Far from the hubbub of Yosemite Valley, some 200 miles to the southwest, these side-by-side parks (nps.gov/seki) comprise a quieter stretch of the Sierra. Here it’s easy to find solitude within wildflower-strewn meadows or by an alpine lake, to unwind before a gushing waterfall or pull off a deserted highway and gaze into a dramatic gorge. People mainly visit, however, for the parks’ forests, which feature some of the planet’s largest giant sequoias. If you’ve ever wanted to see these magnificent trees, now is the time.
Joined by a high-altitude roadway bisecting a national forest and contiguous with a number of wilderness areas, these two parks combined offer vast stretches of alpine bliss. General Grant Grove and the Giant Forest, in Kings Canyon and Sequoia respectively, are obvious highlights, but it's the backcountry where you can fully disconnect and listen for the sounds of life.
Over the last few years, climate change has threatened these groves like never before. In 2020 and 2021, two incredibly intense fires scorched thousands of sequoias living within the parks, killing 20% of species. While some impacted areas have remained off-limits to visitors, other areas such as Crystal Cave have reopened and the undeniable beauty of the parks endures.
