to the General Grant Tree. You’ll be driving along another mountain road that does have some nice views, but personally I think the views from this morning, and the views that you’ll get later on in this itinerary, are better.
Now it may see silly to visit the two trees back to back, but I think it helps to break up the drive. Without the stop at General Grant Tree, you’d have about two hours of nonstop driving (with the exception of quick stops for various viewpoints).
2:00 – Visit General Grant Tree
The General Grant Tree is the second largest tree in the world by volume. Admittedly that doesn’t sound as cool as the “world’s largest tree”, but it is the largest tree in Kings Canyon National Park. You’ve finally made it to the boundaries of the second national park on this one day itinerary.
Since we’re trying to cram in a lot of stuff to this itinerary, there’s not a lot of time to walk through the trails at General Grant Tree, but take a little bit of time to walk up and around the tree. Then head back to your car for the next big drive of the day.
2:15 – Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
Now we head to my favorite part of Kings Canyon National Park and ironically, we’ll technically beleaving the park. Kings Canyon’s boundaries are split in two with the Sequoia National Forest (not national park) existing between the two parks. This is just a technicality and from our perspective, it doesn’t make much of a difference.
Head north and get onto Highway 180 and follow it all the way to the end of the road (yes, the road does have a designated end point where you have to turn around). This highway takes you through the spectacular Kings Canyon and the views are just incredible.
If you, or someone you’re traveling with, hasn’t spent a lot of time in mountains, prepare for some jaw dropping views. We rounded a bend and my mom, who has visited many national parks with me but hasn’t really seen a lot of mountains, exclaimed “Oh my god. Oh my god! Oh! My! God!” It was a fun experience for me, but also a reminder that the views are just that good.
It takes just over an hour to drive from the General Grant Tree to the end of the road, but that’s if you don’t make any stops. There are numerous pullouts, both named and unnamed, that offer fantastic places for a break or just to take in the scenery. I don’t think you can go wrong with any of these viewpoints. Junction View and Yucca Point make excellent places to stop, but I’m not sure if there is a bad view.
3:30 – Roaring Rapids
Toward the end of the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, you’ll pass by Roaring Rapids. After driving for an hour, it can be nice to get out and stretch, so why not make your short break at a waterfall. This is not a tall waterfall like you might find at Yosemite National Park, but it’s still a nice (and still decently powerful), waterfall.
There are trails that lead here. Specifically, there is a trail to Zumwalt Meadows, which is your next stop. However, the trail is over four miles round trip and I personally think that’s too much for this one day itinerary. If you’re running ahead of schedule, by all means, hike to Zumwalt Meadows, but for most people, return to your car, and drive up to save the time.
For those who have decided to hike, I logged 4.5 miles and 375 feet of elevation on the trail. Part of Zumwalt Meadows were closed due to restoration, so we couldn’t hike all of it. The views are nice, but I don’t think you’ll miss much if you skip it. The big concern for this hike is the gnats.
We were here in mid September and while the weather was beautiful, the gnats were horrendous. We had covered ourselves with bug spray and nothing landed on us, but they swarmed around us for most of the hike and would not leave us alone. The only saving grace was the wind picked up on our return hike and then we didn’t have problems.
I have to mention this because this hike was nice, but it was hard to enjoy because we were constantly swatting at the gnats. And to be clear, we knew that the gnats were bad based on reviews from AllTrails, but until we got there, we didn’t truly understand how awful they could be.
3:45 – Zumwalt Meadows
So let’s talk about Zumwalt Meadows. This is a meadow area deep within Kings Canyon and it offers a little something different in your day. Instead of mountain views and the towering sequoia trees, you can visit a more calm meadow.
Is this my favorite stop of the day? No. However, you have driven all the way out here, so why not stop and see it?
4:00 – Kings Canyon Scenic Byway to Panoramic Point
Now it’s time to head back the way we came. The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway has a definitive end (shortly after Zumwalt Meadows), so you now need to get back to where you started. But since the views are great, it’s not a terrible drive back.
Once you arrive back in General Grant Village, take the road to Panoramic Point for one of my favorite views of the day. While it seems super straightforward (just follow your gps to Panoramic Point), I have to give a warning about this drive.
The road is narrow. Very narrow. So narrow that it feels like a one way, one lane road. It’s a two way road, but it’s not quite big enough for two vehicles. This means that occasionally one person will need to reverse and wait for another car to come through. Oh, and did I mention there were some hairpin turns?
And not only was it a windy, narrow road, but I also passed four deer. For me, deer are not a big thing as they are all over my home state of Wisconsin, but other drivers were fascinated and seemed more concerned with getting a photo of the deer than paying attention to the rest of the road. Don’t be like these people and pay attention to all of your surroundings.
