SEQUOIA + KINGS CANYON
Few things I love more than a National Park moment, but two at the price of one? Yeah, say less.
Actually wait no - say more.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are an easy weekend getaway from the LA area, and I feel lucky to have made the journey twice in the last few years. Once pre-COVID, once during COVID so slightly different experiences with the crowd but the good news about nature is it generally stays the same. It’s just us that are in shambles as of late.
National Parks can be intimidating, especially ones this large. Plus it doesn’t help that the nearest towns to travel in and out from if you’re not lodge rich or a camping girlie are about an hour out and are objectively terrible places.
The first trip I made here, I was lucky enough to be able to hike Moro Rock. I say lucky enough because on the most recent visit, the park was cloaked in wildfire smoke and trudging up a rock face was the last thing anybody should have been doing. But in normal times, it’s a beautiful place to find yourself.
Close to this trail head is one of the more famous Sequoia spots, Tunnel Log. Ideally the purpose of this log is to be able to drive your own car through it. However pre-COVID era this was a shuttle onlyt area in peak seasons, and during COVID it’s a traffic free for all that I cannot and refuse to recommend. Like, is driving through a tree really all that worth it? You can also climb on it which is certainly more fun.
Past this clusterfuck of a place is my favorite spot in the park, Crescent Meadows. It’s giving Edward and Bella in the field just fucking staring at each other. I’ve also never seen it crowded and both times I’ve been into this park have been absolute crowd hell holes, so it maintains its Twilight charm.
Saving the neighboring park, Kings Canyon, for its own dedicated day is a must.
Coming out of more sequoia trees, the road into Kings Canyon opens up and takes you straight to the bottom of the most majestic canyon I’ve ever seen. This road will dead end at the bottom and could never physically loop you around. I don’t even know how they built this road to begin with, it’s literally on the edge of cliffs the entire way down and it’s the hands down coolest road I’ve ever had the privilege riding along. Bold of me to say though, I’ve never been the one behind the wheel for all the worst curves.
Once you’re in the depths of the canyon, the road runs alongside the river and serves as an access point to different hikes and waterfalls. Even a campground if you really wanna be off the grid.
To me, the drive is the most batshit part of the experience. However, Zumwalt Meadows is an excellent moment I can’t say enough good things about.
Kings Canyon quickly moved up the ranks for a favorite National Park for me almost solely due to the surprise element of how massive and dramatic it is. I’m honestly mad I had never heard about it until I was physically there, but am trying to heal emotionally and accept it.
