Our tips for visiting Kings Canyon National Park with kids.
We recently came back from our summer trip to some of California’s National Parks. After one day in Sequoia National Park, we decided to visit Kings Canyon the following day. While Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks are managed as one park, they are quite different and we found we liked Kings Canyon best. Kings Canyon is so much less well known than Sequoia but it really does stand alone as the best kept secret in the area!Unfortunately for them, most visitors to Kings Canyon only visit the small part of the park that is home to the General Grant tree and the Grant Grove Village shopping area and Visitor Center and then call it a wrap. What a shame!
Assuming you aren’t looking to do backcountry hiking, a day visiting Kings Canyon is sufficient time to make it to Roads End while making good use of the viewpoints and a few short hikes along the way. These great viewpoints and many shorter hikes make visiting Kings Canyon National Park with kids a great choice. Here is how we spent a day in Kings Canyon.
One Day in Kings Canyon National Park with kids
Hume Lake
At the suggestion of a ranger we entered Kings Canyon at the Big Stump Entrance and made our way to the right at the Generals Highway to drive the Tenmile/Hume Lake road. The first part of this road is through the woods before you arrive at Hume Lake where find yourself at a great picnic spot where we saw a number of people fishing.
Heading further north after passing Hume Lake Christian Camp (what a spot for a camp!) you will come to a section of the road that brings a unique and beautiful perspective across the Giant Sequoia National Monument and in the far horizon Kings Canyon National Park.
The way the parks and monuments interweave here is interesting but all around you are beautiful mountains as far as the eye can see. In the end this is a beautiful drive and well worth the few extra minutes it will add to your drive!
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
This road, which starts outside of the park and reaches a maximum elevation of about 6,400 feet, is the only vehicular route into Kings Canyon. From shortly after where Tenmile road reconnects into the Byway you will be faced with sharp turns, steep dropoffs, and stunning canyons carved by the various forks of the Kings River. There are a few must-stop viewpoints including Junction View.
We had thought of having our picnic lunch at Convict Flat but the view from that campground is not great and you are not yet down to the elevation of the river. Instead, we continued on and stopped at Grizzly Falls. There is a pit toilet at the Falls and a really small parking lot that filled up quickly after we arrived. Getting back in the car we continued along the drive and stopped at the Canyon Viewpoint, Roaring River Falls, Zumwalt Meadow, and finally Roads End Permit Station. Each of the stops after Convict Flat is worth the time!
Grizzly Falls (less than 0.1 miles, round trip)
This is a super easy hike (if you can even call it a “hike,” “stroll” might be a better term) to a beautiful waterfall. Definitely worth the stop. The picnic area here is great as well, with the sounds of the waterfall and partial views of the falls. The 75 foot tall falls is less than 0.1 mile from the parking lot and our picnic table was along the way, so there were no excuses not to see this one!
We saw no Grizzly Bears or reason why it was called Grizzly Falls since Grizzlies aren’t native to the area, but Grizzly Falls it is!
Roaring River Falls (0.3 miles, round trip)
This hike is longer than Grizzly Falls but is still pretty short at 0.3 miles. The trail is paved and wheelchair-accessible with about 30 feet of elevation gain. The part of the falls that you can see are not that tall (about 15 feet) but they enter into a pretty plunge pool surrounded by rock before tumbling down to connect with the Kings River.
From this hike you can connect into the Zumwalt Meadow trail with a pretty walk along the river or you can drive a bit further down the road to the Zumwalt Meadow parking lot. On a busy day that decision may be made primarily by parking as neither lot is particularly large.
At or beyond this point, you can also hike all the way to Roads End if needed or desired.
Zumwalt Meadow (1.5 mile loop)
This was when it all sunk in – Kings Canyon is such a special place! This trail is a 1.5 mile loop and is one of the most popular hikes in the park. Much of the hike is a literal walk in the park along the flat, smooth meadow but the area along the mountains does bring some scrambling and a small dose of difficulty to the hike. In other words, this is when your kids will enjoy the hike as much as you are!
A guided ranger walk was just starting as we arrived at the trail but with a large group already assembled and a desire to see more of the park in mind (not to mention the drive back to Three Rivers!) we did not join in. Quite honestly, we are not great at tours. We are too antsy and would rather explore and learn on our own. Do the loop, take some pictures, and enjoy the beauty all around you!
Roads End
Roads End is both the backcountry launching point to the majority of Kings Canyon National Park as well as a cool spot to enjoy the river. We chose to visit Muir Rock and enjoy the view!
General Grant Tree Trail (1/3-mile paved loop trail)
This trail is well-worth the stop as well (we found it more interesting than the Congress Trail at Sequoia, though if we had done that whole trail our story may be different, ha!). This trail leads not only to General Grant but also to other named trees and features, including the Gamlin Cabin, the Fallen Monarch, and the Centennial Stump.
General Grant Tree was designated as the Nation’s Christmas Tree on April 28, 1926 by President Calvin Coolidge. Apparently a little girl had exclaimed “what a wonderful Christmas tree it would be!” while admiring the tree, which was the seed that started the movement to have it declared the Nation’s Christmas Tree. It is also the second largest tree in the world by volume.
Cedar Grove Visitor Center and Grant Grove Restaurant
The visitor center itself was fairly small but worth a stop if you like to get souvenirs from each Park. We did stop and eat at the recently redesigned Grant Grove Restaurant next door. It was pretty good as far as National Park restaurants go, with many locally-sourced, organic items on the menu.
That’s it as far as our tips for visiting Kings Canyon National Park with kids. Next we head to Yosemite National Park for a few days.
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