Diary of an Autodidact: Kings Canyon National Park

This post is part of my series on the National Park System. One of my goals while the kids are still at home is to visit as many of the National Parks and Monuments in the Western United States as we can.

In 2017, 4.3 million people visited Yosemite National Park. Less than one-sixth that number visited Kings Canyon National Park - and the overwhelming majority of those visited only the Grant Grove area - or merely entered at that gate and drove south to Sequoia National Park. (The two are administered as a single unit.) The number of visitors to the canyon itself is barely one-third of the visitors to Grant Grove - and that is only during the peak summer and fall months when the road is open.

This is an interesting state of affairs, because Kings Canyon is actually quite a bit like Yosemite. A glacial valley with towering granite cliffs, green meadows, a refreshing river, a scenic drive in...why is it less popular? One reason likely is that Yosemite has bigger waterfalls. Another is that Yosemite is famous, while Kings Canyon is known mostly to true wilderness aficionados. On the one hand, this is a shame, because Kings Canyon is a marvelous park. On the other, well, the lack of crowds is a significant part of the charm.

One interesting fact about Kings Canyon is that the overwhelming majority of the park is wilderness, completely inaccessible by road. For most of the park, you have to hike to get there - and not easy, short hikes either. From any number of trailheads, it is possible to hike 50 to 100 miles before you cross a road. And these go up and down passes at up to 14,000 feet, traverse mile-high cliffs, and generally conspire to defeat all except the most committed of backpackers. The Kings Canyon backcountry is world-renowned for its beauty and isolation. It is kind of odd to think that all this is less than 100 miles from some pretty large cities in the most populous state in the Union.

I first visited Kings Canyon before I had kids - and I visited the backcountry only. We backpacked in from the east side of the Sierra Nevada, over Kearsarge Pass (nearly 12,000 feet) - which is the park boundary. We camped a couple nights on Bubbs Creek, which is one of the upper branches of the canyon. It wasn’t until I had three kids that I took them into the valley itself for a day of hiking and exploration. Later, I would backpack starting on that end, and bring the kids back to camp.

Kings Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the United States. If you count the highest peaks (at 14,000 feet) and the lowest depth, it is nearly two miles deep. This isn’t a canyon like the Grand Canyon, with obvious rims, but it is quite deep, and the lower portion is pretty sheer.

The portion you can visit by car is the South Fork of the Kings River canyon. There is a lodge and several campgrounds at Cedar Grove, and a number of trailheads throughout the canyon. There are a few good day hikes, depending on your stamina, and many more backpack adventures.

I recommend camping in the canyon, as it is beautiful, fairly quiet, and lets you see the many moods of the canyon. At minimum, walk Zumwalt Meadows, visit Roaring River Falls, and hang out somewhere with a view. I also like the overlook trail up Hotel Creek. Strong hikers will enjoy the 9 mile round trip to Mist Falls and back - which is also the start of the Paradise Valley backpack - one of my favorites. There are so many options, and I have only explored a few despite the many times I have visited.

For campers, only one of the campgrounds is reservable. There are two more (plus a tents-only group camp you can also reserve), and those rarely fill up completely except on holiday weekends. If you get there Friday morning, easy to get a site. Better selection is available on Thursday. Or just come during the week.

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