Sequoia and Kings Canyon, CA

[SEAL]

Hi,

I have some questions about Sequoia (SNP) and Kings Canyon (KC) national parks, where my gf and I would like to go to during the summer. Hopefully someone can provide me with some 'real life experience', because I'm getting a bit overwhelmed by the hundreds of websites which all say different things.

We want to stay in SNP and KC for four nights. We have already reserved two nights in KC's lodge called Cedar Grove. These days we're gonna hike and all that good stuff.

After these two nights, we would like to move downwards to Sequoia, since the end destination is Los Angeles. Can anyone recommend a good hotel in Sequoia? And some activities/ "must see" parts?
Any advice would be great in this subject. I'm leaning towards staying as close as possible to Mineral Kings.

Also, I'dd love to go white water rafting. I've never done this before and the closest non-hardcore river in the neighbourhood is Merced River. But this is also classified as a class 3 / 4. Is this class way to advanced for a beginner? Or are the warnings overrated, and mainly to scare of the fat and old people?

Thanks in advance

[Blocks]

So, I grew up in Fresno, which is just a couple hours from both parks. I've been to both several times, though really only Kings Canyon as an adult. I've only day-tripped or camped out of thriftiness/poorness, so I can't comment on lodges except for their location and maybe exterior.

Kings Canyon:
That's a good spot to stay, down in the canyon. Make sure to stop at Grant Grove on your way in or out. The road that goes by Hume Lake is probably not worth taking, because it's slow. Stop at Roaring River Falls and Zumwalt Meadow, they only take a few minutes. In the Cedar Grove area, I highly recommend the Mist Falls trail.

Sequoia:
The reason I haven't been to Sequoia for a long time is I don't think it's quite as impressive. I'm spoiled by Yosemite (which you should visit if you haven't) and Death Valley (which is my favorite national park). It's pretty sad, but off the top of my head, I can't think of anything to recommend. Except maybe to stay another day in Kings Canyon. :-P

If you've never been whitewater rafting before I suggest you sign on with a tour group. Yeah, it's kind of lame, but it's safer and probably more enjoyable. The warnings are legit, the Kings and Merced Rivers are dangerous, people die every year. The water's icy cold and fast-flowing. I am neither old nor fat and the rivers scare me. I've only been once (not with a group) and I wouldn't do that again. I'd go with a group though.

Hope some of that is helpful, and I'll reply with more if I can think of anything about Sequoia. If you've got specific questions too, I might be able to answer them. Have fun on your California trip.

[SEAL]

Thanks for the reply Blocks.
It helped a lot and made follow your lead. It’s better to skip Sequoia and visit Yosemite.
The orriginal plan was to stay geographicly as low as possible, so that the drive towards LA would be short.

I have found direct flights from EWR to SFO (instead of LAX), so immidiate after arriving I want to drive towards Merced (*1).

The next morning we want to do a 1-whole-day Merced River rafting. After this we want to drive to the Wawona hotel in Yosemite. (*2)
We want to stay in Yosemite for for 2 nights (*3) and then drive to Kings Caynon and do the things i wrote before.
After that we will goto LA and from there fligh back to EWR.

Thanks Blocks


Four questions:
*1. Do you recommend a hotel/ motel over there? Because of the long flight, and with the time difference, and considering we’re going to drive for 2.5 hours, we will crash immidiate at the hotel/motel. What must be good is the matres and the geographic location (meaning, close to the Merced River Rafting area). Expedia shows “Super 8 Motel” for only 50 buck a night, and the user rating are good. I’m leaning towards that one. (i don't want to exceed 100 bucks on this night)

*2 Wawona seems to be the only place availible right now, the rest is fully booked. Is Wawona a good place to stay, location wise?

*3. The “new problem” with Yosemity is that there is just so much to do/see. For a first timer, what do you recommend to see? I read that the Yosemite Falls is dried up in mid July? Do you have, for example, a top 3 things? (there's alot of info on the web.. it's overwelming actually). Would you recommend certain hikes (no longer than 4 hours? Is the Wawona a good place to stay, location wise?


