DESTINATIONS SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON ★★ Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada. Their dramatic landscapes testify to nature’s size, beauty, and diversity - everything you want when you travel to Western USA. You will feel very tiny in this land of natural giants. Sequoia National Park was created in 1890 to protect the giant sequoia trees from logging, becoming the first national park formed to protect a living organism. However, it was not until much later that the preservation efforts bore fruit. SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK © Tarvel Around USA WHAT TO DO — SEQUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS ★★ Open year-round, 24 hours a day, weather permitting. SEQUOIA Season: NATIONAL PARK ★★ Visitor Center: • Foothills Visitor Center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in October-March). • Giant Forest Museum is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (hours may vary). GENERAL SHERMAN • Lodgepole Visitor Center is open from the 2nd Friday in May to the 1st Friday in October, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. TREE ★★★ (hours may vary). This is the star attraction • Kings Canyon Visitor Center is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (hours may vary). of Sequoia National Park, a Road closures: Note that most of the roads in the parks are closed from November to mid-May due to weather condi- must-see in every sense of tions. Only the road from Gardiner (Montana) to Cooke City (Montana) is open year-round. the world! Standing 84 m tall, Entry fee: $35/vehicle including occupants. Valid 7 days. Purchase the America the Beautiful Pass for $80 if you plan to and 31 m in circumference visit more than 2-3 parks. at the base, it is the largest living organism on the planet, Shuttle service in the park? Yes, in Sequoia National Park (see box below) and is more than 2,200 years www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm old. Isn’t that incredible? An easy 800-metre (round-trip) * Note: vehicles over 22 feet are not allowed to use the south entrance to Sequoia National Park, near the Foothills Visitor Center on Hwy 198 (coming from Three Rivers and Visalia) - see box below for more information. trail leads to the Sherman Tree. Plan to spend about 45 minutes visiting the tree. GIANT FOREST MUSEUM ★ CONGRESS TRAILL ★★ This small museum and Distance (round-trip): 3.2 km information centre provides Time (round-trip): 1 hour a wealth of information Level: Easy about giant sequoias, the park, and the region. It is In addition to the impressive definitely worth a stop. General Sherman, there are many other natural BIG TREES TRAIL ★★ wonders to be seen in the Distance (round-trip): 2.4 km vicinity. The Congress Trail, Time (round-trip): 1 hour an easy 3.2-kilometre loop Level: Easy (1 hour) that begins near the Sherman Tree, offers Big Trees Trail, a 2.4-km excellent opportunities to loop around a lush meadow, see other notable trees. It begins near the Giant Forest leads through the heart of the Museum and takes about 1 spectacular forest, allowing hour. It is like a continuation visitors to capture the essence of the museum with its many of a giant sequoia grove. interpretive exhibits about You will certainly feel very the natural history of giant small, surrounded by all these sequoias. incredible natural giants! CONGRESS TRAIL GENERAL SHERMAN © California State Park © iStock-857621088, Pgiam Hiking ★ Noteworthy ★★ Worth the detour ★★★ Must see DESTINATIONS MORO ROCK ★★ through the fallen log to Tharps’s Log, one of the CRYSTAL CAVE ★★ Distance (one-way): 900 m / allow vehicles to pass. In oldest cabins in the park, is This cave is the best-kept 400 steps addition to giving you a in fact a rustic shack built secret in Sequoia National Time (one-way): 30 minutes very good idea of the sheer right into the enormous Park! 45-minute guided tours Level: Intermediate size of these trees, it makes hollow trunk of a fallen are available to explore the for amusing photos. An tree. It served as a summer majestic marble cavern, and To enjoy spectacular interesting curiosity! Not «home» for a pioneer called are suitable for families with panoramic views of the Sierra accessible for vehicles over Hale D. Tharp, who was the young children. Tickets can Nevada and its 4,000-metre 22 feet. first non-Native American be purchased at Lodgepole peaks, climb the 400 steps person to discover the Giant Visitor Center or Foothills to the flat summit of Moro CRESCENT MEADOW ★ Forest in 1858. He lived Visitor Center. Note that Rock, a bald granite dome in This is one of the largest there every summer until the the road is not accessible the centre of the park. For alpine meadows in the park, creation of Sequoia