National Parks › Pacific West › Sequoia & Kings Canyon

Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

California · Established September 25, 1890

Giant sequoias, granite canyons and the highest summit in the lower 48

Area: 865,964 acres
Established: September 25, 1890
Recreation visits: 2,158,128 / yr
State: California
Highest point: Mount Whitney, 14,505 ft (4,421 m)
Lowest point: About 1,370 ft (418 m), in the western foothills

Sequoia & Kings Canyon Weather Forecast

Loading the National Weather Service forecast for Sequoia & Kings Canyon…

Seven-day outlook at the park's reference point (36.713, -118.587). Elevation changes everything in the mountains — expect colder, windier and wetter conditions on high ground.

Map of Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

The Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, managed together as one unit, protect a sweep of the southern Sierra Nevada from hot foothill canyons at about 1,370 feet to the summit of Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet, the highest point in the contiguous United States. Few places in North America hold so much vertical relief, and with it so many climates and communities of life.

The parks are best known for their giant sequoias, the largest trees on Earth by volume. The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia's Giant Forest and the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon's Grant Grove are the two most massive known. Beyond the groves lie the glacier-carved depths of Kings Canyon, more than 270 marble caves, and a vast granite high country along the Great Western Divide and the Sierra crest.

Geography

Sequoia National Park, established on September 25, 1890, lies to the south, and Kings Canyon National Park, created in 1940 and absorbing the older General Grant National Park, lies to the north. Together they cover more than 860,000 acres on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, bordered on the east by the range's crest, where Mount Whitney and more than a dozen other summits exceed 14,000 feet.

Three major river systems drain the parks. The Kaweah River forks through Sequoia's western foothills, the Kern River runs south through its long, straight canyon east of the Great Western Divide, and the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River have cut some of the deepest canyons in North America, with walls rising as much as 8,200 feet from river to rim.

The Generals Highway links the sequoia groves of Giant Forest and Grant Grove. Highway 180 descends into Kings Canyon to Cedar Grove and Roads End, while a narrow, winding road climbs to the subalpine valley of Mineral King. Most of both parks is designated wilderness, crossed only by trails.

Landmarks

General Sherman TreeAreaThe largest known tree on Earth by volume, standing in Sequoia's Giant Forest.
Tharp's LogAreaA fallen, fire-hollowed sequoia beside Log Meadow that served as an early settler's summer cabin.
Crescent MeadowAreaA lush meadow ringed by giant sequoias at the western end of the High Sierra Trail.
Moro RockPeak · 6,725 ftA granite dome with a stairway to its summit and views over the Kaweah canyon and Great Western Divide.
Crystal CaveCaveA marble cave with more than 3.4 miles of passages and a constant temperature near 48°F.
Tokopah FallsWaterfallA cascading waterfall at the head of a glacier-carved valley above Lodgepole.
Hospital RockAreaA foothill boulder site on the Kaweah River with pictographs made by the Western Mono (Monache) people.
Mineral KingValleyA subalpine valley ringed by colorful metamorphic peaks, named by miners in 1873.
Mount WhitneyPeak · 14,505 ftThe highest summit in the contiguous United States, on the Sierra crest at the parks' eastern boundary.
General Grant TreeAreaThe world's second-largest known tree, in Kings Canyon's Grant Grove.
Redwood Mountain GroveAreaThe largest surviving giant sequoia grove, covering more than 2,500 acres.
Cedar GroveValleyThe glacially shaped floor of Kings Canyon, reached by Highway 180.
Zumwalt MeadowAreaA flat meadow formed where sediment filled in behind a glacial moraine on the South Fork of the Kings River.
Mist FallsWaterfallA powerful, spraying waterfall on the South Fork of the Kings River above Roads End.
Tehipite ValleyValleyA remote canyon of the Middle Fork Kings River beneath Tehipite Dome, the largest granite dome in the Sierra.
North PalisadePeak · 14,248 ftThe highest summit of the Palisades and of Kings Canyon National Park, above the Palisade Glacier.

Geology

The oldest rocks in the parks began as sediments and volcanic deposits laid down on and around volcanic islands that were later swept against the edge of North America. Heat and pressure transformed them into schist, quartzite, phyllite, metavolcanic rock and marble. Only scattered remnants survive, as pendants and screens hanging within the younger granite, but they give places like Mineral King their rusty, multicolored peaks.

During the Mesozoic, as oceanic crust sank beneath the continent, magma rose and cooled slowly miles below the surface, forming the Sierra Nevada batholith. In Sequoia and Kings Canyon the batholith is built from several intrusive suites, including the Mount Whitney, John Muir, Sequoia and Palisade Crest suites, much of it granite and granodiorite that crystallized around 100 million years ago.

