Spend day one among giant sequoias and ridge-top views at Grant Grove, then drive CA-180 down into Cedar Grove for the Mist Falls hike. Both days start from one lodge, and the second is built around one hike and a lot of driving.
Walk the 0.5-mile loop to the General Grant Tree
Panoramic Point view over the Kings Canyon gorge and Hume Lake
Drive CA-180, the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, down to Cedar Grove
Hike 8 miles round trip to Mist Falls from Road's End
Cool off at Roaring River Falls on an easy paved walk
The story
Kings Canyon is two parks in one, and they sit an hour apart. Grant Grove is a village among giant sequoias, a few minutes from the General Grant Tree and a viewpoint over the canyon you are about to enter. Cedar Grove is the canyon itself, at the end of CA-180, with granite walls, a river, meadows and waterfalls.
This plan respects that distance. Day one stays in Grant Grove: the General Grant Tree loop, Panoramic Point, lunch and an easy afternoon summit hike at Buena Vista Peak. Day two is the long one. You leave early, with no fuel between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove, stop at Junction View on the way down, and hike the 8-mile round trip to Mist Falls from Road's End. The rest of the day is deliberately slow: lunch at the grill, a five-minute walk to Roaring River Falls and the drive back.
If Mist Falls is more than you want, swap it for the flat stroll at Zumwalt Meadow and the day becomes a gentle one. One night at John Muir Lodge covers the whole plan, so there is no repacking and no long late drive.
The road to Cedar Grove closes for winter, so this is a late-spring to fall trip.
Day by day
1
Day 1 · 5 stops
Grant Grove: the General Grant Tree and a ridge-top view
A short, easy day around Grant Grove Village with plenty of time for lunch and a rest before dinner. Nothing is more than a few minutes' drive from the lodge.
Must do
Activity9:00 AM · 1 h
General Grant Tree Trail
Start with the park's signature tree while the paths are quiet. A paved 0.5-mile loop winds through Grant Grove to the General Grant Tree, the second-largest tree by volume in the world, also known as the Nation's Christmas Tree. Allow an hour so you can linger beside the trunk.
Photo: NPS
Time
0.5-mile paved loop; allow about an hour
Best time
Morning, before tour buses
Dogs allowed
No
General Grant Tree
Hours: Open daily; trail is outdoors
Season: Typically open year-round, with snow and ice possible in winter; check current conditions
A short, narrow drive up from the village ends at a paved path of roughly half a mile to a ridge-top overlook. The view sweeps over Hume Lake, the glacial gorge of Kings Canyon and the High Sierra beyond, which sets up tomorrow's drive. Arrive early because parking is limited. RVs and oversized vehicles are not allowed on the road, which has blind curves.
Photo: NPS
Time
About 2.4 miles each way from Grant Grove Village by road; roughly 15 minutes of driving
Best time
Morning, before the lot fills
Panoramic Point Overlook
Hours: Daylight
Season: Typically reachable by car in snow-free months; the narrow road is generally not open to cars in winter. Check current conditions.
The village restaurant has a covered patio and meadow views, with a menu leaning on pizzas, sandwiches and burgers at lunch. A Grant Burger is $16.99 and a 10-inch cheese pizza is $13.49 (as of 2026-10-14). Lunch and dinner service runs 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., so you can also return here for dinner.
A gentle afternoon climb along a ridge to a granite-boulder summit with a broad view over Redwood Canyon and the Kings Canyon high country. It is 1 mile each way, 2 miles round trip, with about 400 feet of gain. The trailhead is on Generals Highway about 6 miles south of Grant Grove, directly across from Kings Canyon Overlook.
Photo: NPS
Distance
2 mi
Elevation gain
400 ft
Route
Out and back
Difficulty
Moderate
Dogs allowed
No
Trailhead
Buena Vista trailhead, Generals Highway
Buena Vista Peak Trailhead
Hours: Daylight
Season: Typically best in summer and fall; icy or deep snow in winter and early spring
The lodge sits in Grant Grove Village, steps from the restaurant and visitor center, which keeps the early start on day 2 simple; a one-night stay covers the plan. Its 36 rooms are standard (two queens) or deluxe (king plus sofa bed), with Wi-Fi, and check-in is at 4 p.m. Book through the concessioner; check current rates.
One long drive, one big hike and a slow afternoon. You are back in Grant Grove by late afternoon, with dinner at the village restaurant.
Scenic drive7:30 AM · 1 h 15 min
Drive the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (CA-180) to Junction View
Fuel up and eat first: breakfast at Grant Grove Restaurant starts at 7 a.m., and there is no gas in the park (the nearest fuel is Hume Lake Market, about 11 miles from Grant Grove and about 27 miles from Cedar Grove). CA-180 drops steadily into the glacial canyon of the Kings River; Junction View, about 11 miles from the village, is the first good pullout, with a wayside exhibit on the geology of the canyon. Road's End is about an hour from the visitor center without stops, so budget 75 minutes.
Photo: NPS
Time
About 11 miles and 15-20 minutes from Grant Grove Village to Junction View; Road's End is roughly 34 miles and an hour from Grant Grove
Best time
Morning light
Junction View
Hours: Daylight
Season: On CA-180, reachable when the highway is open
The day's one big effort and the reason for the early start. From Road's End the trail follows the Kings River upstream for a few easy, sandy miles, then climbs for the final mile to a thundering cascade. It is 8 miles round trip, with about 600 feet of climbing mostly in that last mile; allow 4 to 5 hours. Mist and spray make the rocks slick, so stay back from the water.
