for sure , there ’s a lot of beauty along the California coastline . But California is a BIG ol’ country , and most of it subsist far away from any ocean . Central California – as in the Central Valley , not Santa Barbara – has been kip on for far too farseeing . Home to two of the most underrated national common in the country – Sequoia and Kings Canyon , full of towering trees , thunder waterfalls , and sparkling alpine lakes – this part of California is due for its time in the limelight .
The Fresno Yosemite International Airport ( FAT ) is the closelipped external airport serving this part of California , with verbatim flight of steps from many major cities throughout the US including Los Angeles , Denver , Dallas / Fort Worth , and Chicago . aviate into FAT , lease yourself a car , and hit the road !
The drive itself is part of the adventure : Many of the highlight of this area take several hour of driving compressed , wrap roadstead through mountains and canyon with limited cell receipt and help . Do n’t be cod by proximity on a map – “ as the crow flies ” might be a short , straight shot , but as the car drives , you ’ll have to goallllllthe way around .
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This is also the delight of discovering this part of the Golden State – driving the incredibly scenic and improbably isolated nose route through distant , unspoiled area that feel a world forth from the thickly inhabit metro areas crammed full of tens of millions of people ( in reality , even the deepest part of King ’s Canyon is still only five hours from LA ) . The best part is , you may start and end in Fresno , do for an leisurely roundtrip route misstep .
Fresno (1-2 nights)
confessedly , Fresno is probably not at the top of many people ’s California travel wish inclination , but as with any underrated city , Fresno is full of its own unequalled spell and fun way to expend a weekend .
Stay at theSequoia View Vineyard , located on 20 land of the Cedar View Winery estate of the realm vinery . Book one of three on an individual basis decorated suites , each with unbelievable views of the beleaguer vineyards , orchards , hills , or Sierra Nevada Mountains . It ’s a little bit fussy in the way of life that staying on an estate wine maker can be , but it ’s certainly a unique lodgement selection . And at under $ 200 / nighttime on peak summer weekends , it ’s plausibly one of the least - expensive estate winery quell in the entire res publica of California .
From there , enjoy the urban outdoors by visitingForestiere Underground Gardens , a cross-file historic landmark of hand - carved Harlan Fisk Stone subterraneous grot , archway , passages , and garden courts full of lush green vine and yield - bearing trees . Spend some time ramble aroundWoodward Park , a 300 - Akka regional park with five miles of trail , a good deal bike course , BMX course of instruction , record golf course , and more . It ’s also rest home to theShinzen Friendship Garden , an unquestionable Japanese babe - metropolis garden developed in the post - WWII era . It feature a “ living museum ” of over 100 bonsai tree , a afternoon tea garden and tea leaf menage , a moon bridge , and a koi pond , with beautiful views of the lake and gorgeous landscaping all around .
Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
Drive 15 transactions south from the garden to pass a cheery afternoon atChukchansi Parkwatching a Grizzlies game . Located in the heart of business district Fresno , this bowl is love as one of the most beautiful and modern Minor League sports facility in the country , with outstanding view of the downtown skyline and surrounding Sierra Nevada mountains . While you ’re there , grab a beer at theTioga - Sequoia Brewing Company Beer Gardenjust around the corner from the parking area .
artistry and computer architecture buffs , be certain to also learn out theFresno Art Museumshowcasing ancient and modern Mexican art and contemporaneous American works , the Gothic RevivalSaint John ’s Cathedral , the 19th - century VictorianMeux Home Museum , and the Postmodern FuturistFresno City Hall .
Bakersfield (1-2 nights)
From Fresno , make your way down to Bakersfield as your home home for a few must - do rise and outdoor experiences . remain at the AAA Four DiamondPadre Hotel , a historical property dating back to 1928 that is now a fashionable boutique hotel with first-class food and drinkable selection .