Erosion stripped the overlying rock, and the modern Sierra Nevada rose and tilted westward, largely within the last 10 million years, steepening its rivers and exposing the granite. Glaciers advanced repeatedly during the Pleistocene, carving Kings Canyon and the high valleys into U-shaped troughs and leaving moraines that dam meadows like Zumwalt. Granite exfoliating in curved shells formed domes such as Moro Rock and Tehipite Dome.

Within the marble pendants, slightly acidic water has dissolved more than 270 known caves, including Lilburn Cave, the longest in California at nearly 17 miles of surveyed passage, and Crystal Cave, famous for its polished marble and flowstone.

Deep time

Paleozoic to MesozoicSediments and volcanic rocks accumulate near the continental margin and are later metamorphosed into marble, schist and quartzite.
Mesozoic, peaking around 100 million years agoMagma intrudes the crust and cools into the granitic rocks of the Sierra Nevada batholith.
Last 10 million yearsThe modern Sierra Nevada is uplifted and tilted westward, and rivers cut deep canyons.
PleistoceneRepeated glaciations carve Kings Canyon, Tokopah Valley and the high country into U-shaped troughs.
End of the last glaciationSediment fills basins behind moraines, forming flat meadows such as Zumwalt Meadow.
OngoingWater dissolves marble to enlarge caves such as Lilburn and Crystal, while the small remaining glaciers retreat.

The rocks

Mount Whitney Intrusive SuiteMesozoic
Granitic rocks forming the Sierra crest around Mount Whitney.
John Muir Intrusive SuiteMesozoic
Granitic rocks exposed across the high country of Kings Canyon.
Sequoia Intrusive SuiteMesozoic
Granitic rocks underlying much of the western, sequoia-covered part of the parks.
Palisade Crest Intrusive SuiteMesozoic
Granitic rocks of the rugged Palisades along the northeastern boundary.
Metamorphic roof pendantsPaleozoic to Mesozoic
Remnants of older schist, quartzite, metavolcanic rock and marble, conspicuous around Mineral King.
Cave marbleMesozoic
Metamorphosed limestone hosting more than 270 caves, including Lilburn and Crystal caves.

Trees, Plants & Ecosystems

1,492vascular plant species recorded

Foothills woodland and chaparralAbout 1,370 ft up through the lower Kaweah and Kings canyons
Blue oak, California buckeye, chamise and chaparral yucca on hot slopes, with western pond turtles in the rivers.
Mixed-conifer forest and sequoia grovesMiddle elevations including Giant Forest and Grant Grove
Sugar pine, white fir, incense cedar and black oak surround groves of giant sequoias that depend on periodic fire.
Red fir and lodgepole forestUpper montane zone around Lodgepole and the Generals Highway high points
Deep winter snowpack supports dense red fir stands, lodgepole pines and wet meadows.
Subalpine forestHigh basins below treeline, including Mineral King
Foxtail, whitebark and western white pines, meadows and granite lakes where yellow-legged frogs live.
Alpine zoneGreat Western Divide and Sierra crest, up to 14,505 ft
Rock, snowfields and cushion plants, home to pikas, marmots, rosy-finches and Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep.
Marble cavesScattered metamorphic pendants, mainly at middle elevations
More than 270 caves shelter specialized invertebrates and bats in cool, stable darkness.

Trees

Giant sequoiaSequoiadendron giganteumThe largest trees on Earth; the 2020 Castle Fire and 2021 KNP Complex and Windy fires together killed an estimated 13 to 19 percent of the world's large sequoias.
Sugar pinePinus lambertianaA towering pine of the sequoia belt with the longest cones of any conifer.
White firAbies concolorA common associate of sequoias that thickens forests without fire.
California red firAbies magnificaDominates snowy upper montane forests.
Incense cedarCalocedrus decurrensFibrous, cinnamon-barked cedar of the mixed-conifer zone.
Ponderosa pinePinus ponderosaGrows on warm, lower slopes of the conifer belt.
California black oakQuercus kelloggiiA deciduous oak of mid-elevation forests with golden fall color.
Blue oakQuercus douglasiiThe drought-hardy, blue-gray oak of the western foothills.
California buckeyeAesculus californicaA foothill tree that drops its leaves in summer drought and blooms in fragrant candles.
Lodgepole pinePinus contortaCommon around meadows at upper elevations, giving the Lodgepole area its name.
Foxtail pinePinus balfourianaAn ancient-looking subalpine pine of the southern Sierra, often with bottlebrush-like branches.
Whitebark pinePinus albicaulisA wind-sculpted pine at treeline along the Sierra crest.

