Read more about the article Sequoia National Park – California
Sequoia NP

Sequoia National Park – California

Sequoia National Park is the country’s second national park. Established a week before Yosemite NP in 1890, the park provides protection for its many sequoia trees from the logging industry. These trees only grow in elevations between 5,000 – 7,000 feet and because they are very hardy, can live up to 3,000 years.

Coming from Grant Grove in Kings Canyon NP, we drove along the General’s Highway past the Wuksachi Lodge to the Lodgepole Visitor Center. I can’t imagine what it was like before this road was built in 1926. Because the road is curvy and crowded in the summer months, the park offers a free shuttle service from the visitor center to the Sherman Tree and Giant Forest Museum. (more…)

Read more about the article Kings Canyon National Park – California
Kings Canyon NP

Kings Canyon National Park – California

Kings Canyon and Sequoia are separate national parks, but share park administration. Basically, once you enter one park, you travel seamlessly in both parks without having to go through another entrance station. Although contiguous to each other, they are quite different. Because we entered at the Big Stump entrance, we explored Kings Canyon NP first.

At the Kings Canyon visitor center, we watched a film featuring both parks and learned surprising bits of both parks history. Established in 1890, Sequoia NP is the second national park in the US. Shortly after, the nearby Grant Grove area became General Grant National Park. In 1940, FDR established Kings Canyon NP and transferred General Grant NP (which was only 150 acres) to the much larger Kings Canyon NP. For this reason, Kings Canyon features two separate sections – Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. (more…)