Photo: NPS
Distance
8 mi
Elevation gain
600 ft
Route
Out and back
Difficulty
Strenuous
Dogs allowed
No
Trailhead
Road's End Trailhead (Roads End Permit Station)
Mist Falls
Hours: Daylight
Season: Typically reachable when CA-180 to Cedar Grove is open (roughly late April through mid-November); water volume varies with snowmelt
Counter service inside Cedar Grove Lodge (the lodge and grill typically run May through mid-October; late in the season, pack a lunch from Grant Grove Market), with booths and a balcony overlooking the Kings River. Lunch is served 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., so finish the trail by early afternoon. A California Angus Burger is $16.99, a hummus wrap $15.99 and a chili bowl $9.99 (as of 2026-10-14).
Photo: NPS
Meal
Lunch
Cuisine
American, counter service
Price
$$
Cedar Grove Lodge
86724 CA-180, Kings Canyon National Park, CA 93633
A cool-down stop: a short paved walk leads to a narrow chute where the Roaring River crashes into a pool, creating its own breeze. The falls are loudest in late spring and early summer. Do not swim or wade here, since slippery rocks and strong currents are the danger. Then head back up CA-180, 1 hour or so to Grant Grove, with a dinner option at the village restaurant by about 5:30 p.m.
Photo: NPS
Time
About 5 minutes on the paved path from the trailhead; 30 minutes with the photo stop
Best time
Afternoon
Roaring River Falls
Hours: Daylight
Season: Typically reachable when CA-180 to Cedar Grove is open; loudest in late spring and early summer
Place to sleep at the far end of CA-180, so the long drive happens once and the hike starts at breakfast. It has 21 rooms (patio rooms with kitchenettes, or two-queen standard rooms), a market and the grill. Season is May through mid-October, and the front office closes at 9 p.m. Check current rates.
Stay
Cedar Grove Lodge
Place to sleep at the far end of CA-180, so the long drive happens once and the hike starts at breakfast. It has 21 rooms (patio rooms with kitchenettes, or two-queen standard rooms), a market and the grill. Season is May through mid-October, and the front office closes at 9 p.m. Check current rates.
Budget-leaning alternative in the same village as the lodge. Options range from duplex cabins with private baths to camp and tent cabins sharing a bathhouse; tent cabins have no heat or electricity. Check-in is at 4 p.m. Check current rates.
Stay
Grant Grove Cabins
Budget-leaning alternative in the same village as the lodge. Options range from duplex cabins with private baths to camp and tent cabins sharing a bathhouse; tent cabins have no heat or electricity. Check-in is at 4 p.m. Check current rates.
Grant Grove's year-round campground, a few minutes from the village. Sites are reservation-only in the main season and a reduced loop is first-come in winter. Reserve on Recreation.gov and check current fees.
Stay
Azalea Campground
Grant Grove's year-round campground, a few minutes from the village. Sites are reservation-only in the main season and a reduced loop is first-come in winter. Reserve on Recreation.gov and check current fees.
For a flat, relaxed Cedar Grove day instead of Mist Falls, this is the valley's signature walk: a trail along the Kings River to a meadow beneath towering granite walls, with talus slopes above. Trail lengths vary with how far you go, from under a mile to the bridge and meadow views to a few miles; allow 45 to 90 minutes. Ask at the visitor center about current trail conditions. Parking is small; arrive early. The river is swift and cold in spring and early summer.
Must do
Activity1 h 15 min
Zumwalt Meadow Stroll (swap for Mist Falls)
For a flat, relaxed Cedar Grove day instead of Mist Falls, this is the valley's signature walk: a trail along the Kings River to a meadow beneath towering granite walls, with talus slopes above. Trail lengths vary with how far you go, from under a mile to the bridge and meadow views to a few miles; allow 45 to 90 minutes. Ask at the visitor center about current trail conditions. Parking is small; arrive early. The river is swift and cold in spring and early summer.
Photo: NPS
Time
Trail described as 1 to 3 miles; allow 45-90 minutes
Best time
Morning or late afternoon
Zumwalt Meadow
Hours: Daylight
Season: Typically reachable when CA-180 to Cedar Grove is open; trail can flood in spring snowmelt
Current conditions (as of 2026-10-14): CA-180 to Cedar Grove typically runs May to early or mid-November, and the park's conditions page (updated 2026-10-13) had no closure listed for it, Panoramic Point or Zumwalt Meadow; confirm before leaving. Weekday tree-removal delays of up to 30 minutes are posted on Generals Highway between CA-180 and Giant Forest, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Stage 1 fire restrictions prohibit wood and charcoal fires at low-elevation campgrounds and picnic areas. Cedar Grove Lodge and its grill typically run through mid-October, so late in the season confirm they are open or pack a lunch; the Cedar Grove Visitor Center is typically open late May to mid-September. Entrance is $35 per private vehicle.
Fuel: none inside the park. Hume Lake Market is about 11 miles from Grant Grove and about 27 miles from Cedar Grove; fill up there or in Fresno, Clovis or Dunlap before the drive.
Driving: Cedar Grove is about 30 miles from Grant Grove Village, roughly an hour each way, with no cell service for stretches. Panoramic Point Road is narrow; no RVs.
Getting there: Grant Grove is about an hour from Fresno via CA-180.
Mist Falls: carry water and a layer, start early, and stay off wet rocks at the falls. Ask at the Road's End permit station if you are unsure about permit rules.
Bears: store food and scented items in the lockers at trailheads and your lodge.
Seasons: Cedar Grove and Panoramic Point are for late spring to fall; in winter, spend a day among the sequoias only. Waterfalls peak in late spring and early summer.
Sources
Good to know: distances and drive times are typical figures without live traffic, and where routes are shown the route data comes from OpenStreetMap contributors. Toll amounts are estimates and change often, so check them in the DriftKin planner or with the toll authority before you plan around them. Opening hours, fees, prices, permits and closures also change, so confirm with the park or business before you go.
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