Sequoia/King's Canyon Nat'l Parks, California - July 1999
By
Seth Gamba
It was early in the morning when I began climbing the road into the Sierra Nevadas where
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are located. As the altitude increased, the trees began picking up a magical frost and the deciduous forest of the valley slowly mixed with, and eventually gave way, to Evergreens.
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Waters merge into King's River
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Expecting a place with just a bunch of big trees, I was surprised to find out that most of these parks are high alpine country. While there are many stands of giant Sequoias, they do not dominate the landscape and there is an amazing variety of arboriculture.
As a quick glance at a map will tell you, there are not many areas of these parks accessible by road. While there are some pretty neat things that are near the road, I recommend taking a week or more after the snow has melted to take some long excursions into the high country.
Please keep in mind that these parks are deep into bear country. One day while I was hiking through little Bearpaw Meadow, I saw three! All car campgrounds, picnic areas and many of the more popular backcountry campgrounds have food storage lockers. If you're going backcountry and don't know if you'll get one of these lockers, the Park Service strongly recommends renting a bear-proof food canister ($3). Because of the types of trees, hanging the food is difficult and bears often thwart this method. I have also heard stories of bears climbing above hung food and divebombing it to try and pull it down.
Visitors should be aware that gas is not sold in the parks, so it is wise to fill up before you get there. Also, the road to the southern entrance is a steep and winding monster! Leaving the park (going downhill), it took me two hours to go the first 50 miles.
Due to the time of year and a late snowstorm, I was unable to get to any alpine locations. However, this is near the top of my list of places to return to.
Places to Go
Big Stump Basin Interpretive Trail - Parking area is on the left, just after entering King's Canyon on Highway 180. Short, easy hike through a Sequoia grove that was logged before the park was established. It's a haunting reminder of the dark side of human potential and why preservation is necessary. There is a trail guide that costs 50¢, but it's pretty well done.
Giant Grove - Just past Grant Village in King's Canyon. Short, paved loop trail with some monster trees. There is very heavy traffic, but some neat things to see and it does not take very long. The interpretive guide for this trail was $1 and I decided that after spending 50¢ at Big Stump, I was just too cheap.
Boyden Cavern - Off Hwy 180 on the way to Cedar Grove. I stopped at the gift shop and saw some nice pictures of the cavern. Alas, tours are $7 per adult. Cheapskate overdrive kicked in and I left.
Mist Falls - Trail starts at "Road's End" in King's Canyon. The hike to Mist Falls is a 9mile round trip up a deep and majestic canyon. It is also the start of what is supposed to be a very nice 2-3 day loop. Unfortunately, it was snowed in while I was there. Mist Falls itself is not the kind of waterfall that spills gracefully over a high cliff. Rather, it is the kind that is raucous and violent; the kind that reaches into your gut and twists your very being with its raw power. Well worth seeing.
Grizzly Falls Picnic Area - A small picnic area just before Cedar Grove in King's Canyon. This is nothing too exciting; after all, it's just a picnic area. However, there is a really nice waterfall and it is as good as place as any to have your lunch if you are nearby.
Bearpaw Meadow - In Sequoia NP, Bearpaw is an 11.3 mile hike from Wolverton, over moderately steep terrain. It's a good spot for a first night stop or a base camp. In early June, there were about three inches of snow on the ground and the clouds were so thick I could barely see. The weather was so bad that I almost turned back. I'm glad I didn't. When I'm an old man, I'll tell my grandkids how "I used to hike 11 miles through snow, while it was raining, just for a good campsite...". They'll think I'm full of shit, but in my heart I'll know.
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The High Sierra Trail
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The High Sierra Trail on the way to Bearpaw Meadow boasts some spectacular views of the Great Western Divide. It also passes through a variety of different forests and landscapes.
The Bearpaw Meadow campground is nothing too special and in peak season it can get pretty crowded. In early June, with the snow, it was just me, a marmot and some mule deer. The campground is only 5-6 miles from some good spots.
To the south is the Redwood Meadow Sequoia grove. It's a fairly small stand of these giants, but it's comparatively remote. There's something qualitatively different about experiencing these trees back in the wilderness, instead of on a paved trail with a bunch of other people around you (see Redwoods). Definitely worth the hike. Be prepared for stream crossings; the Kaweah River was knee deep in places and the Buck Creek Bridge, while intact right now, is known to wash out.
The Hamilton Lakes are also 5-6 miles from Bearpaw. In early June, they were still snowed in but they are supposed to be spectacular.
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The Drive Through Log
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Giant Forest Area - This is a fairly large Sequoia grove that is accessible by vehicle. The Giant Forest is home to such wonders as the General Sherman tree (the largest living thing on earth), the auto log and the tunnel log (both wacky car and tree things). There are many trails - mostly short - that begin here and wind through the Sequoia grove. Most appear very easy.
