Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park in California is one of America’s most spectacular mountain landscapes. Although the area was first protected as General Grant National Park in 1890, it was expanded and redesignated as Kings Canyon National Park in 1940 to preserve the deep canyon carved by the Kings River and the surrounding High Sierra wilderness.

Often overshadowed by neighboring Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon offers many of the same breathtaking features: towering granite peaks, roaring rivers, alpine meadows, giant sequoias, and some of the deepest canyons in North America. Together, these two parks protect an extraordinary landscape where mountains, forests, and ancient trees exist on an almost unimaginable scale.

Driving the Generals Highway is an experience. In just a few miles, the road climbs more than 5,000 feet, carrying visitors from the dry foothills dotted with oaks and chaparral into cool mountain forests where the giant sequoias begin to appear. Each turn in the road reveals another dramatic vista, reminding you just how quickly California’s landscape can changeS.

What I remember most about visiting Kings Canyon was the overwhelming sense of scale. The granite walls seemed to rise endlessly above the valley, while the forests stretched in every direction. It is one of those places where photographs never quite capture the feeling of standing there. You simply must experience it.

Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks complement one another beautifully. While many visitors come to see the giant trees, they leave with an appreciation for the immense mountains, deep canyons, and pristine wilderness that surround them