I am planning to be there this weekend, so I will be curious to see what information pops up. I have not been there in at least 20 years and don't remember the area at all.
Posted by Edward Nunez on June 25, 2008 at 7:54 PM
I am also interested on the information that pops up here. I'll be there for the 1st time during the July 4th weekend.
Posted by Cory Freeman on June 25, 2008 at 8:39 PM
KC is such a huge area. I guess it depends on whether you want to backpack/hike in or off the road.
West side: Off the road would be Cedar Grove area. For a backpack or long day hike you could also access the Rae lakes loop from roads end(Cedar Grove) very popular destination or Granite lakes Basin, steep climb out of the canyon.
East side: Dusy Basin, Evolution Basin are popular destinations via the Bishop Pass trail. More popular as a backpack, but doable as a long day hike(Dusy Basin) I have yet to actually drop into dusy or evolution. It's on my to do list for this summer/fall. I did get up to bishop pass and stare down into dusy from Agassiz last summer. Looked like a neat place to explore. Lots of people though(july)
MG or PB are probably more familiar w/ kc back country though.
Kings Canyon National Park is a backpacker's park; by far the vast majority of the park is at least an overnight trip away on foot. That includes all of the best High Sierra scenery. Since none of you (who said you're going there soon) are probably about to plan a backpacking trip at the last minute's notice, I'll limit my suggestions to the frontcountry.
The Kings Canyon National Park frontcountry is basically 3 things:
* the mid-elevation sequoia groves
* the mid-elevation glaciated Kings River canyon proper
* the foothill-elevation Kings River gorge (actually this is in Giant Sequoia National Monument but you'll pass through it to get into the Kings Canyon proper from the sequoia groves)
The best sequoia groves are basically the Grant Grove (small but close to the road, well-trailed and accessible with many large trees) and the Redwood Mountain Grove (a large grove mostly untrailed and a good day's hike). If its not cloudy and soft-lit these will of course be difficult to shoot, and the spring dogwood blooms are mostly over so you won't have that as an accent. In good light, though, I highly recommend the sequioas at any time of year.
The Kings Canyon itself is like a smaller less-spectacular Yosemite Valley. The best sheer-granite, Yosemite-Valley-like scenery is between the Roaring River bridge and Zumwalt Meadow. The only spot in the Kings Canyon really comparable to Yosemite Valley is the area around Zumwalt Meadow, where North Dome to the north (of course) and Grand Sentinel to the south rise for thousands of feet directly across from one another. Good vantage points for the grand scenic are found along the river and from the meadow in that area. The open manzanita flats near Knapp Cabin are also pretty good for the grand scenic.
These are pretty much the only wide-open views in the canyon near the road. If you hike for a ways up the backcountry trails leading away from Roads End, you'll also get some views looking back down the canyon but only with a few miles of RT hiking. The rest of the Kings Canyon inside the park is mostly rounded, sloping, forested U-shaped canyon walls with thickly-forested canyon bottom (where you'll be) blocking most of the view anyway; and thus less suited for grand-scenic Yosemite-Valley-type subject matter than the areas I just mentioned. No waterfalls comparable to any of Yosemite's, by the way. Like Yosemite, the Kings Canyon trends east-west so you get backlight in the morning and frontlight in the evening (but intervening mountains to the west block most of the warm light by sunset).
The Kings River gorge is what the canyon proper descends into as the Kings River South Fork cuts its way out of the park downhill. This is one of the deepest river gorges in North America: around 10,000 feet at one point. Its mostly inaccessible from the road, though numerous pullouts afford many views and there is a trailhead leading to the South Fork and Middle Fork confluence. The most spectacular area of this gorge along the road is from roughly the Windy Cliffs to the great oxbow bends near Convict Flat (IIRC).
The Kings River South Fork will be raging this time of year, BTW -- its a good time for close-to-the-river whitewater-type photography.
Thanks for taking the time to describe all these spots. I hope I'll have a chance to hit some of those... I'll have to print your infos to try to correlate it to a map.
Last time I went there was years ago. I remember the expensive antique gas station, and the hike we did that had very nice views, but also that while driving I was not that impressed.
I also know climbers get lost there trying to access some grand climbs so I'm not surprised the jewels would be hidden to drive-by tourists.
What would be the best day hikes to have a sampler of KC?
Short hikes:
Following Scotts comments, and looking at a hiking book looks like these are good starter trails for small hikes that touch what he mentionned I think.
That's perfect, because I don't know what our day hikes will be (group), but we have some spare time beforehand to do small ones before others arrive.
Windy Cliffs: 3 miles/1.5H, pariking area of Boyden Cave, right side of the road, 23.5 miles after entrance on I-180.
Stellar hike with views of the canyon and steep drop offs (labelled unmaintained).
Roaring River Falls: .4miles/25min, 3 miles past cedar grove village, 36.5 miles from entrance. on I180, trail on right side of the road.
