The deepest canyon in the U.S. is not the Grand Canyon, it is Kings Canyon. While the famous gorge in Arizona is 6,001 feet deep, Kings Canyon reaches up to 8,200 feet (according to the Guinness Book of World Records).
We left the RV in the Riverbend RV Park in Sanger, CA and drove the Jeep to Sequoia, Yosemite, and Kings Canyon National Parks on Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the same week. The date for our Kings Canyon visit was Friday, May 27, 2022.
A small section of Kings Canyon National Park is separated from the main section by a 25 mile scenic drive. We drove to the visitor center for Kings Canyon in the small section and also visited the General Grant Tree area. Then we traveled the 25 miles north and east through the Sequoia National Forest. When we reached the large eastern section of Kings Canyon we drove the length (seven miles) of Kings Canyon Road to the end, which is less than halfway through the park. This area is called "Roads End" and has primitive camping and hiking trails. At Roads End the most unused, primitive trails in the Park and the Sierra Nevada Mountains begin.
Near the Visitor Center~
General Grant Tree, the only sequoia tree that can compete with the General Sherman which is in Sequoia National Park. Almost 1700 years old, this giant is among the largest trees on the planet.
Near General Grant is the Fallen Monarch, a huge tree that has fallen to the ground and is now “visitable” inside.
The sights along the Kings Canyon Road ~
On the ride through the canyon we stopped at a scenic viewpoint. Ken was wearing his favorite hat and it blew away. So Crazy Ken climbed down a few feet to retrieve his hat. Please don't tell his mom!
Zumwalt Meadow Trail, a slightly different excursion from the others. You walk across a footbridge and hike over large rocks and also mushy areas. A 1.5 mile hike with minimal elevation change.
Roaring River Falls
Grizzley Falls
Panoramic Point
Whew! What a week. Sequoia, Yosemite and Kings Canyon were all absolutely beautiful and we had great weather. After leaving this area (Sanger, CA) we stayed in Redding, CA for six nights and visited Lassen Volcanic National Park, then moved to Hiouchi, CA for eight nights where the RV park was one mile from Redwood National Park. After Redwood we left California and traveled to Prospect, Oregon and stayed there for four nights to visit Crater Lake National Park.
Today is June 19th and we are resting in the Columbia Sun RV Resort in Kennewick, Washington for a week. Ken has work to do and I have a lot of photo editing and writing to do. It may not look like it but each blog takes hours. I really appreciate the special people who take the time to read them!