NEW SHUTTLE SERVICE! Available only during the summer. For a small fee you can now ride a shuttle from the city of Visalia to the Giant Forest Museum. Once at the museum explore the Giant Forest area on the free park shuttle.
DRIVING TO THE PARKS
Both roads leading to these parks approach from the west, from the San Joaquin Valley. They are open all day, every day, depending on weather. No roads cross these parks to the east side of the Sierra Nevada. From the east, no roads reach the park boundary. See the map at the bottom of this page. For current park road conditions and other information call: 1-559-565-3341.
To enter Sequoia National Park:
From highways 65 or 99, go east on Highway 198 to the park entrance.
To enter Kings Canyon National Park:
From Highway 99, go east on Highway 180 to the park entrance.
The main park road, the Generals Highway, connects these two entrances.
ADVISORIES:
- No gas stations lie within park boundaries. Be sure to fill up outside the parks. The closest gas available year-round in the neighboring national forest is at Hume Lake (15 miles north Grant Grove). From late spring into fall, gas is available at Stony Creek (between Lodgepole and Grant Grove), and at Kings Canyon Lodge (on private land between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove).
- Cell phone service is poor to non-existent due to the rugged terrain. Note where pay phones are available or ask a ranger.
- For additional current advisories, click more.
RVs & TRAILERS: VEHICLE LENGTH LIMITS
Many park roads have very tight curves, so vehicle-length advisories are in effect:
- Generals Highway: For 16 miles between Sequoia's foothills and the Giant Forest (from Potwisha Campground to the Giant Forest Museum), the advised maximum vehicle length is 22 feet (6.7 m). The alternative: take Highway 180 from Fresno to Grant Grove.
- Mineral King Road: Not recommended for RVs or trailers (RVs and trailers are not permitted in the campgrounds there).
- Crystal Cave Road: Maximum vehicle length is 22 feet (6.7 m). No trailers permitted.
- Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow Road: RVs and trailers are not recommended.
SCENIC ROADS
Both highways into these parks are scenic showcases. Their beauty varies tremendously by season, from the fruitful San Joaquin Valley up into the forests and granite of the Sierra Nevada. Highway 180 from east of Dunlap into the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park and down into the canyon itself is part of the National Scenic Byway Program.
