Kings Canyon TOP 10 Things to Do | National Park Quick Guide

Summary

Discover the wonders of Kings Canyon National Park in this top 10 list. Explore the Big Stump Grove with its historic remnants, the towering General Grant Tree at Grant Grove, and the serene North Grove. Marvel at the majestic Kings Canyon from Panoramic Point, traverse the scenic byway, and venture into the Sequoia National Forest for unique sights. Don't miss Grizzly Falls, Boyden Cavern's underground beauty, and the breathtaking Zumwalt Meadow. For the adventurous, hike to Paradise Valley for a rewarding experience. This guide offers a glimpse into the park's diverse landscapes and attractions.

Takeaways

• 🌲 The Big Stump Grove is the first spot in Kings Canyon National Park, known for its large stumps from logged sequoias and the Mark Twain stump with a staircase to the top.
• 🏞️ Grant Grove is the most popular area with the second largest tree in the world, the General Grant Tree, and a 7-mile trail for big tree viewing.
• 🚶‍♂️ North Grove offers a quieter experience with big trees and a 1.7-mile loop trail, less crowded than Grant Grove.
• 🏞️ Kings Canyon itself is deeper than the Grand Canyon and can be viewed from Panoramic Point, accessible by a short hike.
• 🛣️ The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is a 30-mile road with many pull-offs for views, open from late April to October.
• 🚫 Drones are not allowed in national parks, as mentioned in the script.
• 🌳 The Sequoia National Forest has less visited spots like the Chicago Stump and the Bull Tree, the sixth largest tree in the world.
• 💧 Grizzly Falls is a strong-flowing waterfall in early spring, easily accessible from the parking lot.
• 🦇 Boyden Cavern offers one-hour guided tours of an underground cave with the option for a wild cave exit.
• 🌾 Zumwalt Meadow in Cedar Grove has a 1.5-mile loop trail with spectacular canyon views.
• 🏞️ Paradise Valley via the Mist Falls Trail is a mostly flat 9-mile round trip hike in the backcountry of Kings Canyon, best started early due to summer heat.

Q & A

What is Kings Canyon National Park known for?

Kings Canyon National Park is known for its groves of giant sequoias, mountain views, waterfalls, and caves.

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Outlines

00:00

🌲 Exploring Kings Canyon National Park's Top Attractions

This paragraph introduces a top 10 list for Kings Canyon National Park, highlighting its famous giant sequoias, mountain views, waterfalls, and caves. It emphasizes the park's lesser-known status and invites viewers to explore the park's attractions, starting with the Big Stump Grove, which, despite its name, offers a historical perspective on logging in the late 1800s. The summary also mentions the Mark Twain stump, a notable site within the grove. The paragraph continues to describe Grant Grove as a popular area with the second-largest tree in the world, the General Grant tree, and suggests the North Grove for a quieter experience with the sequoias. It concludes with information about the park's canyon, panoramic points, scenic byways, and the Sequoia National Forest, which lies between the upper and lower portions of Kings Canyon and offers unique, less visited spots.

05:00

🏞️ Discovering Hidden Gems and Preparing for Canyon Adventures

The second paragraph delves into the specifics of visiting Kings Canyon, starting with the Grizzly Falls, a powerful waterfall especially impressive in early spring and easily accessible. It then mentions Boyden Cavern, where visitors can join a guided tour to explore underground formations and end with a unique wild cave exit experience. The description of Zumwalt Meadow follows, a picturesque 1.5-mile loop trail offering stunning canyon views. The final stop mentioned is the Paradise Valley via the Mist Falls Trail, a relatively flat nine-mile round trip that begins at the ranger station. The paragraph advises starting this hike early due to the hot summer temperatures at the canyon's bottom and invites viewers to check out a more detailed video guide for further information on Kings Canyon and its sister park, Sequoia.

