Just five hours north of Los Angeles sits a national park that should be on your outdoor bucket list.
It features a valley carved millions of years ago by glaciers, hulking mountains made of granite and other rock, countless waterfalls, massive ancient trees and a cool, clear river.
I know what you’re thinking: “That sounds like Yosemite.” Even better. It’s like Yosemite, but way more chill.
Kings Canyon National Park will give you the majestic outdoors respite you’re dreaming of without all the busy trails, swarming crowds and traffic jams at the park entrance gate that come with the Hollywood Boulevard of national parks. Just west of Fresno, this swath of paradise is the underrated local favorite, with welcoming campgrounds, easy-to-navigate day trails, plentiful backpacking opportunities and swimming holes galore.
As I was heading out to report this story, I steeled myself for the typical national park experience. As someone who once accidentally got into a spat with another grown adult at Yellowstone National Park while attempting to help my 5-year-old niece steal a peek at Old Faithful, I know all too well the way chaotic tourist crowds can get under my skin.
But those crowds never materialized. Kings Canyon gets a fraction of the foot traffic that Yosemite does. Last August, Yosemite saw almost 594,000 visitors, and Kings Canyon saw 81,000, according to federal data. At its busiest, in June of last year, Kings Canyon welcomed 126,000 visitors, which was just over a fourth of the visitors who went to Yosemite that month.
You might be wondering: Is Kings Canyon’s landscape as spellbindingly majestic? The short answer is yes, if a tad more rugged. Both parks feature massive granite mountains, gorgeous rivers and alpine meadows. But Yosemite’s natural wonders have the manicured sheen of a famous name. Kings Canyon is its untamed, serene cousin. When I asked a ranger the name of a nearby cliff, they quipped: “We don’t name everything like Yosemite.” During my three-day stay, I heard multiple guests say: “This is like a chill Yosemite.”
In fairness, many of the best experiences you can have at Kings Canyon are in the backcountry and require some level of backpacking knowledge. But even if you’re a camping novice, this guide outlines the many different ways you can experience the park, whether it’s from a cozy lodge or magnificent campground.
This guide focuses on the Cedar Grove area of the park. After being closed for more than a year because of major flooding, it reopened this summer. Its campgrounds are slowly but surely becoming available to book. (More on how to do that below.)
Please enjoy your stay in this slept-on paradise. And eat your heart out, Yosemite.
Getting there | Where to stay | What to pack | Bear safety | Where to day hike | Other activities
The South Fork of the Kings River flows through the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park.
(Jaclyn Cosgrove / Los Angeles Times)