While stick around in this orbit , head to theSeven Teacups , a chain of seven connected chuckhole waterfalls along the Kern River . The scenery is gorgeous and while this is a route specially popular with canyoneers ( who rappel down the waterfalls ) , you could also hike on the sprawl slab along the sides . There are lots of pothole “ pond ” in this area , and plenty you’re able to swim in ( just not these , as the current can beverystrong ) . Be aware that while the hiking itself is comparatively short , about 4 - 5 miles calculate on how far you go , it also ask route - finding and scrambling skills , and there ’s a creek ford that can be unsafe if the water is high ( say after several months ofheavy pelting in the areaandheavy snow packin the mountains melting throughout the summer , for example ) .
Not far from the Seven Teacups trail head you ’ll obtain theTrail of 100 Giants — an easy 1.3 - mile walkway along an accessible paved lead that winds through a orchard of 125 giant sequoias that are more than 10 feet in diameter and up to 1,500 years old ( plus another 700 or so “ smaller ” redwood ) .
Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company
On your way back from these hike , make a colliery stop to souse in some lifelike red-hot bound . Hot springs are find all over California , but few rest as rustic as those found atRemington Hot Springs , which have three well - maintained , man - made tubs locate along the Kern River that average out around 103 degrees . yield the remoteness of the area and low light pollution , this is a great spot for some nighttime stargazing after a Clarence Day of hike .
Visalia (1-2 nights)
After your stay in Bakersfield , head back north toward Visalia , the Silver Lake of Central Valley . Stay atThe Darling , a boutique hotel locate within a of late renovated and fully restored 1930s Art Deco edifice . Spend the day footle poolside , then enjoy the panoramic views of the Sierras while having dinner atElderwood , the hotel ’s rooftop eating house and bar .
For a perfect Visalia weekend itinerary , make certain you ’re in townsfolk on the first Friday of the calendar month and search the Downtown Visalia Art District during theF1rst Fridayart creeping . On Saturday , pop your morning with house - roasted burnt umber and house - baked pastry fromComponent Coffee Lab , then stroll over to theVisalia Farmers Marketand peruse dozens of local trafficker sell hand-crafted artisan item and fresh green goods grown only in the Central Valley . ( There are three sodbuster markets in Visalia , but the master one is defend every Saturday year - round . ) That evening , bask live music while sipping on slyness beer atBarrelHouse Brewing Co. , where you may find musician on stage every Thursday through Sunday .
On Sunday , project a fancy brunch at the lovelyVintage Press , an institution of ok dining in Visalia for over 50 old age . Butdoplan – if you desire a tabular array on their charming outside patio surrounded by succulent greenery ( and you do ) , be sure to reserve in the lead of clip . Consider this your last little bit of “ care for yo ’ ego ” cocker before you go full mountain world on the next couple of stage of your Central Valley route trip .
The Padre Hotel
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Mineral King Valley (2-3 nights)
From Visalia , it ’s a comparatively short yet hairsbreadth - raising drive to Mineral King Valley in the High Sierra . The only road into this valley is Mineral King Drive , a route first build in 1873 during the silver gravy . It ’s a infamous snowy - metacarpophalangeal joint drive along 25 miles of usurious , narrow route with steep cliff drop curtain , no guard rails , andhundredsof hairpin curves ( the Internet spits out numbers rove from 398 - 698 , but when you ’re driving it , there is a point at which the number of hundreds no longer matter ) .
It choose about an hr to make the drive , and there are some spot for scenic stops along the mode ( where you could also catch your intimation and slow your heart rate ) , but once you reach the end of the paved road you ’ll find yourself atSilver City Mountain Resort , a hidden gem of a destination and a true flight from the universe . Book one of its more upscale private cabins and enjoy the sop tub next to the windowpane surrounded by dim forest , as well as a lack of Wi - Fi , television , and cell service . ( There is some scratchy prison cell service at the resort ’s main construction if need . )
The resort serve breakfast , luncheon , and dinner party at its eating place , all made from lettuce using ingredient source from local Central Valley producer and growers , as well as California beer and wines . Every repast is owing , and you may enjoy it all on the broad deck palisade by cedars and loom pine while soaking in the full seclusion . Save room for Proto-Indo European !
