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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
What's in Each Area, Fall
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Ash Mountain in the Foothills
With its mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, the area around the Foothills Visitor Center at Ash Mountain supports life forms that are very different from those found higher in the Sierra Nevada. Ash Mountain is the headquarters for Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, and also for the Sequoia Natural History Association, a non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting educational and scientific activities in these parks. Crystal Cave, a beautifully decorated marble cavern, is located on a spur road off the Generals Highway between Ash Mountain and the Giant Forest.
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Lodgepole, Wuksachi & the Sequoias of Giant Forest
The Lodgepole Visitor Center provides information for visitors to Giant Forest and the northern section of Sequoia National Park, our country's second oldest National Park. Wuksachi Lodge is a mountain resort located 2 miles west of Lodgepole Village. Giant Forest is one of the main visitor destinations in Sequoia. Four of the world's five largest sequoias grow here, and scenic meadows dot the area. High ridges to the east of the area culminate in Mount Silliman and Alta Peak, both over 11,000'. Popular foot trails lead to glacial lakes, and a side road winds down to Crystal Cave, a beautifully decorated marble cavern. Road Advisory: The Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow road is temporarily closed for construction.
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The sequoias of Grant Grove
Grant Grove is home to the General Grant Tree, which is the Nation's Christmas Tree and our only living national shrine, commemorating those Americans who lost their lives in war. This giant sequoia and its neighbors were initially protected in the 4 square-mile General Grant National Park. General Grant and Yosemite were created by the same legislation on October 1, 1890, one week after Sequoia was established. In 1940, General Grant was absorbed into the newly designated Kings Canyon National Park. Big Stump Basin was added in 1958 and allows visitors in the Grant Grove area to compare the remnants of destroyed sequoias with nearby giants.
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Cedar Grove in the Kings Canyon
"A rival to Yosemite," wrote John Muir, describing the magnificent canyon of the Kings River. This glaciated valley in which Cedar Grove Village lies presents travelers along the highway with towering granite cliffs, tumbling waterfalls, lovely meadows, a powerful river, and a gateway to the sublime High Sierra of Kings Canyon National Park. Four large campgrounds provide spacious camping. The drive down on spectacular Kings Canyon Scenic Byway is itself an adventure. The road to this area closes from late November to late April. So be sure to check Current Advisories for the latest information.
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Mineral King, a sub-alpine valley
This open glacial canyon, hemmed in by the peaks of the Great Western Divide, has a special place in the hearts of many park visitors. Accessible only by a long, slow-going road, the valley is a place where nature, not man, dominates. This road to this area closes from November 1 to late May. Mineral King first gained recognition in the early 1870's when silver was discovered in the valley. Miners rushed to the area in 1873. The mines never produced, but the Mineral King Road, built by a mining company in 1879, did open the area to logging, hydro-electric development, tourism and the building of summer cabins. For many years, the area was a designated game refuge within the national forest. The valley and surrounding peaks of Mineral King, some 12,600 acres, were transferred from the national forest to Sequoia National Park by act of Congress in September 1978. This ended nearly 20 years of controversy over a proposed ski resort development.
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Did You Know?
Sequoia tree rings tell a fascinating story of survival and adaptation. Many sequoia cross-sections do not show a neat set of concentric growth rings. Among the rings are many scars — indicating repeated fire damage — and as many curved rings, the growth that eventually covered over the scars.
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Last Updated: March 31, 2008 at 15:53 EST |
