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Three national parks, one valley
The Central Valley is the gateway to some of the most spectacular wilderness in America — from the largest trees on Earth to the granite walls of Yosemite.
Yosemite National Park
A UNESCO World Heritage site of towering granite cliffs, giant sequoia groves and thundering waterfalls. Enter via Highway 140 — the all-weather route along the Merced River.
- Must-see: Half Dome, El Capitan, Yosemite Falls, Tunnel View, Mariposa Grove
- Gateway: Merced via Hwy 140 — about 81 miles / 2 hours to the valley
- Best time: Waterfalls peak Apr–May; Tioga & Glacier Point roads are seasonal
🌊 Yosemite Falls plunges 2,425 ft in three tiers — the tallest waterfall in North America. Check nps.gov for current road and reservation conditions before you go.
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Sequoia National Park
Home to the largest living trees on Earth — including the record-holding General Sherman Tree — beneath the granite peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.
- Must-see: General Sherman Tree, Giant Forest, Moro Rock, Tunnel Log, Crystal Cave
- Gateway: Visalia via Hwy 198 — ~50 min to the entrance, ~1.5 hrs to Giant Forest
- Best time: Late spring–fall for full access; chains often required in winter
🌲 The General Sherman Tree stands 274.9 ft tall with a base circumference of 102.6 ft — the largest tree on Earth by volume. Vehicles over 22 ft should enter via Hwy 180.
Kings Canyon National Park
Ancient sequoia groves meet one of the deepest canyons in North America — a glacier-carved gorge that drops roughly 8,000 feet from peak to river.
- Must-see: General Grant Tree, Grant Grove, the Scenic Byway, Zumwalt Meadow, Roaring River Falls
- Gateway: Fresno via Hwy 180 — about 54 miles / 1 hr 15 min to Grant Grove
- Best time: Grant Grove is open year-round; the deep canyon road opens late spring–fall
🎄 The General Grant Tree is the world's second-largest tree and the "Nation's Christmas Tree" — the only living National Shrine to America's war dead.
More wild places
Forests, foothill lakes, wild rivers and scenic drives that connect it all.
Sierra & Sequoia National Forests
Over 1.3 million acres of the Sierra, plus the Giant Sequoia National Monument — home to 33 sequoia groves, nearly half of all that remain on Earth.
Lakes & Rivers
Boat and fish at Lake Kaweah, Millerton and Pine Flat, or raft the wild Class III–V rapids of the Kern and Kings rivers.
Majestic Mountain Loop
A scenic 3-parks-in-3-days route linking Sequoia, Kings Canyon and Yosemite via Highways 198, 180 and the Generals Highway.
Make the Valley your basecamp
Stay in a comfortable Valley city and reach three national parks in under two hours.