11 Can’t Miss Things to do in Kings Canyon With Kids!
Kings Canyon National Park is a TOTALLY underrated National Park. Did you know that it has the deepest canyon in the entire United States? Even deeper than the Grand Canyon! The scenic drives, short hikes, and massive Sequoia trees are all beautiful features of this trail and make it a worthwhile stop if you’re planning to visit Sequoia National Park. Here are all of our favorite things to do in Kings Canyon with kids.
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1. Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
One can’t miss activity in Kings Canyon is driving the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. This 50 mile road winds through the park with some epic scenic views all the way to the start of the backcountry area at Road’s End. There are tons of beautiful viewpoints, hikes, and other stops to do along the road. It’s definitely one of the top 5 most beautiful drives we’ve made!
When you are heading into Kings Canyon, you’ll actually have to leave and re-enter the park when you leave the Grant Grove area. You’ll also technically leave the park if you visit the Hume Lake area since this is outside of the park boundary.
TIP: This road is very windy and narrow. If you are traveling with any equipment bigger than a car or truck, check if you are able to tow that down the road safely. Also plan appropriately for gas because there is no gas down at the bottom of the canyon!
Here is guidance for driving through Sequoia & Kings Canyon with oversized vehicles.
You actually have to leave the park and re-enter after visiting the Grant Grove region. The road is very narrow and windy, but the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway was one of the top 5 most beautiful drives I’ve made, especially because I got to be passenger princess while my husband drove!
2. Hike to the General Grant Tree
Distance: 0.7 miles
Elevation: 32 feet
Stroller friendly? Yes
The General Grant Tree Trail is a short, family friendly loop that passes by the second largest tree in the world, General Grant. This trail is a great area to explore to see more of the magical Sequoia groves that make both Sequoia and Kings Canyon special.
Along the trail, you can also walk through a tunnel that was made from a fallen Sequoia tree. One of our favorite parts of the trail!
3. Explore the Big Stump Loop
Distance: 1.7 miles
Elevation: 196 feet
Stroller friendly? No
The Big Stump loop might not be the most scenic trail in the park, but it does have some really important history. Here, you can see a “Sequoia Graveyard” where the area was logged completely. This trail is a good reminder of what Sequoia and Kings Canyon would have looked like if advocates didn’t step in to protect the trees.
Also on this trail, you can see the 16 foot diameter stump. The Army cut down this tree so it could be displayed to crowds in New York and London since many people didn’t believe trees could grow so big.
Looking for more hikes? We’ve got you covered with the best Easy Hikes in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park!
4. See the Views at Panoramic Point
The Panoramic Point Viewpoint is a stop along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway that provides incredible views of the Sierra Mountains and Hume Lake below. The viewpoint is 7500 feet above the valley below. There are hiking trails from this stop as well. The view is comparable to Beetle Rock in Sequoia National Park. It’s a great place to experience the sunrise or sunset as well.
5. Explore Hume Lake
Hume Lake is not actually part of Kings Canyon National Park, but if you’re driving the Scenic Byway, you’ll pass right by it. It’s actually owned by a Christian Kids Camp, but you can make a stop here and enjoy the beautiful views. Seasonally, you can rent kayaks and boats as well as take a swim!
It’s also a great spot to fill up with gas (your last chance!) and grab a snack at the little grocery store. It’s really a beautiful area, and additionally, you can camp if you’re wanting to stay in the area.
6. Hike Around Zumwalt Meadow
Zumwalt Meadow is a great Kings Canyon hike and our favorite stop of the Cedar Grove Region. I think this trail used to be a loop, but was damaged by wildfires. So it’s now a 1.5 miles out and back. We did also extend our hike to Muir Rock which made the hike longer.
On this trail, you’ll see the canyon walls alongside beautiful meadows and get to walk through one of the deepest parts of the canyon. This trail would be absolutely stunning early in the morning or in the evenings and a great spot to see wildlife. We hiked mid day and it was still beautiful but very hot!
7. Swim at Muir Rock
Muir Rock is located at Road’s End in Kings Canyon. You can either park at Road’s End, or extend your Zumwalt Meadow hike to get to this swimming hole. We stayed in the shallow areas which felt very safe at the time for our kids. However, currents could change so be very careful if you decide to swim in this area. It’s always a good idea to talk to a ranger before swimming in a new place! We did also see people jumping off of rocks here.
8. See Roaring River Falls
Roaring River Falls is a very low effort waterfall to see. It’s only a few steps off the road (0.3 miles roundtrip!) so definitely easy to check out with little ones in tow. Since it’s such a low effort hike, it can get very crowded mid day. If you can make this stop early in the morning I would highly recommend it to avoid people!
9. Get Your Passport Stamped
A favorite family tradition of ours is to get our passport stamped at the Visitor Center of all the National Parks we visit. The places you can get your passport stamped in Kings Canyon are:
- Cedar Grove Visitor Center
- Kings Canyon Visitor Center
Don’t forget to get your passport stamped in Sequoia National Park too! Here are all of our favorite things to do in Sequoia National Park with kids!
10. Grab a Bite to Eat in the Park
There aren’t a ton of options for eating in Kings Canyon National Park, but there are a few you should know about. Of course, you can always pack your peanut butter sandwiches, but sometimes it’s fun to experience the National Parks while enjoying a nice meal!
The Grant Grove Restaurant is a sit down restaurant that has breakfast options and also lunch and dinner. The menu for lunch and dinner is fairly standard sandwiches, burgers, and salads. They also have a kids menu featuring mac and cheese or grilled cheese sandwiches. They also have beer and wine options!
We chose to grab lunch at the Cedar Grove Grill. They have some basic options of sandwiches and burgers and are more of a fast casual type of atmosphere. It wasn’t anything overly special, but the burger did hit the spot after a day of hiking. This restaurant is located further down in the canyon compared to the Grant Grove Restaurant.
11. Stop For Ice Cream Along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway
One thing we were very surprised (and excited!) to find was ice cream along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. I wasn’t able to find this ice cream stop anywhere on the map, but we followed the sign and sure enough there was ice cream there! You can find this ice cream stop at the Kings Canyon Campground just after the Junction View Overlook.
Just make sure to look for signs since you may not be able to map yourself there.
What else did you love doing in Kings Canyon National Park? We found this park to be so underrated! There are so many amazing things to do with kids in Kings Canyon. And you definitely shouldn’t skip it if you’re visiting Sequoia National Park since they are connected.
Planning more of your trip? Here is our Ultimate Guide to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park with Kids! And before your trip, get your kids excited with this list of the best books to read before visiting Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park.
