Los Angeles is the perfect starting point for a memorable road trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.  Whether you are planning to spend one day exploring the park or an entire weekend, we hope you find a way to get to Sequoia NP!

Sequoia and Kings Canyon are the only parks we have visited multiple times. And because Los Angeles and Sequoia are so close, you can easily plan an entire trip in just a few hours. We think everyone should visit.

In this guide, we’ll talk about the drive time, the best time to go, and what we think the two parks offer. Mostly, we hope this post helps you make the most out of your route from Los Angeles to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks – Let’s take a trip!

Day 1: General Sherman Tree, & Moro Rock Trail

Day 2: General Grant Tree & Kings Canyon Entrance Sign

Located approximately 200 miles north of Los Angeles, the drive time to to Sequoia National Park from LA typically takes between 3-4 hours without traffic. But with traffic (#LA) you can expect a travel time of (at least) 4 hours and 30 minutes to drive to the park. 

There are multiple ways to travel, but the best route and quickest from Los Angeles will take you up the 5 north. You will drive past Six Flags Magic Mountain and Santa Clarita. 

There is plenty of camping you can do within the National Parks. There are 15 official campsites within the park. But if you prefer not to camp (don’t worry, we don’t always camp either!), Visalia, CA is an excellent base for your trip.

Visalia is about 35 miles from the Foothills Visitors Center (around a 45-minute drive) and provides convenient access to the park, nearby grocery stores, as well as a wide range of Airbnb’s, hotels, and other accommodations.

Begin your day early, leaving Los Angeles between 5-7am. There are plenty of places to stop along the way, but consider making a stop in Bakersfield for fuel, snacks, and a quick break to stretch your legs! You should arrive in Visalia between 8am and 10am. It’s not a terribly long drive (~ 4.5 hours), but be sure to plan accordingly. 

The drive to the Sequoia National Park Foothills Visitor Center is another 50 minutes. If you followed our guide thus far, you should be entering the park some time between 9-11am!

Prepare for the drive to General Sherman Tree

One thing we did not expect our first time visiting Sequoia was the winding roads and switchbacks leading up to the park.

If you are prone to car sickness – get in the front seat! There are no detours up the winding mountain roads!

There will be plenty of pullouts along the way for picture-worthy spots. But we recommend just getting up there as quickly as possible! During peak season, you can expect long wait times for parking. 

The General Sherman tree is considered one of the most popular attractions in the park (especially for newbies like us!), so you’ll want to arrive early to beat the crowds and spend a few hours exploring this area of the park. From the Foothills to the parking lot is only about 17 miles, but a 45-minute drive because of the winding roads. 

Although not the tallest or the widest, the overall volume of the trunk makes it the largest tree on Earth!

Volume: 52,500 cubic feet

Height: 275 feet

Weight: 1,385 tons

Age: 2,200 years old (~1,000 years younger than the oldest known sequoia tree)

Diameter: 36.5 feet in diameter

Here’s something we wish we would have known: the General Sherman Tree is not right off the parking lot.

You will need to make your way down moderate inclines and several sets of stairs! Going down is the easy part, coming up is a different story!

Don’t fret though! Sequoia is incredibly accessible. There are plenty of options for shuttles to get you around the park and near the main interests.

Tip: Elevation gain is hard for everybody. Drink water and take breaks!

You will marvel at how massive sequoias are.

There will likely be a long line to snap a photo in front of the tree. Get in line early, get your pictures taken, and start wandering around the trail. It’s cemented and fairly easy to walk around.

Next, head over to the Congress Trail. Here you can get up close to other Sequoia trees. The path is also paved and you can meander through the giant forest.

The trail will lead you to an area called the Alta trail and a group of trees called The Senate. Make your way around the loop and it will bring you back where you began.

The only way to see the top is to crane your neck! Photo: Gus Tiffer

Lunch Spot for Day 1: head on up to the Lodgepole or Peaks areas for a nice lunch picnic! It’s a good place pause and enjoy this beautiful park. Another quick tip here is to bring your own food for lunch! 

If you’re visiting Sequoia in one day, skip down to Day 2 for more recommendations.

If you have two days, keep reading below.

Explore the Giant Forest Museum and climb Moro Rock

Head 3 miles south to the parking areas near the Giant Forest Museum and look for the Crescent Meadow Shuttle.

Note: Sequoia Shuttles run from late May until early September.

This shuttle will take you to three prominent areas of the park:

• Tunnel Log – a log wide enough for a car to drive through there (unfortunately, the road was closed for driving when we visited).
• Crescent Meadow Picnic Area and Trailhead – take a lovely stroll around Crescent Meadow
• Moro Rock Trail ← this is where you want to go next!

The Moro Rock Trail is a steep staircase that climbs 300 feet to the summit. Although it is a fairly safe staircase (albeit challenging), be careful, drink water, and be mindful of the elevation gain.

At the top, you’ll get stunning views of the Great Western Divide peaks

From the top of Moro Rock. Photo: Gus Tiffer

Head Back

At this point, it’s been a very long day! If you have another day at the park, it’s probably time to head back to your accommodations for dinner and the rest of your night!

Rest up for day 2!

Note: if you skipped here from Day 1, drive through the park to the General Grant Tree.

The main attraction today is General Grant!

Your route should take you from your lodging in Visalia to the Kings Canyon Visitor Center (~56 miles / 1.5 hours).

Note: this route might feel like you are going around ‘the back’ of the park.

Take a stretch break and grab some stickers at the nearby Visitor Center.

From there, it’s a short 4-minute drive to the General Grant parking area.

The General Grant Tree is the 3rd largest tree in the world by volume and it is incredible! It is often referred to as the nation’s Christmas tree. You cake a leisurely stroll along the paved Grant Grove Trail, immersing yourself in the splendor of the surrounding Sequoia grove.

Volume: 46,608 cubic feet

Height: 268 feet

Weight: 1,254 tons

Age: 1,700 years old

Diameter: 40 feet in diameter (the world’s widest known sequoia tree!!)

Grab lunch at Panoramic Point

After visiting the General Grant Tree, drive up to the Panoramic Point Overlook, a winding road that offers stunning views of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. At the top, you’ll find picnic tables and a bathroom, providing a serene setting for a peaceful lunch. Take a short walk to the Panoramic Point Overlook for even more stunning views of the mountain range. 

If you are up for more driving, we’d recommend heading toward the Kings Canyon Entrance sign via Generals Highway 180. From Panoramic Point, it is about 1 hour (~30 miles).

This drive will take you through much of Kings Canyon National Park, right to the middle of the park. There are plenty of pullouts for photos and short walks to find along the way.

Get read to head back!

At this point in the trip, you’ve been doing lots of driving and hopefully plenty of walking and hiking. From our experience, mid-day is about the time we really start to crash.

While there are tons more you can do or see in Sequoia & Kings Canyon, for National Park Newbies, you have hit many of the ‘must-see’ points of interest – congrats!!

From the Kings Canyon Entrance sign back to Visalia is about 2.5 hours. Plan a nice dinner, take a warm shower, and get some rest as you get ready to drive back to Los Angeles the next day (or that same night if you’re bold!)

Los Angeles and Sequoia National Park make for a perfect weekend trip. Out of all the National Parks we have visited thus far, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are some of the parks that have truly felt out of this world.

You can easily imagine large mountains, vast meadows, and big valleys. But we promise that there is nothing like craning your neck up to view the top of a GIANT Sequoia tree. This park is the perfect location for breathtaking views and a memorable experience.

Whether you are taking a day trip to Sequoia, or visiting Sequoia National Park for the first time, Los Angeles is the perfect starting point to get to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park!

We hope you’re able to visit soon!