Wildflowers, shrubs & other plants

Chaparral yucca (our Lord's candle)Yucca whippleiSends up a single towering flower stalk on foothill slopes before dying.
Western redbudCercis occidentalisBrilliant magenta blooms light up foothill canyons in early spring.
ChamiseAdenostoma fasciculatumThe most widespread chaparral shrub, adapted to periodic fire.
Whiteleaf manzanitaArctostaphylos viscidaA smooth red-barked shrub of dry foothill and lower montane slopes.
Mountain miseryChamaebatia foliolosaA sticky, aromatic groundcover carpeting the forest floor in the sequoia belt.
Mountain whitethornCeanothus cordulatusA spiny shrub that springs up after fire at higher elevations.
Blue dicksDichelostemma capitatumRound clusters of lavender flowers in foothill grasslands in spring.
Butterfly mariposa lilyCalochortus venustusShowy, cup-shaped flowers with painted markings in late spring.
Scarlet monkeyflowerMimulus cardinalisRed, hummingbird-pollinated flowers along streams and seeps.
Snow plantSarcodes sanguineaA vivid red, leafless plant emerging from conifer duff after snowmelt.
Kelley's lilyLilium kelleyanumA fragrant, nodding orange lily of wet subalpine meadows.
Sierra shooting starDodecatheon jeffreyiMagenta, swept-back flowers in wet mountain meadows.
California fuchsiaEpilobium canumScarlet tubular blooms on rocky slopes in late summer, feeding hummingbirds.
Sky pilotPolemonium eximiumBlue flower clusters on the highest summits, including near Mount Whitney.

Wildlife

71mammals
212birds
21reptiles
12amphibians
11fish

Mammals

American black bearUrsus americanusCommon in the sequoia groves; store food properly and keep your distance.
Sierra Nevada bighorn sheepOvis canadensisAn endangered subspecies restored to herds along the Great Western Divide and Sierra crest.
FisherPekania pennantiA rare forest carnivore of the southern Sierra's old-growth conifers.
American martenMartes americanaHunts squirrels in high-elevation red fir and lodgepole forests.
Mountain lionPuma concolorA widespread but seldom-seen predator of deer.
Mule deerOdocoileus hemionusMigrates up and down the western slope with the seasons.
RingtailBassariscus astutusA nocturnal climber of rocky foothill canyons.
Gray foxUrocyon cinereoargenteusA tree-climbing fox of foothills and lower forests.
Yellow-bellied marmotMarmota flaviventrisFamously chews on car hoses at Mineral King trailheads in early summer.
American pikaOchotona princepsA small haymaker of high talus slopes.
Douglas squirrelTamiasciurus douglasiiCuts sequoia cones and scatters their seeds.
Lodgepole chipmunkTamias speciosusA boldly striped chipmunk of upper montane forests.
Northern flying squirrelGlaucomys sabrinusGlides between trees at night in conifer forests.
Spotted batEuderma maculatumA rarely seen bat with enormous ears and bold white spots.

Birds

Great gray owlStrix nebulosaA rare, meadow-hunting owl near the southern end of its range.
Spotted owlStrix occidentalisNests in the parks' old, dense mixed-conifer forests.
Pileated woodpeckerDryocopus pileatusExcavates large rectangular holes in snags.
White-headed woodpeckerPicoides albolarvatusA western woodpecker that pries seeds from pine cones.
Black-backed woodpeckerPicoides arcticusFollows burned forests, feeding on wood-boring beetles.
Acorn woodpeckerMelanerpes formicivorusStashes acorns in granary trees in oak woodlands.
Mountain quailOreortyx pictusA plumed quail of brushy mountain slopes.
Steller's jayCyanocitta stelleriA dark-crested jay common at picnic areas in the groves.
Clark's nutcrackerNucifraga columbianaHarvests and caches pine seeds near treeline.
American dipperCinclus mexicanusDives into rushing streams in the canyons.
Canyon wrenCatherpes mexicanusIts falling song echoes through foothill rock gorges.
Hermit warblerDendroica occidentalisA yellow-faced warbler singing high in conifers.
Golden eagleAquila chrysaetosSoars over foothills and high open ridges.
Gray-crowned rosy-finchLeucosticte tephrocotisForages on snowfields along the Sierra crest.