Do you recommend the following trip, or do you have anything to add?

[Galleleo]

Eerst dacht ik dat je al naar Yosemite geweest was omdat die niet op de lijst stond, maar ik kan Yosemite zeker aanraden, een van de mooiste parken waar ik ooit ben geweest.

Ik ben toen vanaf Lee Vining gekomen over de 120 door Yosemite heen, maar als jij uit Wawona komt is die voor jou niet interessant. Wij waren daar in het voorjaar (begin Juni) en toen waren de watervallen volop bezig, dus als je in Juli komt zou ik denken dat ze er nog wel zijn, misschien niet meer met dezelfde kracht, maar ze moeten er zeker nog zijn (zou ik denken). Als je vanuit Wawona komt heb je op een gegeven moment valk bij Yosemite Valley een tunnel en vlak daar na zit een uitzichts punt wat je een fantastisch uitzicht geeft over Yosemite Valley. Deze foto is daar gemaakt en dat is later op de dag gedaan.



Volgens mij zit je in Wawona qua afstand harstikke goed, wij zaten een stukje verder buiten het park, stukje rijden langs de merced river en wij waren er in drie kwartier volgens mij, dus Wawona is denk ik een half uur (misschien iets langer omdat je veel berg weg hebt), goed te doen in elk geval. Daarnaast zit je in Wawona vlak bij Mariposa Grove waar ze ook Sequoia bomen hebben. Dus je kunt die bomen daar zien (wel onder voorbehoud, misschien heb ik de tijden verkeerd onthouden, maar ik ben er wel zeker van dat het niet zo lang duurt).

Een andere plek waar je heen zou moeten rijden is Glacier Point, Glacier Point Road kom je tegen onderweg van Wawona naar Yosemite Valley, dus die kun je onderweg mee pakken, levert ook fantastische views op over de Valley. Daar komt deze foto vandaan



Verder in Yosemite Valley, de wandeling naar Mirror Lake en de wandeling die daaromheen ligt is wel tof, niet zo heel lang, maar op zich wel tof. En verder zijn er zoveel hikes mogelijk dat het moeilijk is om te zeggen welke je zou moeten nemen. Volgens mij is de John Muir Trail wel populair, kun je naar verschillende watervallen toe, zoals de Nevada en Vernal Fall en iets verder weg, Illilouette fall. Je kunt ook helemaal naar de Half Dome lopen, is een langere trail maar kom je wel langs de Little Yosemite Valley. Is ook veel stijgen en dalen natuurlijk.

Ik zou zeggen, als je twee dagen hebt. Ga op de eerste dag langs Glacier Point en rij door naar Yosemite Valley, je krijgt automatisch dat eerste viewpoint als je vanuit Wawona komt dus daar hoef je niks speciaals voor te doen. Vervolgens zou ik die eerste dag gewoon de bus pakken die rondrijd in Yosemite Valley (je moet sowieso parkeren en met de bus) en dan gewoon alle dingen bekijken die dicht bij die haltes ligt en het visitor centre bezoeken en daar eens vragen welke trails nou echt super tof zijn om op de tweede dag te doen.

Ik vond zelf Mirror Lake wel cool, het is een klein stukje lopen vanaf de bus naar Mirror Lake zelf, en dan loopt er vanaf mirror lake nog een trail in een grote boog erom heen om zo maar te zeggen (gaat verder dan alleen Mirror Lake) bij ons was die toen afgesloten omdat er wat naar beneden was gekomen dat het trail blokkeerde maar ik neem aan dat je weer helemaal rond kunt. En anders kun je naar een van de watervallen, Mirror Lake is zeg maar Noord-Oost in de Valley en de drie watervallen liggen op Zuid-Oost. Maar er is inderdaad super veel te zien en zelf een week is eigenlijk niet genoeg. Dus ik zou aanraden de eerste dag alles te bezoeken waar de bus langs rijdt, en wat op loop afstand ligt en vandaaruit te bepalen wat je op de tweede dag wilt gaan doen (Mariposa Grove zou ik ook bezoeken, met de Sequoia's, maar dat is heel dicht bij Wawona en zou ook op de eerste dag kunnen want dat duurt ook niet zo heel lang, om daar rond te lopen).

