Sequoia National Park Packages/Deals & Travel Agents Near Me

8-Nights Northern California's Finest

Price: $4,289 - # of Days: 8 days
Southern California may be known for its stars, but northern California is the home of true legends. Despite the absence of paparazzi, you’ll hear countless shutters click as you enjoy a scenic tram ride through stunning Yosemite and coast along Monterey’s jaw-dropping 17-Mile Drive. From the hilly ...

 Package Details

7-Nights California's Great National Parks

Price: $3,659 - # of Days: 7 days
California's Great National ParksLarger-than-life sequoias frame your path through the Land of the Giants - experience the natural wonders of California National Parks. Gain fascinating insight and MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® as you meet a climber within Yosemite National Park to learn first-hand about the ...

 Package Details

8-Nights California High Country Adventure

Price: $3,695 - # of Days: 8 days
California High Country AdventureAdventure awaits you in the incredible landscapes of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. With destinations including Yosemite National Park, Mammoth Lakes, and Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks. Enjoy a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER®  Experience meeting a climber in Yosem...

 Package Details

7-Nights Yosemite and Sequoia: John Muir's California - Land Journey

Price: $6,790 - # of Days: 7 days
Yosemite and Sequoia: John Muir's California At his first breathtaking view of Yosemite in 1869, young John Muir had a life-changing moment – a surge of euphoria as he wandered, overwhelmed in the great natural beauty of a landscape unlike anything he had seen before… Follo...

 Package Details

8-Nights Natural Highlights of California - National Geographic Journeys

Price: $4,099 - # of Days: 8 days
Natural Highlights of California Marvel at the natural splendor of California as you delve deep into its incredible national parks. Gaze up at 100-foot-tall sand dunes and the towering trees of Sequoia National Park. Be surprised by the abundance of life that flourishes amid the depths of Death Vall...

 Package Details

14-Nights National Parks of the American West - National Geographic Journeys

Price: $7,399 - # of Days: 14 days
National Parks of the American West From Death Valley to the Grand Canyon, the American West features an astonishing array of geological extremes. Journey to seven incredible national parks in Utah, Arizona, and California, and gain new perspectives from scientists, naturalists, and other local expe...

 Package Details

Overview

Introduction

Located in the Sierra Nevada Mountains east of Fresno, Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks are truly spectacular, and a rival to Yosemite National Park, which they closely resemble. The only roads through the contiguous parks, which are administered as a single unit, are a 45-mi/75-km scenic and extremely sinuous mountain drive known as the Generals Highway (in Sequoia) and King's Highway (in the less visited and more northerly King's Canyon). To get a good look at the area, however, you should park the car and take some of the short hiking trails. http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm.

In addition to rugged mountains, vast canyons, sparkling rivers and streams, and wonderful horse and hiking trails, Sequoia is an impressive showcase for the massive redwood trees it's named for. Among the specimens are giant sequoias named General Sherman and General Grant, both as tall as 26-story buildings and more than 2,000 years old.

General Grant, which was designated the Nation's Christmas Tree by Congress, is located in Grant Grove, close to the Kings Canyon Visitors Center (celebrations are held at the tree every Christmas), and General Sherman is close to the Lodgepole Visitor Center in Sequoia National Park. The Giant Forest Museum in Sequoia National Park contains exhibits about the ecology of the park's massive trees.

Spring brings warmer weather and wildflowers to the foothills. However, the Sequoia groves could still be snowy and rivers are swift and dangerous. Crystal Cave opens in May. Summer is the most active season with hot and dry foothills and melted snow creating pretty lakes and rivers. In the autumn, facilities will begin to reduce hours or close down. There may be light snow starting as early as late October. Crystal Cave closes in late November. Winter is the quietest season as snow blanket the groves in a peaceful white. Wildflowers will start in the foothills as early as January.

Wild animals (bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, mule deer and black bears) are plentiful in the parks. So are recreational activities, including camping, cave tours (Crystal Cave in Lodgepole and Bouden Cave near Cedar Grove) and cross-country skiing.

The John Muir/Pacific Crest Trail extends through both parks, and any stretch of it will reward hikers or backpackers with terrific views. The Pacific Crest Trail continues out of Kings Canyon and north into Yosemite National Park—in fact, it runs all the way from Mexico to Canada.

Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the continental U.S. (14,494 ft/4,418 m), is on the eastern edge of Sequoia National Park, but most people can't get there from the western side of the park—where the King's Highway is—without a very lengthy roundabout trip. The reason is the Sierra Nevada mountains: They're too rugged for a road to cross them, though backpackers in top form could take the extremely demanding 30-mi/48-km direct route.

Mount Whitney is usually accessed from Whitney Portal near Lone Pine, on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. It's possible to hike to the summit as a very ambitious day trip (in summer only), but be prepared for an arduous climb and the possibility of extremely cold and windy weather.

North of Sequoia, toward Yosemite National Park, is Sierra Summit, a popular ski resort for Central Valley residents with nine lifts and a lot of intermediate level terrain.