Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Road Trip: Best Route, Stops, & Itinerary

The road trip from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park is just over 200 miles and takes roughly 4 to 5.5 hours depending on traffic. We left LA early and arrived at the park by mid-morning which gave us a full day to explore.

I’ve done this drive myself, picking my mom up at LAX and heading north through the Central Valley before climbing into the Sierra Nevada foothills. It’s one of my favorite California road trips! The route is mostly straightforward, and there are several great stops along the way.

This guide covers the best route from LA to Sequoia National Park, what to stop for along the way, a full Sequoia itinerary, bonus time in Kings Canyon, and where to stay.

If you’re doing the drive as a day trip, I also have a dedicated Sequoia National Park day trip from Los Angeles guide with a tighter itinerary built for one long day.

In this article:

• How far is Sequoia from Los Angeles (+ drive time)
• Best route and road trip map
• Best stops along the drive
• Sequoia National Park itinerary
• Kings Canyon itinerary
• Where to stay

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If you don’t want to drive, there are also private group tours available. They include transportation from LA to Sequoia and back, plus a guide.

How Far Is Sequoia National Park From Los Angeles

The drive from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park is just over 200 miles — plan for 4 hours minimum, and closer to 5.5 hours if you hit any LA traffic.

My mom loved the miles upon miles of orange groves driving through Bakersfield, and I loved the smell of pine trees and the steep mountain roads as we got closer to Sequoia National Park.

The last stretch (from Three Rivers to the park entrance) is a winding mountain road that takes longer than the mileage suggests.

TIP: Past Bakersfield, our cell reception was spotty. Download your maps before you leave.

Road Trip Map: Los Angeles To Sequoia And Kings Canyon

Use this map to plan your stops. Items are color-coded by park and labeled by activity type.

Best Stops On The Drive From Los Angeles To Sequoia

The LA-to-Sequoia drive runs mostly through flat Central Valley farmland. It’s not the most dramatic stretch of road, but there are a few stops worth building in, especially if you’re leaving a day early or want to break up the drive.

Santa Clarita: Wineries & Parks

Santa Clarita is only 35-minutes from LA and is a fun town to spend a few hours in.

You can taste wines at vineyards like Agua Dulce Winery, enjoy a hike at Placerita Canyon Nature Center or check out the neat tilted rock formations at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area.

Six Flags Magic Mountain is just past Santa Clarita and is a popular theme park. Rides like Twisted Colossus, Goliath, and X2 are fan favorites.

Bakersfield: Farm Stands & Festivals

Bakersfield is large farming community roughly halfway between LA and Sequoia National Park.

During harvest season, Murray Family Farms is worth a stop for fresh fruit. Depending on when you visit, you can pick your own or attend a seasonal festival like a pumpkin or sunflower festival, or even Christmas At The Farm.

Antelope Valley Poppy Flowers (March – May Only)

If you’re visiting between March and May and the conditions are right, a detour to Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is worth a short detour.

It’s approximately an hour off the route, but the rolling hills exploding with California poppies are worth the extra drive.

TIP: Check the live camera before committing, since the bloom is short and exact dates change vary by year.

My trip was in early March and the poppies hadn’t come in yet, so we skipped it.

Three Rivers: Last Stop Before Sequoia

Three Rivers sits right outside Sequoia’s south entrance and is the last town you’ll pass through before the park. It’s fairly small but packed with tons of mountain charm.

The Orange Works is a café a few minutes outside of town with a great pastrami sandwich and homemade orange ice cream.

Tony’s Taverna On Wheels is a delicious food truck in Three Rivers with famous greek food like gyros and falafel pitas.

Slick Rock Recreation Area on the Kaweah River is a good stop to stretch your legs and cool off. There’s a $10 parking fee, and when the water level is calm the smooth rocks create a natural water slide!

Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Day Trip

It is possible to do this as a day trip from LA, just know you’re looking at about 10 hours of total driving (5 hours each way), which means your time in the park is limited to roughly 2.5 to 3 hours.

My short recommendation: leave before 6am, skip the road trip stops, go straight to the park and hit Foothills Visitor Center → Moro Rock → Tunnel Log/Crescent Meadow → General Sherman.

If you can, spend the night in Visalia on the way back rather than driving all the way to LA after dark.

For the full day trip itinerary with timing, alternatives if you want to make a weekend of it, and tips for making the most of limited time, see my complete Sequoia National Park day trip from Los Angeles guide.