National for vehicles over 22 feet. If best visibility, do this hike surrounded by the sequoias Park in 1890. you’re feeling adventurous, early in the morning or on of Giant Forest (note: the there are other tours that a cool day. It will take you road is not accessible for Chimney Tree is an old will take you even further about 30 minutes to reach vehicles over 22 feet). The hollowed-out sequoia into the depths of the cave. the top. Not accessible for area at the end of Crescent inside which you can Ask a Ranger at one of the vehicles over 22 feet. Meadow road offers many literally sit down. Another Visitor Centers. As the hiking options, one of which magnificent spot for some temperature inside the cave TUNNEL LOG ★★ is a 1-hour (3.2 km) loop interesting photos or to take never goes above 10 degrees Tunnel Log is a giant sequoia that will take you past two a break and contemplate Celsius, it would be a good that fell across the road interesting features: your spectacular natural idea to bring a jacket. in 1937. A tunnel was cut surroundings! MORO ROCK CRESCENT MEADOW © iStock-1062572946, Nikolas_jkd © iStock-1058948876, Natalie Ruffing TUNNEL LOG, SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK CRYSTAL CAVE © Photobucket, The Vagabond © iStock-1183783285-travelview Hiking ★ Noteworthy ★★ Worth the detour ★★★ Must see KINGS CANYON Tree, a fallen giant sequoia that visitors can walk through. GENERAL GRANT TREE TRAIL ★ KINGS CANYON Longueur (A/R) : 0,8 km SCENIC BYWAY ★★ Durée (A/R) : 30 minutes This is the only vehicle route Niveau :Facile into Kings Canyon, one of the deepest canyons in North The General Grant Tree Trail America. It follows dramatic is an easy 800-metre trail granite cliffs and the wild (about 30 minutes) that leads and scenic Kings River, to the second-largest tree in ending about 10 km after the world. General Grant Tree Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon is between 1,500 and 2,000 National Park. Kings Canyon years old and is only 2 metres Scenic Byway is 80 km long shorter than the General (160 km round-trip) and travel Sherman Tree. The trail also time is about 3 hours. The passes by the Fallen Monarch road is closed in winter. KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK © Authentik USA, Simon Lemay KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK © National Park Services, USA TRAVELLING BY RV? If you are travelling in a vehicle over 22 feet long, • A round-trip ride is about $20 per person and Once inside the park, take advantage of unlimited you will not be allowed to use the south entrance includes the park entrance fee and unlimited shuttle service between the Visitor Centers and to Sequoia National Park near the Foothills Visitor use of the shuttle service within the park. the park’s major attractions. The in-park shuttles Center on Highway 198, coming from Visalia and • Online reservations are required at least 24 are free of charge, so you can simply hop on and Three Rivers. Because roads in these parks are hours in advance. off at any stop. narrow, winding, and steep, longer vehicles often • There are designated stops at various hotels in 1- Giant Forest (Green Route) cross the double yellow line and pose a danger to Visalia with departures starting at 6 a.m., and at 2- Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow (Grey Route) other drivers. the Comfort Inn in Three Rivers and the Three 3- Lodgepole / Wuksachi (Purple Route) Rivers Historical Museum starting at 6:55 a.m. 4- General Sherman Tree Trails (Orange Route) THERE IS A SHUTTLE SERVICE TO SEQUOIA Please visit the website for the exact addresses NATIONAL PARK. and schedules. Please visit the website for more details on shuttle routes and schedules. The Sequoia Shuttle operates throughout the If you are travelling at a time when the shuttle is summer, from late May until early Sep tember. not in service, you must use the north entrance on THERE IS NO SHUTTLE TO KINGS CANYON NA- Highway 180, and will not be able to drive further TIONAL PARK AND NO SHUTTLE SERVICE INSIDE The Visalia Route offers service to the towns of south than Giant Forest Museum. THIS PARK. Visalia and Three Rivers, up Highway 198, to Giant Forest Museum in the heart of the park: www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/parktransit.htm Hiking ★ Noteworthy ★★ Worth the detour ★★★ Must see DESTINATIONS STARRY SKY IN SEQUOIA PARK © iStock-1138709697, Bonnie Nordling WHERE TO EAT GIANT FOREST MUSEUM — © California State Park 1 THE PEAKS RESTAURANT / 559-625-7700 POSTE 7608 memorable dining experience. than a dozen vegetarian and WUKSACHI LODGE ($$-$$$) WWW.VISITSEQUOIA.COM/DINE In addition to a vast array of vegan selections and gluten- This is your best option for ocean offerings, the menu free breads.