Keywords

💡Giant Sequoias

Giant Sequoias, also known as Sequoiadendron giganteum, are the world's largest trees by volume and are native to the western Sierra Nevada of the United States. In the video, they are a central theme as Kings Canyon National Park is renowned for its groves of these majestic trees. The Big Stump Grove, for instance, is named for the large number of logged Giant Sequoias, with the Mark Twain Stump being a notable example.

💡Mountain Views

Mountain Views refer to the scenic vistas of mountain landscapes that are a significant part of the visual experience in Kings Canyon National Park. The video emphasizes the park's mountain views as one of its key attractions, offering visitors a chance to appreciate the grandeur of the Sierra Nevada mountain range.

💡Waterfalls

Waterfalls are a natural phenomenon where water flows over a vertical drop or cliffs, often creating a picturesque and dynamic element in a landscape. In the video, Grizzly Falls is highlighted as a spot where visitors can easily access and enjoy the sight of a powerful waterfall, especially during the early spring when the flow is at its peak.

💡Caves

Caves are natural underground spaces formed by various geological processes. The video mentions Boyden Cavern as a unique attraction within the park, where visitors can take a guided tour to explore the subterranean world filled with stalactites, stalagmites, and other cave formations.

💡Kings Canyon Scenic Byway

Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is a 30-mile long road that descends into the heart of the canyon, offering numerous pull-offs for travelers to admire the breathtaking views. The byway is only open from late April through October, making it a seasonal highlight of the park and a key part of the video's exploration of the park's attractions.

💡Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest is an area adjacent to Kings Canyon National Park that offers a more rugged and less visited experience. The video mentions it as a place where visitors can find unique spots like the Chicago Stump or the Bull Tree, which is one of the largest sequoias in the world.

💡Zumwalt Meadow

Zumwalt Meadow is a lush, green area within Kings Canyon that provides a classic view of the canyon's grandeur. The video describes a 1.5-mile loop trail around the meadow, which allows visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of the canyon from multiple vantage points.

💡Panoramic Point

Panoramic Point is a location in the park that offers a sweeping view into the depths of Kings Canyon. The video suggests a short half-mile hike to reach this viewpoint, which is particularly recommended for sunset viewing, although access is limited to the warmer months.

💡General Grant Tree

The General Grant Tree is highlighted in the video as the second-largest tree in the world by volume and a major attraction in Grant Grove. It is part of the reason why this area is the most popular in Kings Canyon National Park, drawing large crowds of visitors.

💡North Grove

North Grove is a quieter alternative to the bustling Grant Grove, offering a 1.7-mile loop trail with fewer visitors but similar big tree experiences. The video positions it as an ideal spot for those seeking solitude amidst the sequoias.

💡Paradise Valley

Paradise Valley is a destination in the backcountry of Kings Canyon, accessible via the Mist Falls Trail. The video describes a nine-mile round-trip hike that, despite its length, is mostly flat and offers a more remote experience of the park's natural beauty.

Highlights

Giant sequoias, mountain views, waterfalls, and caves are the main attractions of Kings Canyon National Park.

Big Stump Grove, with its 1.6-mile loop trail, showcases gigantic stumps and a few standing sequoias.

The Mark Twain stump, cut down in 1891, offers a unique experience of climbing to the top via a staircase.

Grant Grove is the most popular part, featuring the second-largest tree in the world, the General Grant Tree.

North Grove provides a quieter experience with big trees and fewer visitors compared to Grant Grove.

King's Canyon, deeper than the Grand Canyon, offers stunning views from Panoramic Point.

The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is a 30-mile road with multiple pull-offs for scenic views.

Drones are prohibited in national parks, preserving the natural experience for visitors.

Sequoia National Forest, adjacent to the park, offers rugged and less visited spots like the Chicago Stump and the Bull Tree.

Grizzly Falls is a powerful waterfall easily accessible from the parking lot.

Boyden Cavern offers a one-hour guided tour with a wild cave exit for an adventurous end.

