Best Hikes in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Sequoia and Kings Canyon contain enough adventure for a lifetime. Walk along narrow wooded trails or take a short stroll to a waterfall with this collection of the best hikes in Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
Hikes in the Foothills
Marble Falls Trail
(7.4 mi/11.9 km round-trip)
Year-round, this is one of the best hikes in Sequoia, gradually climbing to a whitewater cascade and providing views of the canyon below.
Hikes in Giant Forest and Lodgepole
Lakes Trail
(8.2-12.4 mi/13.2-20 km round-trip)
It’s a rare opportunity to be able to hike to an alpine lake not far from a major road; this trail gives you the chance to stop at a few smaller ones on the way to Pear Lake.
Big Trees Trail
(1 mi/1.6 km loop)
Join a ranger on a paved loop that circles Round Meadow to enjoy sequoias, wildflowers, and wildlife.
Crescent Meadow and Tharp’s Log
(2.2 mi/3.5 km round-trip)
This dazzling alpine meadow hike gets you up close and personal with a fallen sequoia that was converted into a home in the 1860s.
Hikes in Grant Grove
North Grove Loop
(2 mi/3.2 km loop)
Descend into this peaceful area for a hike among sequoias at all stages of life.
Redwood Mountain Sequoia Grove
You will have the place to yourself as you hike among the largest standing sequoia grove. Hart Tree (7.3 mi/11.7 km loop) and Sugarbowl (6.8 mi/10.9 km loop) are two excellent loop trails.
Big Baldy Ridge
(4.2 mi/6.8 km round-trip)
This straightforward hike takes you to the highest point in Grant Grove—the top of a granite dome known as Big Baldy. The payoff is an excellent vista of Redwood Canyon and the Great Western Divide.
Hikes in Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove
Zumwalt Meadow
(1.8 mi/2.9 km loop)
On this loop trail, you’ll have your eyes full no matter which direction you look: looming granite faces above, a green river below, and wildflowers all around.
Mist Falls
(9.1 mi/14.6 km round-trip)
After the hot hike to this popular waterfall, you’re rewarded with the refreshing snowmelt spray. This is the most popular day hike in Cedar Grove.
Hikes in Mineral King
Eagle Lake
(6.8 mi/10.9 km round-trip)
This trek climbs out of Mineral King Valley along waterfalls and springs lined with wildflowers to an unsurpassed view of multicolored mountains and a serene Sierra lake. This is an adventure that hikers of all ages will enjoy.
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