Fall drops into narrow gorge into south fork, leads to Zumwalt meadow (1.6 miles).
Zumwalt Meadow loop: 1.5 miles/1H, 1 mile past the roaring river falls, still right hand side.
Most scenic hike around the south fork and grand sentinel.
Discussion
6 repliesrecommended must see?
Are there slot canyons there?
Thanks!
West side: Off the road would be Cedar Grove area. For a backpack or long day hike you could also access the Rae lakes loop from roads end(Cedar Grove) very popular destination or Granite lakes Basin, steep climb out of the canyon.
East side: Dusy Basin, Evolution Basin are popular destinations via the Bishop Pass trail. More popular as a backpack, but doable as a long day hike(Dusy Basin) I have yet to actually drop into dusy or evolution. It's on my to do list for this summer/fall. I did get up to bishop pass and stare down into dusy from Agassiz last summer. Looked like a neat place to explore. Lots of people though(july)
MG or PB are probably more familiar w/ kc back country though.
The Kings Canyon National Park frontcountry is basically 3 things:
* the mid-elevation sequoia groves
* the mid-elevation glaciated Kings River canyon proper
* the foothill-elevation Kings River gorge (actually this is in Giant Sequoia National Monument but you'll pass through it to get into the Kings Canyon proper from the sequoia groves)
The best sequoia groves are basically the Grant Grove (small but close to the road, well-trailed and accessible with many large trees) and the Redwood Mountain Grove (a large grove mostly untrailed and a good day's hike). If its not cloudy and soft-lit these will of course be difficult to shoot, and the spring dogwood blooms are mostly over so you won't have that as an accent. In good light, though, I highly recommend the sequioas at any time of year.
The Kings Canyon itself is like a smaller less-spectacular Yosemite Valley. The best sheer-granite, Yosemite-Valley-like scenery is between the Roaring River bridge and Zumwalt Meadow. The only spot in the Kings Canyon really comparable to Yosemite Valley is the area around Zumwalt Meadow, where North Dome to the north (of course) and Grand Sentinel to the south rise for thousands of feet directly across from one another. Good vantage points for the grand scenic are found along the river and from the meadow in that area. The open manzanita flats near Knapp Cabin are also pretty good for the grand scenic.
These are pretty much the only wide-open views in the canyon near the road. If you hike for a ways up the backcountry trails leading away from Roads End, you'll also get some views looking back down the canyon but only with a few miles of RT hiking. The rest of the Kings Canyon inside the park is mostly rounded, sloping, forested U-shaped canyon walls with thickly-forested canyon bottom (where you'll be) blocking most of the view anyway; and thus less suited for grand-scenic Yosemite-Valley-type subject matter than the areas I just mentioned. No waterfalls comparable to any of Yosemite's, by the way. Like Yosemite, the Kings Canyon trends east-west so you get backlight in the morning and frontlight in the evening (but intervening mountains to the west block most of the warm light by sunset).
The Kings River gorge is what the canyon proper descends into as the Kings River South Fork cuts its way out of the park downhill. This is one of the deepest river gorges in North America: around 10,000 feet at one point. Its mostly inaccessible from the road, though numerous pullouts afford many views and there is a trailhead leading to the South Fork and Middle Fork confluence. The most spectacular area of this gorge along the road is from roughly the Windy Cliffs to the great oxbow bends near Convict Flat (IIRC).
The Kings River South Fork will be raging this time of year, BTW -- its a good time for close-to-the-river whitewater-type photography.
Hope this helps! Enjoy your trips,
Scott
Thanks for taking the time to describe all these spots. I hope I'll have a chance to hit some of those... I'll have to print your infos to try to correlate it to a map.
Last time I went there was years ago. I remember the expensive antique gas station, and the hike we did that had very nice views, but also that while driving I was not that impressed.
I also know climbers get lost there trying to access some grand climbs so I'm not surprised the jewels would be hidden to drive-by tourists.
Short hikes:
Following Scotts comments, and looking at a hiking book looks like these are good starter trails for small hikes that touch what he mentionned I think.
That's perfect, because I don't know what our day hikes will be (group), but we have some spare time beforehand to do small ones before others arrive.
Windy Cliffs: 3 miles/1.5H, pariking area of Boyden Cave, right side of the road, 23.5 miles after entrance on I-180.
Stellar hike with views of the canyon and steep drop offs (labelled unmaintained).
Roaring River Falls: .4miles/25min, 3 miles past cedar grove village, 36.5 miles from entrance. on I180, trail on right side of the road.
Fall drops into narrow gorge into south fork, leads to Zumwalt meadow (1.6 miles).
Zumwalt Meadow loop: 1.5 miles/1H, 1 mile past the roaring river falls, still right hand side.
Most scenic hike around the south fork and grand sentinel.