Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest
From Fresno to the General Grant Tree, down into the granite depths of Kings Canyon and back over the Generals Highway to Moro Rock.
- Distance
- 187 km (116 mi)
- Driving
- 2 h 04 min
- Suggested days
- 3
- Stops
- 7
- States
- CA
- Updated
- May 30, 2026
At a glance: 3-day road trip of about 187 km (116 mi) with 7 stops, from Fresno to Three Rivers. About 2 h 04 min of driving in total.
More road trips in California
Route description
From Fresno, SR-180 climbs east for about 55 miles to Kings Canyon National Park’s Big Stump entrance. Grant Grove is a few minutes inside, with a visitor center, a village and the General Grant Tree at the end of a paved loop. The park entrance fee also covers Sequoia National Park, and there are campgrounds in Grant Grove suitable for motorhomes.
Beyond Grant Grove, the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway drops about 30 miles into one of the deepest canyons in North America. It is open from roughly late April to mid-November and has sharp curves and long grades. Grizzly Falls is a short walk from a picnic area on the way down. There is no fuel inside the parks; fill up before you arrive or at Hume Lake, a short detour off SR-180.
At the bottom, Cedar Grove has a small village and campgrounds, and the road ends a few miles further at Road’s End. The Zumwalt Meadow loop, about 1.5 miles, is the best short walk, with the granite walls of Grand Sentinel above. Drive back up the same road to Grant Grove, then turn south on the Generals Highway toward the Giant Forest.
The General Sherman Tree is about an hour south. In Giant Forest, Moro Rock has a stairway of about 350 steps to its summit; in summer take the free park shuttle to reach it. South of Giant Forest, the Generals Highway drops through tight hairpins to Three Rivers, and vehicles over 22 feet are advised not to use the section between Potwisha and Giant Forest.
Stop-by-stop itinerary
In driving order. Distances are estimates between consecutive stops.
- 1Start
Fresno
CA - 287 km
General Grant Tree
NatureKings Canyon National Park, CAOne of the largest trees on Earth, designated the Nation’s Christmas Tree, at the end of a paved one-third-mile loop in Grant Grove. The large parking lot fills by midday in summer.
- 326 km
Grizzly Falls
NatureKings Canyon National Park, CAA waterfall a few steps from a picnic area on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, strongest in late spring. It sits in Sequoia National Forest west of Cedar Grove; the road closes in winter.
- 416 km
Zumwalt Meadow
NatureKings Canyon National Park, CAAn easy loop through a meadow on the floor of Kings Canyon beneath the granite walls of Grand Sentinel and North Dome. It is near Road’s End, at the end of SR-180, open roughly late April to mid-November.
- 533 km
General Sherman Tree
NatureThree Rivers, CAThe largest living tree on Earth by volume, a giant sequoia in the Giant Forest.
- 65 km
Moro Rock
ViewsSequoia National Park, CAA granite dome in Giant Forest climbed by about 350 steps cut into the rock, with views over the Great Western Divide. In summer the access road is served by the free park shuttle; avoid it in thunderstorms.
- 721 km
Three Rivers
CA
FAQs
How long is Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest?
3-day road trip of about 187 km (116 mi) with 7 stops, from Fresno to Three Rivers. About 2 h 04 min of driving in total.
How many days do you need for Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest?
We suggest 3 days: about 2 h 04 min of driving, which leaves time for the stops.
Where does Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest start and end?
It starts in Fresno and ends in Three Rivers.
Which states does Kings Canyon Scenic Byway and the Giant Forest pass through?
California.
