Photo by: Jacob Lips
Many corporations eyed Kings Canyon National Park for various development projects, but the will to preserve Mother Earth prevailed. The fight to revoke the national protection over this 461,901 acres of wilderness in the Fresno and Tulare Counties of California, failed. So people can continue to visit this national park, which welcomed close to 700,000 visitors in 2018.
The park is also adjacent to Sequoia National Park, which the National Park Service manages alongside Kings Canyon.
History
Kings Canyon is characterized by tall spikes, some of which with peaks at 14,000 feet. The mountains and canyons were formed through geological subduction over 100 million years ago. The high country, on the other hand, was mostly sculpted through glacial activities during the Ice Age.
The landscape of the park also changed over the decades. It was believed that the Native Americans, who were the first settlers of the area, burned a part of the forest to clear it for hunting. The natives in the area were known as the Owens Valley Paiute, who were believed to have inhabited Kings Canyon for about 7,000 years until the Europeans arrived.
Explorations in the area started in 1805. It wasn’t until 1890 when the area became a national park: General Grant National Park. It was renamed to Kings Canyon National Park on Oct. 1, 1890.
Places to go
There are so many stops for tourists spread across the Kings Canyon National Park, which is divided into five different sections: Cedar Grove, Foothills, Giant Forest & Lodgepole, Grant Grove and Mineral King. The Foothills is at a lower elevation. The large trees are at Grant Grove and Giant Forest.
Here are some of the must-see places:
General Grant – The General is a tree—the second largest tree in the world (the largest one is General Sherman, which is just in the neighboring Sequoia National Park) standing at 267 feet. The tree is named after President Ulysses Grant. President Calvin Coolidge also designated this tree as the Nation’s Christmas Tree on April 28, 1926. On March 29, 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower also declared it a national shrine, as a tribute to the people who died in the war.
Mark Twain Tree Stump - The story of this stump is remarkable. The sequoia was called the Mark Twain Tree. Because of the absence of the internet, people didn’t really believe that trees could grow as big as the sequoia tree. So in 1891, the Mark Twain Tree was cut down just to prove people wrong—the tree was measured, and parts of it were sent to museums around the world. The stump is now one of the tourist spots at Kings Canyon.
Castle Tree Stump – Unlike the Mark Twain Tree Stump which was almost perfectly cut with a saw, this one looks like it was naturally broken because of the imperfect cuts and abundant spikes. This stump is also just a stone’s throw away from the Mark Twain tree.
Burnt Monarch – This giant tree was burnt but it didn’t completely decimate. There is a nook inside the tree that is perfect for a person to slide in, for clicking pictures.
Grizzly Falls – Unlike most waterfalls, visitors don’t need to trek to see this waterfall. They can just drive to the parking lot and see the beautiful, but a soothing cascade.
Kings Canyon Scenic Byway – And as tourists drive through the falls, they could also take this route and check out its many pull-outs. One should take advantage of the stops and take photos of the breathtaking views. of different regions of Kings Canyon.
Roaring River Falls – It is very picturesque waterfall with its blue water surrounded by gray rocks.
Zumwalt Meadow – It is a popular day-hike trail that gives hikers the backdrop of imposing rock formations.
Mist Falls – There is an eight-mile trail that ends at this beautiful waterfall.
Flora & fauna
The park is home to the largest trees in the world, but it is also a haven for various other plants. There are over 1,200 species of plants at Kings Canyon. Together with the adjacent Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon was designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. This means that the area is protected for preserving biodiversity.
The commonly seen plants at the park are chaparral and brush. Aside from sequoia, other trees found in the park are oaks, sycamores, and willows. Plants such as incense cedar, ponderosa pine, red fir, sugar pine, and white fir thrive at Kings Canyon.
As for animals, the park is the home to deer, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, and black bears. There are also dozens of species of birds and reptiles that live in the park.
Photo by: Jacob Lips