Yosemite Park Sequoia Park Kings Canyon Park Death Valley Park Sierra National Forest National Monument

California National Parks & Forests

Explore our country’s inspiring natural wonders at Central California’s national parks and forests. An hour-drive from Fresno, Yosemite National Park (45 miles), Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (60 miles) and Death Valley National Park offer dramatic natural beauty, exciting recreations and endless landscapes - from snow-capped mountain summits to blazing desert vistas.
 

Yosemite National Park. From sunken green meadows to soaring rock walls and tall waterfalls, Yosemite preserves over 1,200 square miles of diverse and dramatic lands that edge California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains. Created by massive glaciers for thousands of years, Yosemite National Park is considered the most magnificent natural wonder on the planet. Yosemite encompasses a lush alpine wilderness forest with scenic gardens, three groves of giant Sequoias and the deep glacially-carved Yosemite Valley with cascading waterfalls, towering cliffs and majestic rock formations. Discover Yosemite’s natural treasures and breathtaking scenery as you hike or drive over a thousand miles of trails and roads that wind through the awe-inspiring mountain and valley landscape. One of America’s extreme vertical “Big Walls,” the perpendicular granite face of Half Dome is a rock climber’s ultimate challenge. Take the Tunnel View turnout for a breathtaking view of Yosemite Valley, El Capitan, Half Dome, Sentinel Rock, Cathedral Rocks and Bridalveil Falls.  [Top]

Sequoia National Park. The second oldest national park, Sequoia National Park is a dramatically beautiful alpine landscape of immense mountains, deep canyons, giant sequoias, pristine forest wilderness, beautiful caverns, high-country lakes and streams, hiking trails and peaks that soar to 14,494 feet. Drive along Generals Highway to the breathtaking Giant Forest, where you’ll see the 275-foot-tall General Sherman Sequoia - the largest living thing - and the highest point in the Continental US - Mount Whitney. Hike the trails to Moro Rock - a large granite dome - above Kaweah River, to view the towering peaks of the Sierra's Great Western Divide. Take a tour of Boyden Cavern, a spectacular 8,000-foot-deep Kings River canyon between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove. Walk the lighted trail past crystalline stalactites and stalagmites. Get inspires by the natural beauty of Crescent Meadow, and enjoy unlimited outdoor recreation, including hiking, biking, rafting, swimming, and climbing throughout the park. [Top]

Kings Canyon National Park. Located in the southern Sierra Nevada, 55 miles east of downtown Fresno, Kings Canyon National Park - Sequoia's twin park - is a monument to nature’s beauty and diversity. Kings Canyon NP is a magnificent land of immense mountains, rugged foothills, giant canyons with towering walls, deep gorges, vast caverns, countless lakes, waterfalls and mountain meadows, and the world’s largest sequoia trees. Explore Grant Grove and the General Grant (the Nation’s Christmas Tree), Panoramic Point at Grants Grove Village, Big Stump Basin Trail (a one mile loop that reveals the remains of early logging), Kings River, and many wondrous sites. A true rival to Yosemite, Kings Canyon encompasses King's Canyon and King River gorges, the deepest in the country. The beautiful park offers miles of winding hiking trails and lush forests of giant sequoias to explore. Visit www.kcanyon.com. [Top]

Death Valley National Park. A land of extreme beauty, Death Valley is one of the hottest and driest places on the planet. Discover a superlative desert of streaming sand dunes, snow-capped mountains, colored rock layers, water-fluted canyons, hiking trails, diverse wildlife and 3.4 million acres of stone wilderness. The largest national park, Death Valley offers spectacular landscapes and legendary sights such as the 11,049-foot Telescope Peak, Dante's View, and Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. Catch the morning light crawl across the badlands, casting shadows on sand dunes and colorful wildflowers. Enjoy mountain biking, hiking and sightseeing tours through the Furnace Creek Area, Stovepipe Wells Area, Scotty's Castle Area, and Panamint Springs Area. Hike miles of rugged trails through Golden Canyon, Devil’s Golf Course, Natural Bridge - a massive rock span across the desert canyon - and Mosaic Canyon, a twisting canyon of polished marble walls and mosaics of fragmented rock. Trek through Titus Canyon, with colored volcanic deposits, Indian petroglyphs, bighorn sheep and deep, winding narrows. Venture to Darwin Falls - a spring-fed miracle in the desert - or Father Crowley Vista, a landscape of dark lava flows and volcanic cinders. Enjoy the ride on Artist’s Drive, a scenic 9-mile loop through colorful volcanic hills. [Top]

Sierra National Forest. On the western slope of the central Sierra Nevada, Sierra National Forest is a beautiful destination with spectacular mountain scenery, pristine wilderness, winding trails, tall mountain peaks, abundant lakes and streams, and elevations that soar into the clouds. Encompassing 1.3 million acres, Sierra National Forest is an outdoor lover's paradise with rolling, oak-covered foothills, forested slopes and the starkly beautiful alpine landscape of the High Sierra. Visitors enjoy the diverse terrain and recreational activities like hiking, biking, camping, backpacking, picnicking, driving off-highway, and fishing. In the winter, Sierra National Forest is a wonderland of snowmobiling, nordic skiing, alpine skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, and dog sledding. Explore Dinkey Lakes Wilderness, John Muir Wilderness with elevations to 14,496 feet at Mt. Whitney, and Kaiser Wilderness, which climbs to the alpine zone and contains 18 lakes. Climb steep slopes from the Kings River to10,000 feet in the rugged Monarch Wilderness. Enjoy great fishing, boating, waterskiing, wakeboarding and swimming in Huntington Lake, Bass Lake, Edison Lake, Florence Lake, Black Rock Reservoir, Mammoth Pool Reservoir, Pine Flat Lake and Shaver Lake. Visit www.fs.fed.us/r5/sierra. [Top]

Giant Sequoia National Monument. Located in Sequoia National Forest, this 328,000-acre preserve protects 38 groves of the world’s largest trees - the giant sequoias. Giant Sequoia National Monument consists of two areas of land, north and south of Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. The majestic Giant sequoias can survive more than 3,000 years in their native habitat - between 4,000 and 7,000 feet above sea level on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada. Visit www.nps.gov/seki. [Top]