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Jon Sullivan/PDPhoto.org

Sunlight filtering through trees in a Sequoia National Park meadow

Top Destinations · Southern California · Central Valley - Sequoia

Central Valley - Sequoia NP - Fresno - Visalia

No other tree can match the sheer mass of the giant sequoia.

Visit Sequoia National Park to see the largest groves of giant sequoia in the Sierra Nevada. Stay for grandeur and solitude this park offers. Sequoia is much more of a wilderness area than Yosemite National Park – the map below shows how few roads exist and that none of the roads traverse Sequoia National Park. To reach the highest point in the lower 48 states, Mt. Whitney, you must enter from the eastern boundary.

Some of the highlights of this destination include:

Attractions: Giant sequoia trees, Grant Grove, General Sherman, Moro Rock and many more sites within the park

Towns: Three Rivers, Fresno, Visalia

Rivers: Kern River, Kings River and Kaweah River

National Forests: Sierra National Forest, Sequoia National Forest

National Parks: Sequoia National Park

Central Valley - Sequoia Scenic Drives

SCENIC DRIVES: If you seek the splendor of Yosemite without all the people, Sequoia National Park is it. The routes leading to the park along the western boundary are oak and grasslands. Within the park, the landscape turns to forests with alpine meadows, isolated stands of giant sequoia and at the highest elevations, treeless granite peaks.

Land adjacent to the park includes Sierra National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park with endless trails and campgrounds and places to explore by foot or by car. While Yosemite hosts over 3.3 million visitors annually, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks combined receive only 1.5 million visitors each year. A detailed map and description of the two parks is included in the National Parks section.

Note:There are no roads traveling east through the Park to the famous high peaks (Mt. Whitney, Mt. Williamson, Mt. Langley, etc.). They must be approached from the north/south 395 route. From Bakersfield, take 178 to 14 to 395. From Yosemite and Mammoth Lakes, 395 is the main north/south highway.

For this trip from the Central Valley on Highway 99, near Fresno and Visalia, make a loop to see many of the highlights of Sequoia NP. It would be hard to claim either city as a scenic destination. They do have plenty of amenities for visitors preparing for the trip. Remember that it is much cooler in the mountains than the valley and snow covers these peaks in winter.

SIDETRIP: Take Highway 168 out of Fresno to wind slowly up into the foothills to Shaver Lake, an idyllic spot for camping and hiking.

From Fresno, follow 180 east all the way to the park entrance. The road gets curvy as the elevation rises from 300’ at the start to over 6000’ at the park boundary.

Three Rivers is the main town outside the southern entrance; 198 continues west to Visalia.




	Jon Sullivan/PDPhoto.org
	Butterfly feeds on a wildflower in Sequoia National Park

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