Best Things To Do In Sequoia National park

There’s a lot of fun and easy hikes in Sequoia National Park, and even the drive through the park is breathtaking. These are the highlights I’d put on any itinerary, whether you have one full day or two.

1. Foothills Visitor Center

Stop at the Foothills Visitor Center as you enter the park.

It’s one of the first things you’ll come to when you enter Sequoia, and it’s a great opportunity to ask the ranger on duty about important information, like trail closures, wildlife activity, and scheduled ranger programs.

You can also pick up some printed maps and get your National Parks Passport book stamped here.

2. Tunnel Rock & Amphitheater Point Viewpoint

On your drive deeper into the park be sure to stop at the pull off for Tunnel Rock and Amphitheater Point Viewpoint.

Tunnel Rock was part of the original roadway through the park, but as cars became larger and would no longer fit under the tunnel the road was rerouted around it. You can still walk through the original tunnel, though, and it’s just a few steps from the road.

Amphitheater Point is 8 miles farther up the road, but it takes over 20-minutes to drive to because of all the switchbacks. Plus, you will want to drive slowly and soak in all the gorgeous views along this route!

3. Moro Rock Trail

Moro Rock Trail is especially great for sunrise or sunset, but the views are worth it no matter what time of day you hike up.

Moro Rock Trail is an easy 20-minute hike and you’ll have panoramic views from the summit. It’s half a mile out-and-back, but even though it’s short it’s quite steep. There are steps carved into the trail nearly the entire way to the top.

The path follows the rim of the granite dome, so if heights bother you, be aware of that going in.

4. Tunnel Log & Crescent Meadow

From Moro Rock, take a short detour to Crescent Meadow and drive through Tunnel Log – a giant sequoia tree which fell across the road in 1937 and was carved through rather than removed. You can still drive through it!

Crescent Meadow itself is a nice spot for a picnic lunch. The Crescent Meadow Loop Trail is 1.3 miles and takes about 30 minutes. There are several connecting trails in this area that let you make the hike as short or long as you want.

5. General Sherman Tree & Congress Trail

Next, head to General Sherman Tree, the centerpiece of the park!

General Sherman is the largest known tree on the planet (by volume) and it’s still growing. It’s 275 feet tall and believed to be 2,200-2,700 years old!

It blows my mind to think that something living today was also around in BC times.

The full Congress Trail is just under 3 miles and takes a little over an hour. It’s a well-maintained, relatively easy walk that takes you past General Sherman and several other massive sequoias.

If your time is short, you can hike to General Sherman and turn around, which is just over a mile in total.

It can get extremely busy in this area, so the earlier you arrive the easier it’ll be to find parking and avoid big crowds. Even during my visit in the low season the parking lot was packed and there were tons of people on the trail.

6. Tokopah Falls

Finally, head farther up the mountain to Tokopah Falls. This is a moderate hike that’s just under 4 miles with a little over 600 feet in elevation gain. It ends at Tokopah Falls.

Unfortunately, the falls can run dry towards the end of the summer so I recommend talking with a ranger for the current status if you’re unsure whether this trail is worth doing during your road trip to Sequoia National Park.

7. Watchtower Trail

If you’re spending two or more days in Sequoia National Park, Watchtower Trail is worth carving out time for.

It’s a moderate 8.3 mile hike with some significant elevation gain and takes about 5 hours to complete.

The views along the hike are stunning, including lakes and panoramic views. It’s less popular than the trails in the sequoia groves so you can escape the crowds a bit.

8. Crystal Cave

Exploring Crystal Caves in Sequoia National Park is a fun half day activity. You’ll need to book a reservation in advance (they don’t sell tickets in the park!) for around $24 per person.

The tour lasts for just under an hour. There’s only about a half mile of walking, but be ready for some stairs and steeper sections.

Crystal Caves tours generally run from May through October. It takes about 45 minutes to drive to the entrance from the Giant Forest area, so plan enough travel time and pack a snack (there’s no food in this area of the park).

Where To Stay At Sequoia National Park

Wuksachi Lodge is the only hotel lodging located inside Sequoia National Park. It’s a beautiful and very conveniently located lodge, but it books up quickly so you want to make reservations far in advance (ideally 6+ months.)

Three Rivers (closest town to the park, smaller and more remote)

• AutoCamp – Airstream glamping
• Comfort Inn & Suites – mid-range
• The River Inn – budget-friendly
• Soleil Luna – 2-bedroom vacation rental

Visalia (30 minutes from the park entrance, more dining and lodging options)

• Wyndham – budget-friendly and pet-friendly
• The Darling – boutique hotel, great for a splurge

Camping in Sequoia National Park

There are 6 campgrounds in the park, all requiring advance reservations through recreation.gov:

• Foothills Area: Potwisha and Buckeye Flat
• Lodgepole & Giant Forest Area: Dorst Creek and Lodgepole
• Mineral King Area: Cold Springs and Atwell Mill

We stayed at Potwisha on our trip. It’s at lower elevation near the Foothills entrance, which makes it warmer than the higher campgrounds, especially in winter and early spring.

It’s also the only campground that stays open through the winter. Spots are close together, so don’t expect much privacy.

Best Things To Do In Kings Canyon National Park

If you can add a day to your LA to Sequoia trip, Kings Canyon is worth it. The Generals Highway connecting Sequoia to Kings Canyon makes it easy to move between the two parks, and they’re covered under the same entrance fee.

Kings Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the US — even deeper than the Grand Canyon!

The park splits into two sections: Grant Grove in the west (more developed, easier to access year-round) and Cedar Grove in the east (more remote, summer access only via the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway).

1. Grant Grove Village & Visitor Center

On your way into Kings Canyon I recommend stopping in Grant Grove Village. It’s a quaint little mountain village with a gift shop, rustic cabins and a visitor center.

I always make it a priority to stop at the visitor center when I visit to a National Park. The ranger on duty can provide current information about trail closures, wildlife activity and any free ranger programs scheduled during your visit.

Rangers can also recommend hikes based on your interests, current conditions, and how much time you have.

2. General Grant Tree

General Grant Tree is estimated to be 1,300 years old! It’s located in Grant Grove inside of Kings Canyon and the trail to it is a short 0.7 mile loop.

You’ll pass other large sequoias along the trail, which are less famous but equally impressive, including Centennial Stump which was cut down in 1875 and is truly massive.

3. Big Stump Loop

Big Stump Loop is a 1.6-mile loop near Grant Grove that ends at the massive stump of the Mark Twain sequoia.

The tree was felled in 1891 by the US Army because no one back east believed trees that size could exist. They hauled it to museums in NYC and London to prove it.

People still thought it was a hoax. It’s certainly one of the weirder footnotes in National Park history.

4. Panoramic Point Overlook

Panoramic Point Overlook is a half-mile loop off Panoramic Point Road past Grant Grove. The drive itself is scenic and stunning, but from the trail you get panoramic views of the High Sierra peaks and the glacial Kings Canyon gorge below.

5. Hume Lake

If you’re exploring Cedar Grove, stop at Hume Lake along the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway. It’s technically in Sequoia National Forest rather than the National Park.

There’s also a small village with gas and groceries. Fuel up on your way through because there’s no fuel options after this point.

NOTE: The byway between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove is closed during winter and spring snowpack. Check conditions before planning a Cedar Grove visit.

Hume Lake is the farthest point you can reach along Kings Canyon Scenic Byway in the winter. My mom and I drove out here in March and it was beautiful with hardly anyone around. I really like that it’s dog-friendly so we could hike around the lake with my dog.

6. Roaring River Falls

Roaring River Falls is a 10-minute walk from the trailhead in Cedar Grove. It’s an easy hike to a dramatic waterfall that cuts through a narrow granite chute.

It gets crowded, so earlier in the day is better for both parking and some peace at the falls.

7. Mist Falls

Mist Falls is an out-and-back hike just under 8 miles with about 900 feet of elevation gain. It’s one of the best full-day hikes in Kings Canyon and leads to one of the largest waterfalls in the park. Many people say this trail resembles Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park.

Entrance Fees

The entrance fee for Sequoia and Kings Canyon (SEKI) is $35 per vehicle, and covers access to both parks for 7 days. There are no timed-entry permits required for either park.

If you’re planning to visit more National Parks this year, the America The Beautiful Pass is $80 annually and covers entrance to 2,000+ federal recreation areas (including all 63 National Parks) for a full 12 months.

TIP: You only need one pass per vehicle.

FAQ: Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Road Trip

Continue Planning Your Trip

• Sequoia National Park Itinerary (1-3 Days + Kings Canyon)
• Yosemite to Sequoia Road Trip
• Yosemite Itinerary
• Yosemite vs Sequoia National Park: Which Should You Visit?