Edit: Ik kan de map proberen in te scannen als je wilt.

[Blocks]

Cool, I like your new plan. If you can find a flight into OAK instead of SFO, it will make your tired drive more pleasant. SFO isn't too well situated for going east. If you land at OAK you'll start in San Leandro. It's not that big a deal though.

1. Hotels around Modesto/Turlock/Merced are pretty cheap. Super 8 is definitely a budget hotel in the United States. I've stayed in a few and have been pretty happy. That one is cheap and the reviews are good, so I say go for it. Don't stay here if you're trying to impress your girlfriend.

2. Yosemite gets packed with people in the summer. Wawona isn't a bad place to stay, but if you can get a place in the valley (Curry Village), that's much better. There are often tent cabins / cabins / cottages available there if you're down with that. Check here for availability: http://www.yosemitepark.com

3. When you're entering Yosemite Valley, you'll go through a tunnel, and right on the other side will be a small parking area with the first view of the valley. Make sure to stop there for a few minutes. That's where Galleleo's first picture is from (nice picture dude).

Top hike in my opinion under four hours is to Vernal Falls (3.5 mi RT) and on to Nevada Falls (7 mi RT total) if you're feeling it. It starts near the valley floor, you can either park at the trailhead or take a bus there. Be mindful of the signs to not swim above the falls, plenty of people have died there.

I recommend having a picnic somewhere quiet on the valley floor.

The view from Glacier Point is worth seeing, and the drive there is nice as well.

For me, Half Dome is the ultimate destination in Yosemite. It takes a whole day though, 17 miles RT and almost a mile in elevation gain (and then elevation loss on the way back).

Lastly here's a few of my pictures from Yosemite.


Vernal Falls in early summer.


The last part of the trail up to Half Dome.


A friend and me at the top of Half Dome.

[kthx]

Normally I would troll this but damn that is some nice scenery, and props for actually going outside into the wilderness for a bit, I love hiking and camping in my area also.

[Galleleo]

3. When you're entering Yosemite Valley, you'll go through a tunnel, and right on the other side will be a small parking area with the first view of the valley. Make sure to stop there for a few minutes. That's where Galleleo's first picture is from (nice picture dude).

Haha, that's like an exact translation of what I said ^-^

[SEAL]

Thanks for advices.

So curry village it is!

On the Tuesday morning we will arrive in Yosemite, and Friday night we want to be in Los Angeles. Would you recommend:
I Stay in Yosemite on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Then on Friday, take a solid 8 hour drive back to LA (including stops, etc)
II Drive to Santa Barbara on Thursday, and then do a relaxed coastal drive to LA on Friday. Do some stops, etc. (my Jersey girl really wants to do this, so I'm not sure if there is an option.. if you know what i mean)

Any thoughts?

One more thing. The reason that we are flying to SFO, instead of OAK, or Fresno, is because SFO is the only airport offering direct flights. Since you have lived in that area, am I wrong? I've looked at Sacramento, OAK and Fresno..

Again, thanks alot.

[Galleleo]

I would go for the Highway 1 drive to LA, that is a pretty awesome drive.

[Blocks]

Just make sure you are okay with what you get in Curry Village. Some of the accommodations are primitive / shared bathrooms.

The drive on the coast is really nice, but beware that Highway 1 is pretty slow. I think your plan II sounds good.

No direct flights from EWR to OAK. There are from JFK though, but if you already know you're flying in to EWR that doesn't help you. Fresno, despite having 600,000 people in the metropolitan area, has crappy air routes. SFO's not thaaat much further, plus you'll get to see SF as you drive through.

[Galleleo]

Make sure you drive up to Glacier Point (you'll go past the tunnel at the same time).