Clovis Family Day Trip: Sequoia National Park

Clovis families are on the look-out for new family-friendly activities

. Luckily Clovis is less than two hours from the Bay Area, Central Coast, Yosemite, and the Sequoia National Park. The closest, family friendly day trip is just east of Clovis in the Sierra Nevada mountains, to Grant Grove on Highway 180.

Kings Canyon is about one hour north-east of Grant Grove. It is a photographer's dream with sheer canyon walls and wild rapids at places such as Roaring River Falls. There are areas of Kings Canyon in which the canyon itself is deeper than the Grand Canyon. Just before Kings Canyon lies Boyden Cave, filled with stalactites and stalagmites and open to tours.

South-east of Grant Grove, about 30 minutes by car, is Lodge Pole providing camping, a hotel, restaurant, grocery store, and a ranger's station. There are several trail heads out of Lodge Pole.

Just ten minutes from Lodge Pole is the world's largest living thing, the General Sherman tree. Park your car and walk right up to the base of this living giant. Hike along a nearby trail to enjoy a grove of Giant Sequoia trees.

Continue along the highway to Moro Rock and enjoy this moderate climb and view the Sierra Nevada and the San Joaquin Valley below. For those with a tight schedule or unable to climb the entire height, there is a great outlook about one-third of the way up the rock with a spectacular view of the Sierras and the valley below.

As you drive along the highway, be sure to enjoy each of the tourist stops that allow you to park your car on a tree or drive through a tree with your car. As you drive and enjoy these stops, you will be able to continue on to Crescent Meadow. The meadow is a beautiful hike by any standard, but it holds a great surprise in the back -- a large hollowed log that had been used as a house. "Tharpe's Log" is a key tourist attraction in the park.

After you hit these highlights, you can turn around and head back to Clovis via Grant Grove. You can also continue down past Moro Rock to Three Rivers and have dinner at one of its fine restaurants. Three Rivers is also home to a well-known candy store with homemade ice cream to boot. The road from Sequoia to Three Rivers is winding, but worth it for the quaint community. From Three Rivers, the trip back to Clovis is just under ninety minutes.

by: Alexander V. Martin

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