Camping World’s Guide to RVing Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park covers an expansive 1,300 sq. miles and is residence to Mount Whitney, the tallest peak within the decrease 48 of the United States. With roaring mountain rivers, granite peaks, an in depth backcountry, and signature Giant Sequoia bushes, Sequoia National Park brings in over one-million annual guests to expertise its magnificence. 

If you’re in search of the one place on the earth to really feel the immense energy of those storied bushes, then gasoline up your RV and hit the highway. But earlier than you do, right here’s what that you must learn about RVing in Sequoia National Park.

Why Visit Sequoia National Park in an RV?

Have you ever needed to stroll amongst giants? California’s two-for-one nationwide park duo of Sequoia and Kings Canyon permits you to enterprise right into a land of otherworldly bushes that just about appear too grand to be actual. And with these giants rising solely inside a 60-mile space excessive within the Sierra Nevada mountains, it’s the one place you’ll be capable to expertise their energy.

Sequoia National Park is well accessible in underneath 4 hours from Los Angeles, Sacramento, and San Francisco, and may simply be looped right into a National Parks highway journey with Yosemite to the North or Death Valley to the Southeast.

Because Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are in shut proximity, having an RV in your go to to those parks permits you to simply bounce forwards and backwards. You can simply go from seeing General Sherman Tree on the Sequoia aspect of the park to the Zumwalt Meadow on the King’s Canyon aspect on the identical day.

When to Visit Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is open year-round, however seasonal closures can impression what’s and isn’t obtainable to guests throughout colder seasons. For this cause, summer time is usually the height season for exploring the park. However, there’s nonetheless lots to do in case you are planning on visiting within the offseason.

Sequoia National Park within the Spring

Spring guests to Sequoia National Park ought to put together for winter-like circumstances and a few highway closures. So, be sure to’ve geared up your RV with tire chains. You’ll be capable to discover the large sequoia groves whereas nonetheless dusted in white snow, however at milder temperatures than winter within the Sierra Nevada vary. In mid-to-late spring, you’ll be capable to get pleasure from wildflowers on show in lots of the meadows of King’s Canyon.

Sequoia National Park within the Summer

Summer is the height time for Sequoia National Park, with the temperatures reaching delicate highs within the low to mid-70s and dipping right down to chilly evenings and early mornings within the mid-40s. Be ready that among the extra standard locations like General Grant Tree, General Sherman Tree, and Tunnel Log might have waits to get in for these iconic images. 

Sequoia National Park within the Fall

Fall provides related circumstances to the spring season, with season closures and early snows. You’ll commerce out the wildflower blooms for some fall foliage from among the park’s bushes, but when the signature reds, oranges, and yellows of fall are what you’re in search of, we suggest saving Sequoia for an additional time of yr and heading over to Acadia National Park for an autumn journey.

Sequoia National Park within the Winter

Winter-loving adventurers can get pleasure from actions like cross-country snowboarding and snow displaying amongst Sequoia’s large groves within the winter months. Be ready for frequent highway closures and restrictions throughout this season as temperatures are likely to hover within the mid-30s in the course of the day and get as little as the kids in a single day.

Where to Stay

Between Sequoia and Kings Canyon, there are a complete of 9 RV-friendly campgrounds, however solely two of these are open year-round and solely Dorst Creek has designated RV-specific spots. 

Here are your in-park tenting choices:

Staying Outside the Park

If you’re in search of campgrounds with RV hookups close to the park, you could find a number of Good Sam parks inside a two-hour drive of the park entrance.

Invest in a Good Sam Membership and save 10% on nightly stays at Good Sam Campgrounds.

Tips in your Camping Stay

• Reservations might be made by Recreation.gov as much as one month earlier than your keep. 
• Here are your hyperlinks to the reservation websites for the campgrounds above: 

• None of the campgrounds have RV hookups, so remember to prep your RV prior to creating your strategy to your campsite.
• Each park campsite is provided with a fireplace ring, picnic desk, and meals storage field. 
• Check the official map to see the place the campgrounds are situated inside the park.
• If you deliver a generator, working hours are from 9 am to 9 pm in most campgrounds. Dorst Creek and Lodgepole are the exceptions, the place the generator hours run from 8-11 am and 5-8 pm.
• You’ll discover locations to dump your RV waste at Dorst Creek, Lodgepole, and Potwisha campgrounds.
• Check fireplace restrictions earlier than your go to, even when tenting at larger elevations. Consider bringing a propane firepit as an alternative of getting a wood-burning fireplace. 

