Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park Self-Guided Driving Tour

Welcome to the Sequoia National Park Tour

This self-guided driving tour takes you through enormous, ancient groves at Sequoia National Park. Witness the giant sequoias in all their majesty, including General Sherman, the most massive living thing on the planet. As you tour this jaw-dropping primeval forest, you’ll learn about the area’s early inhabitants, from the Paiute tribe to the founders of a secretive, ill-fated colony. Plus, take in jaw-dropping views of Kings Canyon with the Sequoia National Park Tour!

About the Tour

Your Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks tour begins at the southern end of Sequoia National Park, near the visitor center. From there, you’ll head north toward the Marble Falls trail, learning about the park and the giant sequoias along the way. Past the falls trail (which also features great overlooks and wildflowers patches), you’ll arrive at Amphitheater Point and Generals Highway Lookout, the first of many astonishing vistas along your route.

Next, you’ll come to the Four Guardsmen, which will serve as your introduction to the natural wonders this park has to offer. These four enormous sequoias stand guard on either side of the road, creating a kind of gateway into the forest of giant trees. Beyond them is the Giant Forest Museum, where you’ll find a short hiking trail through some of the park’s enormous residents. It’s extremely popular for a good reason! Those looking for a less crowded trail will find it a little farther north, at Bear Hill Trail.

After that, you’ll arrive at Moro Rock, a 300-foot dome sticking out of the forest, which provides a stupendous opportunity for unbeatable views. Don’t worry; there are stairs!

Continuing, you’ll arrive at another fun landmark: the Tunnel Log. Here, a tunnel has been carved through a fallen sequoia, and it’s big enough to drive most cars through! If your friends don’t believe how big these trees are, show them a picture of your vehicle dwarfed by that wooden tunnel!

Up next on the Sequoia National Park, you’ll find one of the park’s main attractions: the General Sherman Tree. There’s simply no way to convey just how large this sequoia is, so you really have to see it in person. As you stroll around this behemoth, you’ll learn some fun facts about it, including how it got its peculiar name. This is also the site of the Congress Trail for hikers looking for more of the park’s biggest trees.

Continuing, you’ll pass Halstead Meadow, a perfect place to hop out for a picnic if you’re feeling peckish. Then you’ll reach Kings Canyon Overlook, a breathtaking first look at the canyon from afar. But you’re not in King Canyon National Park yet—first, you’ll pay a visit to the General Grant Tree, the second largest in the world. This tree is actually a national shrine as well!

Finally, you’ll head to Panoramic Point, offering picture-perfect views of Kings Canyon. The main tour ends here, but if you’d like to continue into Kings Canyon, you can! There, you’ll find additional must-stop vistas, incredible landmarks like Boyden Cavern (a marble cave), and the self-explanatory Roaring River Falls. The canyon also features some great hikes for those in the mood.

NOTE: For all road closure updates and more, please visit the National Park Service website.

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