There are places that impress you the first time you visit.

Then there are places that quietly invite you back.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are among those rare places. Home to some of the world's largest trees, spectacular mountain scenery, crystal-clear rivers, and abundant wildlife, these neighboring national parks offer an unforgettable experience for visitors of all ages.

This summer, my two daughters and I set out on another California road trip to explore these incredible parks together. Over several days, we stood beneath giant sequoias that have been growing for thousands of years, spotted black bear and deer in their natural habitat, hiked through peaceful forests to Tokopah Falls, and drove some of the most scenic mountain roads in California.

Like many family adventures, not everything went exactly as planned. I even forgot to photograph a few places along the way—including our hotel and some nearby restaurants. Thankfully, my dash camera had been recording our drive, allowing me to capture screenshots afterward so those moments could still become part of our story.

Whether you're planning your very first visit or thinking about returning one day, I hope our experience helps you make the most of your own journey into these remarkable national parks.

Our adventure began in Kings Canyon National Park before continuing south to Three Rivers, where we spent the night and prepared for a full day exploring Sequoia National Park.

After spending our first day exploring Kings Canyon National Park, we stayed at Comfort Inn & Suites Sequoia Kings Canyon in Three Rivers before continuing our adventure into Sequoia National Park the following morning.

For us, it was a practical choice. The hotel sits just outside the park entrance, making it easy to start early in the morning before traffic builds and before temperatures rise during the summer months.

One thing we appreciated most was the convenience. After spending an entire day hiking and sightseeing, we could return to town without driving long distances to find food, fuel, or basic supplies.

If you're planning your own trip, you can check today's rates and availability here:

👉 Comfort Inn & Suites Sequoia Kings Canyon

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Although we stayed at Comfort Inn on this trip, another place holds special memories for our family.

Back in 2016, we stayed at Western Holiday Lodge in Three Rivers during one of our earlier visits to Sequoia National Park. It provided a comfortable place to rest before another full day of exploring giant sequoias, scenic drives, and hiking trails.

If you're comparing accommodations, it's another option worth considering.

👉 Western Holiday Lodge Three Rivers

One pleasant surprise during our stay was discovering how many dining options are available just minutes from the hotel.

Whether you're craving pizza after a long hike, looking for Mexican food, or simply want ice cream on a warm afternoon, Three Rivers has plenty of choices nearby.

Some restaurants we noticed include:

🍕 Pizza Factory – a popular stop for pizza and pasta after a day in the park.

🍔 The Gateway Restaurant & Lodge – American-style meals in a relaxed setting.

🥪 Sierra Subs & Salad – sandwiches, salads, and fresh lunch options.

🍦 Three Rivers Yogurt + Ice Cream – perfect for cooling off after hiking.

You'll also find Mexican restaurants, cafés, local markets, convenience stores, and gas stations nearby, making Three Rivers an excellent base for exploring Sequoia National Park over multiple days.

Travel Tip: We actually forgot to take photos of our hotel and nearby restaurants during the trip. Fortunately, our dash camera was recording throughout the drive, so the images in this section are screenshots captured from that footage. Sometimes a dash cam preserves memories you didn't even realize you would want later.

Our road trip began before most of Southern California had fully woken up. Shortly after 7:00 AM, we left Buena Park and pointed the car toward California's Sierra Nevada. By lunchtime, we had reached the Big Stump Entrance of Kings Canyon National Park, ready to begin our first day among the giant sequoias.

Rather than rushing to find a restaurant, we enjoyed a simple lunch that we had packed and ate inside our car. It gave us a chance to relax, stretch our legs, and recharge before spending the rest of the afternoon exploring one of California's most beautiful national parks.

With lunch finished, we were ready to begin our first hike—General Grant Grove, home to some of the world's largest and oldest giant sequoias.

After spending time among the giant sequoias at General Grant Grove, we continued deeper into Kings Canyon National Park toward one of its most accessible waterfalls—Roaring River Falls.

The drive itself was beautiful, winding through towering forests before opening up to dramatic granite cliffs surrounding the Kings River.

The trail is only a few minutes long, making it a perfect stop for families. Even in the middle of summer, the spray from the waterfall provided a welcome break from the afternoon heat.