How to Get Around Sequoia National Park 

Sequoia National Park covers a big space and is most accessible by automotive. All main points of interest might be discovered on paved roads, however due to seasonal snow, you’ll have to test the park service web site forward of time to make sure routes are open.

You can enter the park from the south from Three Rivers or from the north through freeway 180. There’s one key factor to recollect as you intend which route to decide on when visiting Sequoia National Park. How lengthy is your automobile?

If you’re planning to enter from the south, the National Park Service recommends a most automobile size of twenty-two ft on Generals Highway between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum. This path is barely fitted to compact class B RVs.

Do you’ve got an even bigger RV and nonetheless need to discover the park? No downside. Come in on Highway 180 from Fresno, CA. Bring a smaller automobile in your day-to-day travels and also you’ll nonetheless be capable to entry all the things Sequoia National Park has to supply.

There is a free park shuttle that runs from Wuksachi Lodge to Giant Forest Museum that’s sometimes open all through the summer time and over some holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas pending highway circumstances.

Places to Go

With over 600 sq. miles to discover, there’s no scarcity of adventures for all accessibility ranges. Paved paths to landmarks just like the Generals Sherman and Grant bushes permit each customer to expertise the park’s magic.

Backcountry passes to the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails let seasoned backpackers enterprise into the lesser-visited areas of wilderness. Here are some websites to go to in Sequoia National Park.

General Sherman Tree

Standing as a sentinel for over an estimated 2,200 years, the General Sherman Tree is the most important single-stemmed tree on the earth. Only a brief half-mile stroll on a paved path, the General Sherman Tree within the Giant Forest sequoia grove permits explorers of all ages and health ranges to have the ability to expertise one of many pure wonders of the world.

General Grant Tree

Second solely to the General Sherman Tree, General Grant Tree is one other easily-accessible Sequoia large. Nicknamed the Nation’s Christmas Tree, you could find it alongside the paved 1/3-mile path in Grant Grove. Check out Fallen Monarch when you’re there. It’s a hollowed-out large sequoia trunk you may wander by to expertise how giant these bushes are.

Giant Forest Museum

While you’re on the General Sherman Tree, remember to cease within the Giant Forest Museum. You’ll be capable to dive into the historical past of the world, the bushes, and extra. Be positive to get your National Parks passport stamped by one of many rangers when you’re there.

Crystal Cave

Discover what’s underneath the mountain surroundings by entering into Crystal Cave. Explore a half-mile of the marble cavern on this guided tour. Because the cave is standard, purchase your tickets forward of time and plan for a few half-day journey, together with drive time. The hike to the cave entrance is steep and might be difficult for some guests.

Zumwalt Meadow in Cedar Grove

Nestled in a extra distant a part of the park, Zumwalt Meadow is a peaceable place to absorb the encircling Sierra Nevada peaks. Take one of many aspect trails and enterprise alongside Kings River and Roaring River Falls. Check highway closures earlier than you go, as Highway 180 into Cedar Grove is barely open from May via October. 

Boyden Cavern

Wanted to do a Crystal Cave tour however missed out on getting tickets? Boyden Cavern is equally worthy of exploration. This one is technically within the Sequoia National Forest between the 2 parks, however you’ll cross it on the best way into Kings Canyon alongside Highway 180. 

The stroll as much as the cave entrance is steep, however the remainder of this guided tour could be very accessible. You’ll even get to expertise a complete blackout as guides flip off all lights permitting you to expertise the identical darkness its first explorers did.

Things to Do in Sequoia National Park

Whether you’re an energetic or passive explorer, this two-for-one park has all the things from sightseeing to mountaineering to mountaineering and extra. 

