Summer Drives and Viewpoints

The newly-restored Halstead Meadow offers a picnic area and restroom. Stop here in spring to see bears and other wildlife, or anytime for wildflowers and lush meadow plants.

NPS/ Photo

 

Generals Highway from the Sequoia Park Entrance to Lodgepole

Allow an hour one-way for this spectacular winding drive from the foothills to the sequoia groves. Because the road is narrow, length advisories are in place. Vehicles longer than 22 feet are not advised on the Generals Highway between Potwisha Campground and Giant Forest Museum, and vehicles longer than 24 feet are not advised between Foothills Visitor Center and Potwisha Campground.

 

Amphitheater Point along Generals Highway.

NPS/ Kirke Wrench

The Kaweah River to Hospital Rock

Views extend up and down the Kaweah Canyon as the highway winds up alongside the rapidly descending river. At Hospital Rock, stop to see the Native American pictographs and mortars.

Amphitheater Point
This viewpoint offers an excellent side view of Moro Rock, along with views from the foothills up into alpine peaks.

Eleven Range Overlook
On clear days, views here can extend to California's Coast Range on the opposite side of the San Joaquin Valley.

Beetle Rock
A short hike from the Giant Forest Museum takes you to Beetle Rock, a flat expanse of granite with wide views.

Crescent Meadow
Consider taking the Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow side road to its end. The road ends at beautiful Crescent Meadow.

 

Kings Canyon Overlook.

NPS / Kirke Wrench

Generals Highway from Lodgepole to Grant Grove

From Lodgepole to Grant Grove, the road meanders along pleasant mountain roads, staying at the same elevation. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for this drive.

Halstead Meadow
A bridge along the highway goes over the top of this large meadow. On the north side, a small picnic area and pit toilet offer a good place to stop. Black bears can sometimes be seen in the meadow in spring. At any time of year, wildflowers are common here.

Redwood Mountain Overlook
This pullout offers a view overlooking the world's largest intact sequoia grove.

Kings Canyon Overlook
From here, look eastward deep into the wilderness of these parks.

 

Junction View along Highway 180.

NPS/ Alison Taggart-Barone

Grant Grove to the Kings Canyon and Cedar Grove

Allow 45 minutes to an hour for this spectacular drive from the sequoia groves into one of our nation's deepest canyons.

Junction View
This overlook offers excellent views of both the Middle Fork and the South Fork of Kings Canyon.

Yucca Point
Look almost straight down into foaming junction of the Middle Fork and the South Fork of the Kings River.

Hwy 180 between Yucca Point and Boyden Cave
Drive carefully along this section of the road blasted out of the nearly sheer walls of Kings Canyon. Stop frequently to appreciate the grandeur of this water-carved canyon.

Boyden Cave
A marble cave here is open for tours in summer. Nearby, notice the layers of marble sandwiched between strips of volcanic rock. Tremendous forces tipped these layers to a nearly vertical orientation.

Grizzly Falls
A 5-minute walk leads to impressive falls and a cool, shady spot on a warm day.

 

Zumwalt Meadow along Highway 180.

NPS/ Alison Taggart-Barone

Canyon View

This pullout offers an excellent view of the U-shaped Kings Canyon, showing its glacial past.

Roaring River Falls
Feel the power of this short but mighty waterfall as it rushes through a narrow granite chute. The falls are are a short distance from the road along a paved trail.

Zumwalt Meadow
An easy trail offers splendid views of high granite walls, a lush meadow, impressive talus, and the meandering Kings River. Once a loop trail, natural flooding in 2019 washed away sections of the trail passing through the meadow and paralleling the river. Today the trail crosses the Kings River via an expansion bridge, then passes through wooded areas and talus slopes to offer views of the meadow.

Roads End
This area offers excellent views of high granite walls, access to river trails, and Muir Rock.