Many visitors sat on the rocks or dipped their feet into the icy water while enjoying the peaceful scenery.

Before leaving Kings Canyon National Park, we made one more stop at Grizzly Falls.

Unlike Roaring River Falls, this waterfall sits right beside Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, making it one of the easiest scenic stops in the park. We couldn't resist pulling over for a few minutes to admire another beautiful cascade before continuing toward Sequoia National Park.

Before leaving the park, we stopped one last time at the Kings Canyon Visitor Center.

No national park visit feels complete without browsing the gift shop. We picked up a few souvenirs, collectible hiking pins, and added new cancellation stamps to our National Park Passport book.

If you enjoy collecting memories from America's national parks, consider purchasing a National Park Passport book. Most visitor centers have cancellation stamps unique to each park, making it a fun keepsake for future adventures. We also found plenty of souvenirs and gifts and ended up spending around $100–150 for our family for the whole trip.

As the afternoon came to an end, we left Kings Canyon Visitor Center parking lot, turned left on CA-180 W about 1.4 miles, turned left on General Highway 198 continued through Sequoia National Park before descending the winding mountain road toward Three Rivers, where we would spend the night.

After a full day exploring giant sequoias, waterfalls, and scenic mountain roads, we finally arrived at our hotel shortly after 8:00 PM, checked in and ready for a well-earned dinner.

To end the day, we drove a few minutes from our hotel to River View Grill & Bar.

The restaurant sits alongside the Kaweah River and has a relaxed mountain-town atmosphere that made it a perfect place to unwind after a long day in the parks.

We enjoyed a delicious dinner, friendly service, and a peaceful evening before heading back to the hotel to rest for another full day of adventure.

After breakfast at the hotel shortly after 6:30 a.m., we headed back into Sequoia National Park for what would become the busiest—and most memorable—day of our trip.

One of our first stops was Tunnel Rock, where we took a few photos before continuing deeper into the park. Our original plan was to visit Crescent Meadow and hike Moro Rock in the morning, but parking was already difficult to find. Rather than spend too much time waiting for a space, we changed our plans and headed toward the General Sherman Tree instead.

At the General Sherman area, we parked and hiked down through the forest to see the famous giant sequoia. Standing beneath a tree of this size puts everything into perspective. You can read about giant sequoias and see photographs of them, but it is difficult to understand their scale until you're actually standing there looking up.

After taking some photos and spending time among the giant trees, we continued toward our next adventure: the Tokopah Valley Trail.

The trail begins near Lodgepole and follows the Tokopah Valley toward Tokopah Falls. The sign at the trailhead showed 1.7 miles to Tokopah Falls, which meant we had a good hike ahead of us.

The scenery changed as we walked. At first, we were surrounded by tall forest, ferns and patches of sunlight filtering through the trees.

Farther along, the forest began opening into the valley. We passed beautiful patches of wildflowers and eventually found ourselves surrounded by granite walls and mountain scenery.

Then came one of those unexpected moments that makes a national park trip unforgettable: wildlife.

We spotted a deer quietly moving through the forest.

And we also spotted a black bear.

Eventually, the forest gave way to a much more rugged landscape of granite, mountains and open sky.

And finally, we reached the falls. This round trip took us over 2 hours hiking.

After completing the Tokopah hike, we drove to nearby Lodgepole Market to pick up food for later.

This turned out to be a very convenient stop. Travelers can find food and basic supplies there, which is especially useful when spending an entire day inside the park. There are also public shower facilities in the Lodgepole area, something campers may appreciate.

We picked up sandwiches to go and continued with our evening drive to Moro Rock.

Remember our failed attempt to find parking at Moro Rock that morning?

It actually worked out for the better.

We returned at around 7:00 p.m., when the daytime crowds were beginning to thin out and the sun was getting lower in the sky.

The sign warns visitors what lies ahead: more than 350 steps carved into the granite dome, eventually reaching an elevation of about 6,725 feet.

From below, you can see exactly what you're about to climb.

As we climbed higher, the views became more spectacular with every turn.

And finally, we reached the top.