Hiking

There are greater than 100 maintained trails all through the park, with elevation modifications starting from underneath 10 ft to over 18,000 ft. Some of the extra standard trails embrace:

• Moro Rock Trail (0.5 mi)
• Tokopah Falls Trail (3.8 mi)
• Congress Trail (2.9 mi)
• Marble Falls Trail (7.8 mi)
• Lakes Trail (11.6 mi)

Fishing

Several mountain streams run by Sequoia and Kings Canyon making these nationwide parks nice spots to fish. There is quite a lot of river trout that anglers can attempt to catch, however remember that you will have a fishing license for anybody 16 years or older.

Backpacking

Explore greater than 800 miles of maintained backcountry trails on a multi-day backpacking journey, for which you’ll want a Wilderness Permit. Plan forward, as there are restricted park companies when you step into the wild. Come geared up together with your gear, meals, and bear-safe storage. You can reserve permits as much as six months prematurely throughout quota seasons.

Birdwatching

More than 200 species of birds name the Sierra Nevada mountains residence or make their approach by seasonally. Grab your binoculars and print out this guidelines from the National Park Service and see what number of you could find.

Rock Climbing

Get a unique viewpoint scaling the cliff faces all through the park. Though not as well-known as climbs like El Cap in Yosemite, each Sequoia and Kings Canyon have an abundance of granite mountains good for climbers of all abilities.

What to Bring and How to Prepare

Because not one of the campgrounds in Sequoia National Park have RV hookups and there are only some dump stations, be ready for an off-grid expertise.

• Food & Drink: There are seven eating places in or close to the park. If you want a resupply, refill your tenting cooler at a common retailer in Three Rivers or Hume Lake. If you’re in search of a cooler, try RV.com’s assessment of the YETI Roadie 48.
• Wildlife Deterrents: Bears are native to the park, so guarantee all meals is saved safely away when unattended. Campsites have bear containers however deliver further meals storage for an prolonged keep. If you hit the paths, it’s at all times really useful that you’ve got bear spray in your security.
• Portable Power Station: Because the park doesn’t have electrical hookups, a transportable energy station is a good addition to your tenting setup. Check out RV.com’s assessment of the BioLite BaseCharge 1500 Portable Power Station.
• Hiking Gear: While lots of the park’s most visited areas are paved, maintain mountaineering gear readily available to simply discover the park’s trails. Sturdy boots defend your ft, water sneakers are a should for creek crossings, and trekking poles present steadiness on uneven terrain. If you’re planning on doing a hike longer than 1 mile, deliver alongside a hydration pack with water to make sure you keep hydrated.
• Extra Layers: Even when visiting in the summertime, Sequoia and Kings Canyon can each get chilly in a single day and within the early mornings. Light layers will show you how to keep heat in the course of the chillier instances and mean you can regulate as issues heat up all through the day.
• Generators: You are by yourself with the facility you present, so that you might be as superior or primitive as you would like. It’s at all times good to have a generator as a backup only for emergencies. 
• Extra Fuel: There aren’t any service stations inside the park, however you may replenish a moveable gasoline can in close by cities like Three Rivers and Hume Lake.

Brief History of Sequoia National Park

The Sierra Nevada Mountains have been residence to indigenous nations since lengthy earlier than America was based. Many of their descendants stay stewards of the land immediately. 

Sequoia is the United States’ second formally designated nationwide park and gained its standing on September 25, 1890, due to President Benjamin Harrison. It was the primary park solely devoted to defending a residing organism, the park’s namesake the Giant Sequoia. 

In 1940, Kings Canyon was added to the record of nationwide parks by Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the 2 parks stay related and maintained collectively. Over 95% of the park is assessed as wilderness, that means there are restricted assets, companies, and maintained trails.

But the wilderness nonetheless sees lots of of hikers annually alongside the John Muir and Pacific Crest Trails. Experienced hikers come from throughout to summit the very best peak within the contiguous 48 states, Mt. Whitney, which stands at 14,505 ft.

The parks invite over a million annual guests to stroll amongst giants which were standing as guardians of the High Sierras for over 2,000 years. And you and your RV are on the visitor record to hitch them.

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Plan your subsequent journey to the nationwide parks in an RV. Rent an RV, trade-in your RV, or purchase a brand new or used RV and begin touring for lower than $5 a day.

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