Best trails in Kings Canyon National Park
John Muir considered Kings Canyon as a rival to Yosemite Valley. The view of the canyon is breathtaking and a portal to extensive hiking opportunities. Home to granite peaks and wild rivers, giant sequoia groves and the General Grant Tree (the world's second largest), Kings Canyon National Park should be on every hikers to do list.
Top trails
Visitor info
This pass is valid for 1-7 days and includes everyone traveling on a motorcycle, scooter, or similar motorized vehicle for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Non-commercial groups traveling in vehicles that have a capacity of up to 15 passengers pay a $35 vehicle entrance fee or use a park pass. Groups traveling in a bus or vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged $20 per person, up to the maximums listed for commercial groups with comparable passenger capacity ($100 or $200). People 15 years old or younger, anyone with a pass that may be used for park entry, and drivers hired for transportation only are exempt from the per person fee.
This entry fee is for a single person traveling on foot or by bicycle. It is valid for 1-7 days in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
This pass is valid for 1-7 days and includes everyone traveling in a single vehicle for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
This pass is valid for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument for one year from the month of purchase. The pass admits all passengers in a private vehicle and is non-transferable.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
The Foothills, Lodgepole, and Kings Canyon Visitor Centers, and the Giant Forest Museum are all accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
Loaner wheelchairs are available at the Giant Forest Museum, Lodgepole Visitor Center, or Kings Canyon Visitor Center. Assistive listening devices, audio descriptions, tactile exhibits, and Braille and text materials are available.
Many ranger-led programs are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices and ASL interpreters are available by reservation. Please call (559) 565-3729 or email seki_information@nps.gov at least 1-2 weeks in advance to make a reservation for interpretation services.
Additional information about accessibility at Kings Canyon National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
The shuttle buses in the park's Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas are wheelchair accessible.
Temporary parking placards for those driving personal vehicles without DMV-issued parking placards are available at any visitor center. No documentation is required for a temporary parking placard.
The Foothills, Lodgepole, and Kings Canyon Visitor Centers, and Giant Forest Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
The Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park and John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park have wheelchair accessible rooms. The Wuksachi Lodge has visual alarms and notifications available in some rooms.
The Hospital Rock, Foothills, Crescent Meadow, Pinewood, Columbine, Big Stump, and Panoramic Point Picnic Areas are wheelchair accessible with packed, level paths and surfaces and accessible restrooms or vault toilets.
There are accessible restrooms in all major developed areas within the park.
There is at least one individual wheelchair accessible camping site and accessible facilities in most campgrounds, including Potwisha Campground (#39 and #40), Buckeye Flat Campground (#20 and #40), Lodgepole Campground (#62 and #63), Dorst Creek Campground (#6, #11, #172–175, #177, and #180), Azalea Campground (#30), Crystal Springs Campground (Group Site F), Sunset Campground (#26 and #116), Moraine Campground (#71A, #74, #103, #105, and #108), Sentinel Campground (#10, #11, #12, and #14), Canyon View Campground (Group site C), and Atwell Mill Campground (#12).
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Trail reviews for Kings Canyon National Park
This is a gorgeous trail to the Kings Canyon backcountry. The trail is very well maintained and the canyon and Mountain views along the way are breathtaking. Not exactly a true endpoint with just a backpacking campsite at the "peak". But you are in earshot of the river the entire 19 miles and the distance makes it quite challenging.
Saw multiple rattlesnakes, no bears. AllTrails lied to me and it rained with thunder and lightning. Lightning was scary but rain felt good. Second time doing this trail and it’s a must do at kings canyon
Looooved this hike, you get something here that seems few and far between nowadays at national parks and that’s privacy. I started a solo hike here around 9:30am and only saw maybe 5 other couples on the trail on my way there and back. A little bit more crowded at the waterfall but that’s because there’s an easily accessible path from the road for people who can’t/don’t want to do the hike to the falls. But even then the crowd cleared out within 15 mins. Kings Canyon is a hidden gem! Highly recommend this trail as it was beautiful, quiet, and not at all difficult, almost no incline so totally suitable for beginner hikers!
I absolutely recommend the view from the overlook. I don't recommend the hike to get there. It's exposed, it's eroded, there's plenty of dangerous burnt trees. The view makes it all worth it, so by all means, go experience Kings Canyon from above. Just be prepared for what it takes to make it up there.
Amazing views. Well maintained. An absolute must to-do if you’re in Sequoia and Kings Canyon