After a long day that had already included giant sequoias and the Tokopah Valley Trail, standing on top of Moro Rock as the sun went down was a fitting way to finish our last full day in the park.

And then came the reason we had returned in the evening.

As the sun dropped toward the horizon, the mountains and sky turned shades of orange and gold. Everyone seemed to slow down for a few minutes—sitting along the granite, taking photos and simply watching the day disappear behind the Sierra.

After everything we had packed into the day, this was a perfect place to stop and take it all in.

We left Moro Rock sometime after 8:00 p.m. and began the drive back to Three Rivers. By then it was getting dark, making the winding mountain drive feel very different from the drive we'd made during daylight.

We arrived back at the hotel tired after a very full day—but it was the kind of tired that comes after a day well spent.

Our final morning was deliberately much slower.

I enjoyed a full breakfast at the hotel before 9:00 a.m., and afterward we packed everything back into the car. After two busy days exploring Kings Canyon and Sequoia, there was no need to rush.

We checked out and left the hotel at around 11:00 a.m.

Before beginning the long drive home, we stopped at Sierra Subs & Salads to pick up lunch to go.

Then it was time to point the car south and head back toward Southern California.

We arrived in Buena Park at about 4:35 p.m., completed our three-day Kings Canyon and Sequoia road trip.

One question travelers often have is how much a short trip to Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks actually costs. Here is roughly what we spent on our three-day, two-night trip from Buena Park.

That puts the documented trip cost at approximately $1,317–$1,367, not including the food we brought from home or other small snacks and miscellaneous purchases.

The hotel was by far our biggest expense. Gas came to $231.82, including $114.78 starting from Buena Park, $58.78 near the Kings Canyon entrance, and another $58.26 at the Shell station at Three Rivers Market.

We purchased a $70 annual park pass, so that expense wasn't only for this trip—we could use the pass again during the following year. Parking at the places we visited inside the parks was free.

Prices reflect what we paid on our trip and can change depending on travel dates, gas prices, lodging, food choices and current park fees.

Start early—especially for Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow. We tried to visit in the morning but couldn't find a parking spot. Instead of wasting too much time waiting, we changed our plans, visited General Sherman and hiked the Tokopah Valley Trail, then returned to Moro Rock around 7 p.m. That change actually worked out beautifully because we reached the top in time for sunset.

Lodgepole Market is a useful stop. After hiking Tokopah Valley, we stopped there for food to take with us for dinner. It's also a convenient place for supplies, and there are public showers nearby that can be especially useful for campers.

Bring some food with you. We ate lunch in our car after arriving at Big Stump on Day 1. Having food already packed saved time and gave us more flexibility inside the parks.

Don't underestimate the driving. Kings Canyon and Sequoia may look close together on a map, but mountain roads take time. After watching sunset from Moro Rock, we left after 8 p.m. and drove back toward Three Rivers in the dark.

Consider bringing a dash cam on a road trip.

We used our REDTIGER F7NP dash cam throughout this trip. With hours of driving through mountain roads—and some of it after dark—it was useful to have the drive recorded. It even captured some of the wildlife we encountered along the way.

The dash cam we used: REDTIGER F7NP — Check it out on Amazon

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This is an affiliate link, at no extra cost to you.

Be flexible. Parking, crowds and timing can change your plans. Some of our best moments—including that Moro Rock sunset—came because we adjusted the itinerary instead of trying to force the original schedule.

What I liked most about this trip was how much variety we experienced in only three days.

On Day 1, we drove from Buena Park into Kings Canyon, stood beneath giant sequoias at Grant Grove, visited Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls, and eventually made our way to Three Rivers.

Day 2 gave us an entirely different experience: the General Sherman Tree, a hike through Tokopah Valley, deer and a black bear, mountain scenery, and finally a climb to the top of Moro Rock to watch the sunset.

And Day 3 was simply time to slow down, have breakfast, pack the car and enjoy the drive home.

Three days wasn't enough to see everything in these two national parks—and perhaps that's part of the reason I would go back.

There will always be another trail to hike, another giant sequoia to stand beneath, and another view waiting somewhere around the next bend.

Until the next journey, keep exploring.
— Marvin, Wayfare Journal

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