This post is a bit overdue, but better late than never right? You ready for some big trees or what?!
So after our whirlwind 24 hours in Yosemite, we settled in for the long drive through Fresno to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We really didn't know what to expect having never been there before. After spending three full days in these parks, we were blown away at their beauty, solitude, and all they had to offer. We did not want to leave when it came time to go home, we just wanted to stay in the big trees forever.
We stayed at Lodgepole Campground - beautiful campground and walking distance to the market and visitor center.
I yelped Sequoia National Park to get some ideas on how we should spend our time (got a lot of great direction from yelpers, they were far more helpful than the folks at the visitor center!). We discovered lots of things to see and do and we crammed as much as we could into the three days we were there. We kicked off our first full day in the park by checking out Crystal Cave. Apparently there are over a hundred known caves in these areas, but only a handful are open to the public. This cave was like other caves we've been to, but slightly different because it was a marble cave.
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| You can see the marble in the top right corner |
After the cave tour, we spent the rest of the day looking at a lot of really big trees.
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| Mr. Young headed to the Young tree |
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| Luke driving through the Tunnel Log |
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| Hug a tree |
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| So pristine we look photo shopped! |
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| Tharp Log, home built out of fallen down tree |
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| Luke's dream home |
Next on our list of sights to see was Moro Rock, a granite dome with stunning views if you are willing to climb the 400 steps to get to the top!
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| Stairway to the top of Moro Rock |
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| View from the top |
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| Luke at the top of Moro Rock |
Ready for some more pictures of big trees?
The next day we went on a 13 mile hike to Pear Lake. About 2,000 feet elevation gain and a handful of high sierra lakes made for a strenuous, but beautiful hike.
Third and final day, we packed up our stuff and headed over to check out the Kings Canyon side of the park (and you guessed it, more trees).
After seeing the big trees of Kings Canyon, we drove to the end of the windy and steep road. Some things I want to remember for next time: Kings River that flows in the canyon - absolutely beautiful and great fishing! Hume Lake - gorgeous lake to vacation at, must go back there someday.
