Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have been on my go-list since we moved to California. We absolutely loved our trip to the Redwoods National Park and I really wanted to see how they compared. We visited Sequoia and Kings Canyon during the pandemic, so there are some parts of the trip that maybe were a little different than a typical year but that didn’t stand in the way of us having an awesome trip.
California Geography and the history of National Parks were also part of our Fourth Grade curriculum. I can’t emphasize enough how grateful I am to bring alive pieces of our curriculum for my kids in our homeschool.
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Before Your Trip
Print Junior Ranger Packets
We got a head start on our Junior Ranger Packets. You can’t always do this, but the Sequoia & Kings Canyon packets have a lot that you don’t need to be in the park to do. We stopped at the Ranger Station in Kings Canyon (MUCH quieter than the one in Sequoia) for our kids to take their oath. You can print them out online here: https://www.nps.gov/seki/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm
Learn about California Geography, National Parks, or John Muir
There are a lot of resources for any of these topics depending on your area of interests or if this fits in your homeschool curriculum. We learned about John Muir in our history curriculum, CA History for Kids and watched a BrainPop video about the National Parks.
Even if you’re just going to Sequoia and Kings Canyon as part of fun, family adventure I recommend at least reading Sequoia by Tony Johnston to get your kids excited about the unique and amazing trees they’re going to see in the parks.
Also Read: How to Make the Most of Your Fourth Grade National Park Pass
Where to Stay
There are a lot of options when you’re deciding where to stay near Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We stayed in an AirBnb in the town of Exeter, CA about 30 minutes from Sequoia National Park. It did involve a fair amount of driving each day, but with audiobooks my kids were fine and we liked being able to cook regular meals each night.
One word of warning, regardless of where you stay – driving into Sequoia National Park is not for the faint of heart. It is a long, windy drive from the front gate to the main attractions / hikes in the park. My kids both needed Dramamine and even then most of us felt a little nauseous at one point or another.
Favorite Hikes
Now, the best part! The parks.
One thing to note is that we were here in early Spring when the highest altitude places in the park are still closed due to snow. We still had plenty to do, but I would recommend visiting in September or October if you’re able to avoid the heat and crowds of summer and then snow and cold or early Spring.
Here is a more complete list of hiking trails in the parks with lengths and further descriptions. Note, some of these were closed in early Spring.
Sequoia Hikes
Sequoia is a truly incredible place to visit. I don’t think you could really do any hike and be disappointed but here’s what we liked the best.
General Sherman – this is worth the visit. The hike down to Sherman is cool, just to help gauge the elevation change and appreciate how big Gen Sherman is. However, it is also the most crowded. I highly recommend driving here on a weekday and absolutely as the first thing you do in the park that day.
Big Trees Trail – I think this was my favorite. It is a loop around a field with some massive Sequoias. The parking lot is teensy but the trail was less busy, it’s peaceful, and an easy flat loop for kids.
Kings Canyon Hikes
Sequoia definitely had the most impressive chances to see the Sequoia trees, however I think Kings Canyon National Park was actually my favorite of the two. You didn’t have to suffer through the windy drive into the park for one, but more important to me it was less busy and still incredibly beautiful.
General Grant – is no less impressive than General Sherman. This is a nice little loop trail with a log you can walk into and lots of huge gorgeous trees.
Big Stump Trail – the name of this one cracked us up because there are SO many big stumps. You can walk a short ways to one big stump (the one pictured above) but if you keep going on the trail there are several more. It’s a little less flat than some trails, but our nine year olds didn’t have any trouble with this one either.
Hume Lake – This was my favorite part of either park. It was absolutely gorgeous. There is a trail that runs all the way around Hume Lake or you can walk a ways down and then walk back, which is what we did. This is where we ate our picnic lunch when we were in Kings Canyon. The water is clear and stunning. The views are beautiful.
Some of our favorite spots where just places we pulled over to look at the view. My daughter’s favorite spot in Sequoia National Park was a pull off on the right hand side a little after Hospital Rock where you could walk a little ways down to a waterfall. We stopped there both days we were in the park.
No matter where you decide to go in either park, I don’t think you will be disappointed.
