14) Sequoia and Kings Canyon Parks
There aren’t very many places where you can stand next to 2000 year old trees, but Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks offer you the unique opportunity to do so. The massive, giant Sequoias are particularly awe inspiring, and what makes it even more special is that they only grow in Grant Grove and surrounding areas in Kings Canyon. The gigantic specimens dwarf everything, and are so huge that it’s difficult to get even the middle canopy of the tree in a photograph. Kings Canyon Park offer trails through the groves that are very well defined, and visitors can also learn about early foresting life during the 1800’s. The canyon itself is a marvel of jagged granite, jutting in and out into winding roads that have been etched from the rock walls. The drive to Grant’s Grove includes numerous vista points where you can stop and take in the unimaginable beauty of the Sierra Nevadas.