Zumwalt Meadow provides a 1.5-mile loop trail with spectacular canyon views.

Paradise Valley via the Mist Falls Trail is a mostly flat, nine-mile round-trip hike with a hot summer climate.

The road to Panoramic Point is typically open only during the warmer months.

The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is open from late April through October.

The Bull Tree in the Sequoia National Forest is the sixth largest tree in the world.

For more detailed information, a video guide for Kings Canyon and its sister park, Sequoia, is available.

Transcripts

welcome back to dantrex and this top 10

list for kings canyon national park

[Music]

known for its groves of giant sequoias

mountain views waterfalls and caves

there's a lot to see in this less

visited national park so

let's dive in

spot number one is the big stump grove

likely to be your first stop if you're

coming in from the city of fresno this

grove of sequoias is rich in history but

not in trees that are still standing

hence the name big stump

the vast majority of the sequoias here

were logged in the late 1800s

this 1.6 mile long loop trail takes you

past some gigantic stumps fallen

sequoias and a handful of still standing

big trees

the main attraction here is the mark

twain stump a sequoia cut down in 1891

that you can now take a staircase to the

top of

[Music]

number two is grant grove

probably the most popular part of king's

canyon

the sequoias here are a lot more

vertical than our last stop including

the main attraction and second largest

tree in the world

the general grant tree

this point seven mile long trail is a

great way to view some amazing big trees

but the crowds can get a little

overwhelming so it's time to head to

spot number three just down the road

the north grove is a 1.7 mile long loop

trail found just past the parking lot

for the general grant tree

while featuring the same big trees it

sees a fraction of the visitors that

grant grove does

so if you want some solitude with the

sequoias the north grove is the place to

find it

the actual canyon this park is named

after is pretty spectacular and being

deeper than the grand canyon it's time

we took a look into it at spot number

four

panoramic point reach this view by a

very short half-mile round-trip hike

from the parking lot

it looks deep into king's canyon itself

and is a great spot for sunset

the road to it is generally only open in

the warmer months though so plan

accordingly

[Music]

it's time to head into the canyon itself

which brings up spot number five

the kings canyon scenic byway

this 30-mile long road winds down deep

into the canyon itself

and with plenty of pull-offs along the

way you'll have lots of opportunities to

stop and take in these amazing views

note that this road is only open from

late april through october

you're probably wondering about these

drone shots though since drones are

illegal in national parks which is the

perfect segue into spot number six the

sequoia national forest

the area between the upper and lower

portions of king's canyon isn't actually

in the park at all but the national

forest while a little more rugged

there's a lot of cool and less visited

spots here to visit like the chicago

stump or the bull tree

a massive sequoia that is the sixth

largest tree in the entire world

but let's get to the bottom of the

canyon for spot number seven

grizzly falls

this waterfall flows at its strongest in

the early spring and is pretty much

right next to the parking lot no real

hiking required

spot number eight is a little bit

different and just up the road from

grizzly falls

boyden cavern

venture beneath the mountains by booking

a one-hour guided tour of this amazing

cave where you'll see all the classic

formations

take the wild cave exit at the end for a

pretty cool way to cap off your tour

from here your back and park boundaries

at the bottom of the canyon in an area

known as cedar grove

where our first stop is a classic view

of kings canyon

zumwalt meadow

this 1.5 mile long loop trail takes you

around the meadow itself

giving you some pretty spectacular views

of the canyon on either side

and for spot number 10 we're venturing

into the back country of kings canyon

just a little bit though

to see paradise valley via the mist

falls trail

at nine miles round trip it might sound

intimidating but this hike is mostly

flat

start from the roads and parking lot and

ranger station

probably best to begin this one a little

earlier though as temperatures at the

bottom of kings canyon can get pretty

hot in the summer months

and that's it

if you want more information on kings

canyon check out my more detailed video

guide for it right here

and for its sister national park

sequoia