Travel Blog #4: King’s Canyon & Sequoia National Park
Panoramic Point Overlook, Nikon d500
Traveling from Death Valley to King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Park was the most drastic day to day change we experienced on this trip. When we left Death Valley, it had just gotten to 101 degrees F, and when we arrived at the northwest gate of King’s Canyon, the thermometer in the car was reading 56 degrees. The drive from the hotel was incredible as well, passing through massive orange and olive groves. Gas stations were clean, and people were friendly. Unfortunately, large parts of Sequoia National Park and the entrance we had originally planned to use were still closed due to residual snow. What we were able to visit was amazing, and easily accessible too. Due to the closures, this was one of our shorter “in park” days, but it was worth the half day to see it.
Getting to the park, we weren’t told ahead of time we should get there early but we did, arriving around 9am. The main draw for us was to see General Grant, the second largest Giant Sequoia in the world (33 ft in diameter). Accessing the trailhead was incredibly easy. The park service knows when they need to make something simple to get to. If you take the main trail clockwise, you can see a direct view of the tree in its entirety after only a few hundred yards. The trail is paved well and people of any age and ability should be able to get there without any issue. General Grant is the only living object in the United States recognized as a National Shrine, and when you get to see it up close there is a majesty that makes everything else just feel so small.
We took the trail counterclockwise which was only slightly challenging with mild inclines and a few switchbacks. This would be the way I recommend, because it lets you see a few interesting, felled logs (big enough to camp in) from the top first and gets you to the more pedestrian views eventually. I do think if I would have taken the trail in reverse I wouldn’t have been as impressed as I was for this pretty short trip. There is also a very accessible section to clamber up some hillsides and climb on fallen trees, stumps, and boulders. There were so many kids running around it felt like a backwoods playground. This is also where you can first see a little bit of not just General Grant, but where part of it was scarred by fire. There are many scarred trees in this park (and the Redwoods) and it’s hard to imagine how big these fires have to be to destroy such massive behemoths, yet General Grant still stands.
General Grant, iPhone
The only other major feature we went to was Panoramic Point Overlook. If you want to see this (and I highly recommend you do) make sure you use the map the Ranger station provides. We did not see any signs for it, and I suspect there are a lot of people that miss out on this or arrive later than planned because there just isn’t a sign that tells you where to turn off the main drive. The trek to get there felt a little dangerous, and it’s probably impossible to try with an RV or anything larger than a Yukon or Escalade. Once you pass the campground, the drive is steep and has some of the sharpest switchbacks I’ve ever driven. There was still melting snowbanks on the side of the roads making little creeks across the path and several spots were only wide enough for a single car. We got there early enough for traffic to be light, not encountering anyone trying to come back down yet.
After a few miles we arrived at the trailhead, and it felt like a different world. The trees were not as big as in Grants Grove, but they were beautiful and ethereal. The damaged trees looked like they were coming alive with white tentacles and there was plenty of moss, which to me means it doesn’t get much light. The trail is paved and moderately steep incline. The trail map shows there are two ways to get to the viewpoint and makes it seem like they are separate…they aren’t. If you take the trail to the left, it’s a steeper but shorter half mile walk. It’s very accessible though and has plenty of spots to take a break. The lower viewing area is nice, and honestly, I thought it was worth the trip, but then there is a higher viewpoint accessible for only the cost of a hundred yards or so of more hiking. This is the spot you need to get to. There is much more room to move around, and the angles are just slightly better and allows you to get a panorama of the Sierra Nevada, and an incredible lake I couldn't find the name of. This was the first spot on this trip I considered might be the place I would take a photo for an art show I plan on entering this year. I had expectations for this to be a nice spot but had only taken a film camera for the hike. Once we got back to the lot, I knew I needed to go back with my digital because I wanted to guarantee I got the shot on this one. It was an energizing walk.
Panoramic Point, Nikon f2, Retrochrome
For the walk back down, we decided to finish the loop which made a 1-mile hike into a 1.5-mile hike, but the inclines were easier. Accessibility wasn’t quite as good though. It was only partially paved and there were several spots with fallen trees blocking the path. Easy to hop over for us, but if you have someone in a wheelchair or limited mobility it would be next to impossible to get past this section.
Our day in Sequoia was short and challenging from a photography perspective but absolutely worth the time we spent there. I do not recommend Black and White shots here, the combination of high sun, low light under the canopy and variable shadows were very hard for me. I got a few “okay” shots, but color showed best.
One final note, we got there around 9 am California time and had no trouble getting in. On the way out, the line had grown exponentially, and the “your wait time from here” signs on the side of the road showed people would be waiting at least an hour just to get to the entry gate. If you plan to go, make sure you get there early and check the nps.gov website for weather and closure updates because it changes fast.