giant sequoia trees
along a paved path. You
can walk right through
the Fallen Monarch, a
massive, fire-hollowed
trunk that’s done duty as
a cabin, hotel, saloon and
horse stable. For views
of Kings Canyon and
the peaks of the Great
Western Divide, follow
a narrow, winding side
road (closed in winter, no
RVs or trailers) starting
behind John Muir Lodge
up to Panoramic Point.4 p215
The Drive » Kings Canyon
National Park’s main visitor
areas, Grant Grove and
Cedar Grove, are linked by
narrow, twisting Hwy 180,
which dramatically descends
into Kings Canyon. Expect
spectacular views all along thisoutstandingly scenic 30-mile
drive. Warning! Hwy 180 from
the Hume Lake turnoff to Cedar
Grove is closed during winter
(usually mid-November through
mid-April).8 Cedar Grove
Serpentining past
chiseled rock walls laced
with waterfalls, Hwy
180 plunges down to
the Kings River, where
roaring whitewater
ricochets off the granite
cliffs of North America’s
deepest canyon,
technically speaking. Pull
over partway down at
Junction View overlook
for an eyeful, then keep
rolling along the river to
Cedar Grove Village. East
of the village, Zumwalt
Meadow is the place
for spotting birds, mule
deer and black bears. If
the day is hot and your
suit is handy, stroll from
Road’s End to Muir Rock,a large flat-top river
boulder where John Muir
once gave outdoor talks,
now a popular summer
swimming hole. Starting
from Road’s End, a very
popular day hike climbs
4 miles each way to
roaring Mist Falls.4 p215
The Drive » Backtrack from
Road’s End nearly 30 miles up
Hwy 180. Turn left onto Hume
Lake Rd. Curve around the lake
past swimming beaches, turning
right onto 10 Mile Rd, which runs
by US Forest Service (USFS)
campgrounds. At Hwy 198, turn
left and follow the Generals Hwy
(sometimes closed in winter)
south for about 23 miles to
the Wolverton Rd turn-off on
your left.9 Giant Forest
We dare you to try
hugging the trees in
Giant Forest, a 3-sq-mile
grove protecting the
park’s most gargantuan
specimens. Park off
Wolverton Rd and walk
downhill to reach the
world’s biggest living
tree, the General
Sherman Tree, which
towers 275ft into the
sky. With sore arms and
sticky sap fingers, you
can lose the crowds on
any of many forested
trails nearby. The trail
network stretches all the
way south to Crescent
Meadow, a 5-mile one-
way ramble.
By car, drive 2.5 miles
south along the Generals
Hwy to get schooled onTRIP HIGHLIGHTTRIP HIGHLIGHTStart: 8 Cedar Grove
To climb one of California’s most evocative fire
lookouts, drive east of the Generals Hwy on Big
Meadows Rd into the Sequoia National Forest
between between Grant Grove and the Giant Forest.
Follow the signs to staffed Buck Rock Lookout (www.
buckrock.org; Forest Rd 13S04; admission free; husually
9:30am-6pm Jul-Oct). Constructed in 1923, this
active fire lookout allows panoramic views from a
dollhouse-sized cab lording over the horizon from
8500ft atop a granite rise, reached by 172 spindly
stairs. It’s not for anyone with vertigo!BUCK ROCK LOOKOUT
DETOUR:
CENTRAL.CALIFORNIA19
(^) YOSEMITE, SEqUOIA & KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS