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

I have spent the last few years traveling full time in my campervan. One of my favorite road trips to date was from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park with my mom! She flew into LAX and we drove up to Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and then explored Yosemite together.

Luckily, I have some California based nomad friends who gave me all the best recommendations for this road trip from LA to Sequoia National Park, so I’m rounding up the best recommendations and sharing my trip itinerary with you.

In this article:

• The best route from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park
• Things to do along the way (+ downloadable map)
• Sequoia National Park itinerary
• Kings Canyon National Park itinerary
• Where to stay

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How Far Is Sequoia National Park From Los Angeles

The distance from LA to Sequoia National Park is just over 200 miles, and takes at least 4 hours to drive (but typically closer to 5.5 hours with 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.

Map: Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park And Kings Canyon

Use this road trip map to plan your itinerary from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park! I’ve labeled items by park (noted by color) as well as by activity type (noted by icon).

Best Things To Do In LA

Los Angeles has some really fun and unique things to do! These are my top recommendations for the best things to do in LA before you road trip to Sequoia National Park.

See LA’s Iconic Landmarks

🎡 If you have a full day in LA, the best way to spend it is with a tour to some of the most iconic hotspots in Los Angeles – like the Hollywood sign and Walk of Fame, the Santa Monica pier and Beverly Hills!

Check Out The Natural History Museum

🐋 But, if a full day tour isn’t your cup of tea I recommend checking out the Natural History Museum (I love visiting these museums — and I’m not really a museum person), or take a Whale Watching tour to see them in real life!

Get Behind The Scenes

🎬 A friend of mine took this Warner Bros Studio tour and said it was a ton of fun. She has some great pictures from the TV sets of Friends, Gilmore Girls and the Big Bang Theory.

Best Stops On A Road Trip To Sequoia National park

The drive from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park is mostly through rural farm land in the central valley but there are a few stops worth seeing on your road trip.

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 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 between LA and Sequoia National Park, so during harvest season you can expect to find plenty of fresh fruit stands along the road.

Consider stopping by Murray Family Farms for delicious fresh fruit. Depending on the time of year, you can also pick your own fruit, attend a pumpkin or sunflower festival, or even Christmas At The Farm.

Three Rivers: Delicious Food & Swimming

Three Rivers is the town just outside of Sequoia National Parks south entrance. It’s a smaller town, and it’s filled with unique mountain charm.

The Orange Works cafe is a few minutes outside of Three Rivers, but worth a quick stop in for some ice cream or a hot pastrami sandwich on fresh baked bread.

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 is a great place for a picnic and to cool off in the Kaweah River. There’s a parking fee of $10. When the river is calm, there are smooth rocks you can ride like a water slide.

Antelope Valley: Rolling Hills Of Poppy Flowers

If you’re visiting between March and May, then I recommend a detour on your road trip to Sequoia National Park!

This is the perfect time to stop by Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve to see some incredible rolling hills exploding with red poppy flowers.

This adds about 1 hour of driving, so check the live camera footage to see whether the fields are blooming before you commit to this detour.

Unfortunately, my trip was the second week of March and the poppy’s weren’t blooming quite yet, so we skipped it.

Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Day Trip

It is possible to plan a Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park day trip. However, you will be driving for a majority of the day. I still think it’s worth it, especially if it’s your only option to see the giant sequoia trees. But of course, more time would be ideal.

If you’re short on time, this is the itinerary I would recommend for a day trip from LA to Sequoia.

In total, it’s 10 hours to drive from Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park – 5 hours each way. It’s a pretty easy drive (once you’re out of LA traffic), but there’s no denying it’s a long trip to do in a day.

You can see most of the highlights in Sequoia National Park in around 2.5 hours.

I recommend spending approximately 20-minutes at Foothills Visitor Center, Tunnel Rock & Amphitheater Point Overlook, and Moro Rock each. One hour in total.

Spend another 1.5 hours having a picnic lunch at Crescent Meadow and hiking to the General Sherman.

TIP: Instead of driving all the way from Sequoia National Park to Los Angeles in the evening, spend a few extra hours in the park and then spend the night just outside the park in Visalia. It’s 30 minutes from Sequoia and has several great restaurants and hotels. The Wyndham is a great mid-range option, and The Darling is an adorable boutique hotel.

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. Regardless of how much time you have in the park, these are the top sights I recommend putting on your itinerary:

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.

At the top, you’ll have great panoramic views of the valley and mountain range. The path follows the rim along the granite, so if you have a fear of heights this may not be the hike for you.

4. Tunnel Log & Crescent Meadow

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

Crescent Meadow is a great spot for a picnic lunch, or to spend some time walking along the lush meadow.

Crescent Meadow Loop Trail is 1.3 miles and takes around 30-minutes to hike.

There are lots of trails in this area that loop back into one another, so it’s a great way to spend some time on a less crowded hike and to make it as short or long as you want.

5. General Sherman Tree & Congress Trail

Next, head to General Sherman Tree and Congress Trail. This area of the park can get extremely busy, so the earlier you arrive the easier it’ll be to find parking and avoid big crowds.

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 to hike. The first giant sequoia you come to is General Sherman.

If you’d prefer a shorter hike you can hike in to see General Sherman and then back out, which is just 1.2 miles total.

I really liked the Congress Trail. It’s an easier hike with a well maintained trail, so it felt more like a wander through the woods than a full hike.

Even in the off season the trail was really busy, so be prepared for limited parking.

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 I recommend adding Watchtower Trail to your itinerary. 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.

Where To Stay At Sequoia National Park

Wuksachi Lodge is the only hotel accommodation located inside of 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.

Outside the park, there are two nearby towns: Three Rivers or Visalia.

There’s also some great camping in Sequoia National Park. In total, there are 6 campgrounds.

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

All of the Sequoia National Park campgrounds require advanced reservations which can be made on the recreation.gov website.

We stayed at Potwisha campgrounds on our trip, which is the only campground open during the winter.

It’s close to the Foothills entrance, which is at lower elevation so it’s much warmer than the campgrounds farther up the mountain, especially in winter and spring.

I really liked this campground, but like most National Park campsites the spots are pretty close to one another, so privacy is minimal and noise can carry easily.

Best Things To Do In Kings Canyon National Park

If you’re able to add another day onto your Los Angeles to Sequoia road trip itinerary, I highly recommend spending it at Kings Canyon!

The road through Sequoia National Park (Generals Highway), also connects it to Kings Canyon National Park. This makes it incredibly convenient to see both parks on the same road trip.

Did you know that Kings Canyon is one of the biggest canyons in the US?! It’s even deeper than the Grand Canyon! The park is really massive, and it’s divided into two sections: Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.

Most people visit the western section (Grant Grove), which has the most infrastructure and is the easiest to access. During the summer months, you can also drive to Cedar Grove and avoid some of the crowds.

1. Grant Grove Village & Visitor Center

On your way into Kings Canyon I recommend stopping in Grant Grove Village. It’s a quaint little village with a gift shop, amenities and the visitors center. It’s a quintessential mountain town atmosphere with rustic cabins nestled among a gorgeous forest.

I always make it a priority to stop at the visitor center when I visit to a National Park. There are rangers on duty who have great information on current trail closures, wildlife activity and a schedule of free ranger programs you can participate in.

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

2. General Grant Tree

General Grant Tree is considered 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.

There are also other giant sequoias in the grove and centennial stump (which is truly massive).

3. Big Stump Loop

Big Stump Loop is another an easy hike. The 1.6 mile loop that takes you to the stump of the Mark Twain tree, also located in Grant Grove.

The Mark Twain giant sequoia was cut down in 1891 after reaching a diameter of 16 feet.

By who? The US military.

No one believed that trees that big really existed, so the Army cut it down and hauled it off to display in NYC, London, and other points around the world to prove its existence. Unfortunately, people still thought it was a hoax so the tree was sadly cut down for nothing.

4. Panoramic Point Overlook

Panoramic Point Overlook is located along Panoramic Point road, which is a scenic winding road past Grant Grove Village.

It’s an easy half mile loop with views of the High Sierra peaks and the glacial gorge of Kings Canyon.

5. Hume Lake

With a second day in Kings Canyon I recommend exploring Cedar Grove.

You’ll take the beautiful Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, which connects Grant Grove (west) with Cedar Grove (east).

NOTE: the byway between groves is not open during the snowy season.

Along the way, stop at Hume Lake. This is technically part of Sequoia National Forest and is not on National Park property, but it’s a fun visit to stretch your legs and walk around the lake on the drive to Cedar Grove.

Hume Lake is the farthest point you can reach along Kings Canyon Scenic Byway in the winter.

It’s also dog friendly! My mom and I drove out here in March and I loved that I could take my dog on the hike, too. Van life with a dog can be challenging in most National Parks because of the pet restrictions.

The trailhead for the lake starts in a small village that looks like it’s a fun bustling summer camp during the warmer season. You can also find gas and groceries at Hume Lake. It’s a good spot to refill your gas tank as there aren’t many options past here.

The trail around the lake is a 3 mile loop, mostly flat, and has great views of the water. Halfway around the lake is a nice sand beach, which is a perfect stop for a picnic lunch.

6. Roaring River Falls

Roaring River Falls is located in Cedar Grove. The trail is an easy 10-minute hike to the falls. It’s a really unique and beautiful waterfall, but it’s also quite crowded so I recommend coming early in the day to find some peace (and parking).

7. Mist Falls

Mist Falls is another out-and-back trail. It’s just under 8 miles with approximately 900 feet of elevation gain and leads to one of the biggest waterfalls in Kings Canyon National Park.

I think it’s one of the best day hikes in Kings Canyon, and many people say it resembles Mist Trail in Yosemite National Park.

Entrance Fees For SEKI

The entrance fee for Sequoia and Kings Canyon (often referred to together as SEKI) is $35 per vehicle. Unlike other National Parks, this weekly pass grants you access to both parks so you don’t need to pay twice.

Happily, there are no timed-entry requirements for either park.

TIP: If you plan to visit more national parks this year (like Yosemite!) consider getting an America The Beautiful park pass. They’re $80 annually and include free access to all US National Parks and federal recreation areas. You only need one pass per vehicle, not per person. I’ve had this pass for several years now and love it!

More Los Angeles To Sequoia National Park Road Trip Ideas

If you have more time, I highly recommend you add Yosemite National Park to your road trip itinerary. Even just one day in Yosemite is worth the drive time (about 2.5 hours).

My mom and I also made a day trip to Pinnacles National Park on our way back to San Francisco. It’s a newer National Park (established in 2013) and is fairly small, making it easy to see with just a few hours.

Here are some additional planning resources for your Los Angeles to Sequoia National Park road trip:

• Sequoia National Park Itinerary (1-3 Days + Kings Canyon)
• Yosemite Itinerary + Travel Guide
• How Many Days In Yosemite? Itinerary Recommendations
• Choose Between Yosemite vs Sequoia National Park