Kings Canyon National Park Grant Grove - hiking, camping and information
Kings Canyon National Park Grant Grove
Kings Canyon National Park was originally named General Grant National Park and was created to protect sequoias from logging. In Kings Canyon you can see pristine groves as well as a grove that was logged in the 1800s. Grant Grove Visitor Center and Village is on the west side of Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. This is where the third largest tree in the world is, the General Grant, which is also called "The Nation's Christmas Tree".
|
The Grant Grove Tree Trail is only a half mile round trip with only a 30 foot climb in elevation on a paved surface. There are some benches along the way if you need to rest or catch your breath. Because of the sequoias, pines, and fir trees there is plenty of cool shade throughout the trail as is only just about every hike in the park. |
The National Park Service map of Sequoia and Kings Canyon doesn't get too detailed on every trail in the parks. And, we were not too sure of the trails in this area until talking to the girls at the visitor center, who successfully sold me a map of the Grant Grove trails for $3.50. We tried to avoid buying this map since the Foothills Visitor Center, but with nothing else to go by, for me, it was inevitable. We were told at the visitor center that the North Boundary Trail was not very popular; we're in. Unfortunately, there was no information about the trail on the brochure except the brown dotted lines. We hiked from our campsite at Azalea Campground to the trailhead just past the start of the Grant Grove Trail and we were off. Away from tourist and on the trail less traveled. It was a little spooky at times with the big rocks and boulders overhead as we just read that mountain lions were in the park, though rarely seen, it was still a possibility that we weren't to keen on. We walked the trail to Panoramic Point. A half a mile to the Point I told Jason that I wish we could hitch a ride back down, my dream came true. When we got to Panoramic Point there was one pick up truck in the parking lot, and it belonged to a nice couple from California who gave us lift back down to the visitor center. We could have walked but with other issues at stake this was a blessing.
Click any picture to see a bigger version.
Early the next morning we hiked the North Grove Loop. It only took us an hour to hike around this easy 1.5 mile trail that goes around a meadow of sequoias. This trail is an old one-way road so it is wide enough to walk side by side. Because of the wet meadow there are many more sequoias here than on the drier hillsides. Sequoias require a lot of water every day and along the meadow they grow very rapidly. I would say the best of this trail was the blooming dogwood trees.
Jason's thoughts - So far of all
the parks and places I have been this would probably be my first for testing
Kelly and I's back country skills and hiking overnight for 2-4 days. These
parks and forests are beautiful and had many more singing songbirds than
other similar parks. Very serene and more peaceful than most areas of
the country and I highly recommend them for scenic peaceful family fun
where camp fires are allowed and bear boxes provided to protect all food
stores. Well organized with the exception of signage which always suffers
in public places. Having a fire every night of this trip made the 41 degree
evenings quite manageable and fun. Also once your body has been engulfed
in smoke for 2 hours you can't smell the fact that none of you have bathed
in 3 days.
Kelly's thoughts - The dogwoods were beautiful,
but I wish the azaleas would have been in bloom too while we were at the
Azalea Campground and in this part of the park. As I look at my $3.50
map I realize that I have a strong desire to do every hike because I know
with every step the scenery and terrain changes and the chances to see
some real wildlife increases. However, I really am satisfied with the
hikes that I have done.
Travel Info - The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is just as narrow and winding as in Sequoia as well as all roads getting into the parks. Location of Kings Canyon National Park. Click for more camping and hiking information of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. Visit Kings Canyon National Park.
Sitemap list all pages
Commandments
Used RV Checklist
Quit the job travel now
How to sell an RV
Used RV for sale
RV Insurance
RV Loans Financing
RV Parts
Full Time RV Diary
RV Vacation
Motorhomes
Camping Pictures
RV Dealers
Sell Your RV
RV Accident Lawyer
RV Camping Parks
Campground Sales
RV Awnings
RV Storage
RV Rent
Campers
rv types explained
Transportation RV Links
Advertising Plans
Buses for Sale
Bus for Sale Guide
Contact us
Here's how I quit my job
at 38 and travel in my RV
See how we stay skinny
while eating out every day