5:00 – Panoramic Point
Panoramic Point is a short walk to a spectacular viewpoint of Kings Canyon. You’ll also be able to see the mountains, Hume Lake, plenty of trees, and so much more. From the parking lot, you’ll walk about 0.6 miles round trip to get to the viewpoint. Just as a note, the viewpoint is higher than the parking lot, so you’ll be walking uphill. This isn’t a huge deal as my tracker logged about 90 feet of elevation gain, but I just want to mention it.
5:30 – Exit the Park
Phew. This itinerary is over. Exit the park and head to your hotel.
With More Energy
So let’s say you are making good progress and want to see more than what is on this itinerary. What should you do?
One option that I already covered is to hike from Roaring Rapids to Zumwalt Meadows. For this, you need to be proactive and think about your time when you are at Roaring Rapids.
Another option is to hike around General Grant Tree. There are so many trails that lead from here that you’ll have no problem finding somewhere to hike.
My final option is to visit Big Stump. While most of the trees at Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks stand tall, there was a time that this area was used for mining and trees were cut down for their wood. Now, of course, this area is protected and no one is chopping down the trees. But, a few of those stumps from those logging days remain and the most notable is at Big Stump. From the picnic area, you can hike the trail out to Big Stump to get a unique idea of how massive these trees are.
Can You Reverse This Itinerary?
Yes. I think timing is everything though and you’ll need to think about when you are visiting. If you’re here on a very hot day, I’d recommend trying to do the hike to Moro Rock earlier in the day. Plus, parking can be limited here. Even in the morning, we had to circle the loop again because the lot was full and we had to park on the road.
When to Visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon
Summer is peak travel season where you can expect the highest prices and the highest visitor numbers. During these months, a free shuttle is operated by the National Park Service to help ease the parking and driving problems.
Winter is low season. Yes you’ll have fewer tourists, but you’ll need to be prepared for winter driving conditions. While you won’t be too far from Fresno, many of the sights you’ll want to see at Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks sit above 6,000 feet of elevation. At this elevation, don’t be surprised to see snow and ice. Additionally, the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway will close during the winter months.
Spring and fall are shoulder season which can offer a nice balance of crowds and weather. Keep in mind in early fall, you may need to watch out for wildfires. On our visit, wildfires closed one area of the park, but it was not an area we had planned to visit. The wildfires didn’t affect us, but that’s no guarantee.
My mom and I visited Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in mid September. We had excellent weather despite reports of haze from nearby wildfires (there was a bit of haze, but honestly, the wildfire haze I had up in Glacier National Park earlier that summer was worse). While there were plenty of people at General Sherman Tree and Moro Rock, I wouldn’t say it felt overwhelmingly busy.
Where to Stay on Your Visit
You have several options for accommodations for your visit. My advice is to first consider your itinerary. Since this is a one day itinerary, I recommend staying close to park, ideally near where you’ll exit the park. If you start at Kings Canyon and finish at Sequoia, the towns of Three Rivers and Visalia would be good options. If you start at Sequoia and finish at Kings Canyon, I’d look near Pinehurst.
We chose to stay in Dinuba which was about an hour drive from both the Sequoia National Park entrance and the Kings Canyon National Park entrance. Since we had plans to enter through both entrances, it made sense to find somewhere that was more “in the middle”. Plus, Dinuba was a bit more of a budget option than Three Rivers or Visalia.
Entrance Fees
Entrance into Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is $35 per vehicle. Your pass will be good for seven consecutive days.
Annual passes, such as the America the Beautiful pass, are also accepted. If you plan on visiting two or more national parks within twelve months of your visit to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, it’s worth it to pick up the $80 pass.
Final Thoughts
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are adjacent to each other and many travelers will visit those two parks in just one day. In order to do that, and see the top sights, you need to prepare for a long and busy day. Is it doable? Yes. Would I recommend it? Only if you have limited time. My preference is still to spend two days and dedicate time to each park so you can take time to breathe and really enjoy the beauty around you.
Continue Your Adventure
Sequoia & Kings Canyon: Learn about the best things to do at Sequoia National Park and how to spend one day at the park. Likewise, learn about the best things to do at Kings Canyon National Park and how to spend one day at the park.
Itinerary: Visit Sequoia National Park as part of an epic one week road trip that also features Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Park.
US National Parks: Start planning your national park vacation with my US National Park Travel Guide. You’ll find information about each park, photos, itineraries, and everything you need to start planning your trip. And don’t forget to book your timed entry reservations in advance!