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LAND OF GIANTS
 Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks occupy a portion of the western slope of the southern Sierra
Nevada, the 400-mile-long mountain range along the eastern edge of
California. These parks are home to giants: immense mountains, deep canyons, and huge trees. Thanks to their huge elevational range, 1,500' to 14,491', these parks protect stunningly diverse habitats.
The Generals Highway climbs over
5,000 feet from chaparral and oak-studded foothills to the awe-inspiring sequoia groves. From there, trails lead to the high-alpine wilderness which makes up most of these parks. Beneath the surface lie over 200 fascinating caverns.
The park lands include almost 40 named giant sequoia groves, which contain about one-third of all the naturally occurring sequoias. Extensive bands of mixed-conifer forests surround the giant sequoia groves. The forested areas of these parks have recreational and scientific values as the largest remaining old growth forest in the southern Sierra Nevada.
Although Congress created these two parks at different times, Sequoia and Kings Canyon share miles of boundary and are managed as one park. Sequoia was the second national park designated in this country. General Grant National Park, the forerunner of Kings Canyon, was third.
Getting There:
To Sequoia Park entrance: from Highway 99 at Visalia take Highway 198 east for approximately 1 hour.
To Kings Canyon Park entrance: from Highway 99 at Fresno take Highway 180 east approximately 1-1/4 hours.
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