Directions & Transportation

Which Entrance Do I Go To?

 

Ash Mountain Entrance to Sequoia National Park

• Highway 198 enters Sequoia National Park at the town of Three Rivers. Beyond the entrance station, the road is narrow and winding.
• Vehicles longer than 24 feet (7.3 m) are not advised between the Foothills Visitor Center and Potwisha Campground. Vehicles longer than 22 feet (6.7 m) are not advised between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum.

Big Stump Entrance to Kings Canyon National Park

• Highway 180 enters Kings Canyon National Park from the west via Fresno.
• Highway 180 is the preferred route for longer vehicles. It is straighter, less steep, and wider.

Lookout Point Entrance to the Mineral King Area

• If you're heading to the remote Mineral King area of Sequoia National Park, look for the junction of Mineral King Road with Highway 198 in the town of Three Rivers, two miles before the Ash Mountain Entrance.
• This road is extremely narrow and winding and is unpaved in some areas. RVs and trailers are not advised and are not permitted in the campgrounds.
• Only trails connect Mineral King with the rest of Sequoia National Park. No roads cross the mountains west-to-east through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

 

Problems With Directions From Online Maps and GPS Devices

Online map services and GPS devices may offer routes that avoid park entrance stations but lead you onto remote roads that could leave you stuck with a damaged vehicle. Use Highway 198 to enter Sequoia National Park, and Highway 180 to reach Kings Canyon National Park. Avoid routes that direct you onto unpaved roads, which may be rugged, gated, closed seasonally, or only suitable for 4WD or AWD vehicles.

To continue using online map services, turn off the "avoid tolls" feature for the most direct and safe route to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

 

How Do I Get There?

Arriving By Car

• If you drive to these parks, be prepared for driving mountain roads that are steep, narrow, and winding. Length limits and advisories are in place for RVs, trailers, and any other vehicles over 22 feet (6.8 m) in length. If you drive an RV or a vehicle with a trailer, check advisories before you visit.

• No gasoline is sold within the parks, though there are gas stations at nearby national forests. Depending on your vehicle, electric vehicle charging stations may be available at park lodges

• Access to park roads varies by season. Tire chains may be required on park roads any time it snows, usually late fall, winter, and through spring. Chains are available for purchase or rent at locations near park entrance stations. Learn more about chains and other winter driving information before you plan your visit.

• Due to heavy visitation, be prepared for delays at park entrances. In summer, on Fridays, Saturdays, and on holidays from Memorial Day to Labor Day, long lines of cars have extended from the entrance stations. Learn how to plan for a wait at the entrance station.

• There are no roads in these parks that cross the Sierra Nevada mountain range. To help plan your route, check our driving map of the parks and regional maps of the area.

Road Directions

To Kings Canyon National Park's Big Stump Entrance (Highway 180)

City	Distance	Time	Directions
Fresno	60 mi/97 km	1 hour, 15 minutes	Take CA-180 E to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
San Fransisco	250 mi/402 km	4 hours, 30 minutes	Take I-80 E to I-580 E. Continue onto I-205 E, merge onto I-5 N. Take CA-120 E to CA-99 S. Then take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
San Jose	217 mi/349 km	4 hours	Take CA-85 S and merge onto US-101 S. Take exit 356 onto CA-152 E. Take CA-99 S. Take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
Sacramento	240 mi/386 km	4 hours, 15 minutes	Take US-50 E/CA-99 S towards Fresno. Take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
Reno	365 mi/587 km	6 hours, 30 minutes	Take I-80 W towards Sacramento. In Sacramento, take CA-99S. In Fresno, take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
Lake Tahoe	330 mi/531 km	6 hours	From South Lake Tahoe take US-50 W towards Sacramento. In Sacramento, take CA-99S. In Fresno, take exit 133B onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.
Yosemite Entrance (Hwy 41)	130 mi/209 km	2 hours, 30 minutes	Take CA-41 S toward Fresno. In Fresno, take exit 128 onto CA-180 W. Merge onto CA-180 E. Continue to the Big Stump entrance of Kings Canyon National Park.

To Sequoia National Park's Ash Mountain Entrance (Highway 198)

City	Distance	Time	Directions
Visalia	36 mi/58 km	45 minutes	Take CA-198 E to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park.
Los Angeles Area	225 mi/362 km	4 hours	Take any highway to I-5 N. Continue onto CA-99 N toward Bakersfield/Fresno. Take exit 96 onto CA-198 E towards Visalia. Continue to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park.
San Diego Area	344 mi/538 km	5 hours, 50 minutes	Take I-805 N or I-5 N to CA-99N toward Bakersfield/Fresno. Take exit 96 onto CA-198 E towards Visalia. Continue to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park.
Las Vegas	400 mi/644 km	6 hours, 30 minutes	Take I-15 S towards Los Angeles. Take exit 179 onto CA-58 W towards Bakersfield. In Bakersfield, continue onto CA-99 N toward Fresno. Take exit 96 onto CA-198 E towards Visalia. Continue to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park.
Death Valley National Park (West Entrance)	310 mi/499 km	5 hours 25 min	CA-190 W to US-395 S and turn left. Continue onto CA-14S. Turn right at CA-58 W. Take the ramp onto CA-99 N. Take exit 96 onto CA-198 E towards Visalia. Continue to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park.

Arriving by Bus

• Greyhound Lines stops in the city of Visalia at the Visalia Transit Center, and in the City of Fresno at the Fresno Greyhound Station. Once in Visalia, it's possible to connect with park shuttle routes in summer to take you to Sequoia National Park. In other seasons, renting a vehicle is an option.

• The City of Visalia's V-Line bus route provide service between the Visalia Transit Center and Fresno-Yosemite International Airport., with additional stops at Fresno State University and the Visalia Municipal Airport. In summer, this route connects with the Sequoia Shuttle.

• Tulare County Area Transit offers service from the Visalia Transit Center to the Memorial Building in the town of Three Rivers. Many companies begin guided sightseeing tours in Three Rivers. There are many private companies offering guided tours of the parks by charter bus.

Arriving by Plane

• The closest commercial airports to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are Fresno Yosemite International Airport and Visalia Municipal Airport. Many other airports, some international, are within a few hours' drive of the parks.

• Fresno Yosemite International (FAT) is 1 ¼ hours from the Kings Canyon National Park entrance on Highway 180 and 1¾ hours from the Sequoia National Park entrance on Highway 198. From the airport, you can rent a car to reach the parks.

• Visalia Municipal Airport (VIS) is 1 hour from the Sequoia National Park entrance on Highway 198 and 1½ hours from Kings Canyon National Park entrance. From the airport, you can rent a car or, in summer, take a bus to the Visalia Transit Center, where Sequoia Shuttle provides summer shuttle service to Sequoia National Park.

Arriving by Train

• The nearest Amtrak stations to the parks are in Hanford and Fresno.

• From Hanford, Amtrak has bus connections to Visalia Transit Center, where it is possible to make a connection with the Sequoia Shuttle (summer only). Hanford is about 20 miles west of Visalia, one hour and 45 minutes from the Sequoia National Park Entrance on Highway 198.

• The Amtrak station in Fresno is about one hour and 45 minutes from the Kings Canyon National Park entrance on Highway 180.

• Car rentals may be available near the Hanford and Fresno Amtrak station. Check with Amtrak for more details.