Reptiles & amphibians

Sierra Nevada yellow-legged frogRana sierraeAn endangered frog of high lakes, recovering where nonnative trout have been removed.
Southern mountain yellow-legged frogRana muscosaAn endangered frog of the southern Sierra's high basins.
Yosemite toadBufo canorusA threatened toad of high meadows at the southern edge of its range.
Mount Lyell salamanderHydromantes platycephalusLives in wet granite crevices near melting snow at high elevations.
Sequoia slender salamanderBatrachoseps kawiaA worm-like salamander known only from the Kaweah River drainage.
Kings River slender salamanderBatrachoseps regiusA tiny salamander restricted to the Kings River region.
Western pond turtleActinemys marmorataBasks on rocks and logs in foothill rivers and pools.
California mountain kingsnakeLampropeltis zonataA strikingly banded snake of forested canyons.

Fish

Rainbow troutOncorhynchus mykissNative to lower river reaches; many high lakes were originally fishless.
Brook troutSalvelinus fontinalisA nonnative trout stocked in high lakes, where it preys on frog tadpoles.
Brown troutSalmo truttaA nonnative trout of larger streams.

Species totals are the park's certified NPSpecies checklist (occurrence: present).

Climate & When to Visit

With more than 13,000 feet of relief, Sequoia and Kings Canyon span climates from hot, dry foothills to arctic-like summits. Like the rest of the Sierra Nevada, the parks have a Mediterranean pattern: most precipitation falls in winter, and summers are long and dry. Winter storms bring rain to the foothills and heavy snow to the sequoia groves and high country.

At Lodgepole, in the upper montane forest, snowfall averages about 220 inches a year, and snow lingers on high passes well into summer. Summer is comfortable in the sequoia groves but hot in the foothills, with afternoon thunderstorms over the peaks. Autumn can swing from summery to wintry within days, and wildfire and smoke are increasingly common in late summer and fall.

Spring
The best time to hike the foothills, when wildflowers and redbuds bloom and rivers run high; snow melts gradually from the groves and lingers above.
Summer
Comfortable temperatures in the sequoia groves, hot and dry foothills, and snow persisting on high passes into July; afternoon thunderstorms can form over the mountains.
Autumn
Conditions can range from summer-like to winter-like; black oaks turn gold, and the first storms may close high roads.
Winter
Snow blankets the sequoia groves while the foothills get rain; tire chain requirements are common on the Generals Highway.

Weather hazards

Swift, cold rivers: Stay out of rivers during spring and early summer snowmelt, when currents are powerful and water is ice-cold.
Winter driving: Carry tire chains from fall through spring, as snow and ice frequently affect mountain roads.
Wildfire and smoke: Check fire and air-quality conditions in late summer and fall, when fires can close roads and degrade air quality.
High altitude: Ascend gradually on high routes such as Mount Whitney and watch for signs of altitude sickness.
Lightning: Get off exposed ridges and summits, including Moro Rock, when thunderstorms develop.

Sequoia & Kings Canyon Questions

When is the best time to visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks?

Late spring through early autumn offers the widest access, including Highway 180 into Kings Canyon, which is typically seasonal. Spring is ideal for the foothills, summer for the high country, and winter brings snowy sequoia groves that often require tire chains.

How big is the General Sherman Tree?

The General Sherman Tree stands 274.9 feet tall, measures 102.6 feet around at the ground, and contains about 52,500 cubic feet of wood. It is the largest known tree on Earth by volume.

Are the giant sequoias threatened by fire?

Sequoias need low-intensity fire to reproduce, but recent high-severity fires have been devastating. The 2020 Castle Fire and the 2021 KNP Complex and Windy fires together killed an estimated 13 to 19 percent of the world's large sequoias.

How deep is Kings Canyon?

Kings Canyon is more than a mile deep, and in the Kings River canyon system the walls rise as much as 8,200 feet from river to rim. Glaciers deepened and widened its upper reaches into a U shape.

What is the weather like in Sequoia and Kings Canyon?

It depends on elevation. Foothills are hot and dry in summer and rainy in winter, the sequoia groves are pleasant in summer and snowy in winter, and the high passes can hold snow into July.

Where can I see wildlife in the parks?

Black bears are often seen in and around Giant Forest and Crescent Meadow, and mule deer are common in meadows. Yellow-bellied marmots are famous at Mineral King, and the foothills offer canyon wrens and gray foxes.

Can you visit caves in Sequoia National Park?

Yes. Crystal Cave, carved in marble, is open for seasonal guided tours and stays near 48°F year-round. It is one of more than 270 known caves in the parks.

More parks in the Pacific West

← Saguaro National Park Shenandoah National Park →

Sources: home.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · www.nps.gov · en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org · irmaservices.nps.gov · developer.nps.gov · Official NPS site