The Darling Hotel
While you ’re in Mineral King , you need to check out the stellar hike . This is a subalpine polar valley of wide - unfastened meadows , turn waterfalls , watch crystal - clear alpine lake , dense coniferous tree forests , and jag granite peaks . And bears ! Practicebear safetywhile out on the trails , and also be sure tobear - andmarmot - proof your carat the trail head so that you do n’t arrive back to a mauled automobile with a jaw - through radiator hose . ( Thisreallycannot be underscore enough if you are new to the High Sierra . )
There are many trails of varying distance and difficulty in Mineral King that take you past hayfield and waterfalls , through wood , and up above the tree pedigree to alpine lakes surrounded by granite crown . Eagle Lake(~7 miles),Monarch Lakes(~10 miles ) , andFranklin Lakes(~12 miles ) are among the most popular trail , and all can be completed as a day hike for conditioned hiker . Be prepared for some serious aggrandizement amplification with each of them ; you ’re starting out at an meridian of about 7,500 infantry in the vale ( altitude sickness can start at 8,000 feet ) and some of these hikes take you above 10,000 feet , where the breeze is noticeably thinner and even the fit , most acme - condition hikers can struggle breathing . tramp smartand know your demarcation , and also be cognizant of thesymptoms of altitude sickness(it ’s a serious matter ; so take it seriously ) .
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (2-3 nights)
Sequoia
After you ’ve spent a few 24-hour interval unplugging , unwinding , and commune with nature in Mineral King , lead back down the blanched - knuckle Mineral King Drive toward Three Rivers , then hang a right hand onto Highway 180 ( Sierra Drive ) as it becomes Generals Highway , a 32.5 - mile drive that film you through the heart ofSequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks . ( Be sure to checkcurrent conditions ; while the parks are projected to re - open in mid - April , some arena may remain shut until previous May . )
Just minutes after entering Sequoia National Park , you ’ll encounter the first scenic stop and photo op along the itinerary , Tunnel Rock : a full-grown boulder covering what was once a roadway that create a “ tunnel . ” Get out of the car , take the picture , and keep on truckin ’ – there aremanystops like this along Generals Highway .
While there are countless opportunities for hiking and camping and you could well drop a week(s ) out here exploring it all , for those who only have a day or two , you could still see alot . Generals Highway – and , afterward along Highway 180 , baron Canyon Road – is full of scenic sentiment , roadside pull - outs overlooking immense vistas , and awe - light upon landmarks .
Getty Images courtesy of Enterprise
Along this route you will seeGeneral Sherman , an utterlymassiveSequoia known as the world ’s largest tree diagram ( more technically , it ’s the largest cognise living single - bow tree ) . Estimated to be 2,200 - 2,700 years old , General Sherman stands 275 feet high and measures 103 feet around at its nucleotide . It is incomprehensibly huge .
There areseveral grovesof giant redwood located within Sequoia and Kings Canyon park – fun fact , seven of the 10 largest tree diagram in the reality grow within these two parks – but the capably make Giant Forest is the declamatory of the unlogged sequoia groves ( and home to General Sherman ) . Get out of the automobile to explore these instinctive wonders on theBig Trees Trail(0.75 miles ) and theCongress Trail(2.7 miles ) ; both are accessible paved trails . Another popular , scant ( 1 Admiralty mile ) hike located in the Giant Forest will take you up 350 stairs to the top ofMoro Rock , an bring down granite dome that looms conspicuously over this section of Sequoia . The view from the top is worth the quadriceps bite .
You ’ll have to briefly leave Generals Highway and take Crescent Meadow Road to the Moro Rock Trailhead , but even if you do n’t plan any further hiking in Crescent Meadow ( although , not for nothing , theHigh Sierra Trailisright there ) , do drive on just a footling bit far past Moro Rock . You ’ll then go through throughSequoia National Park ’s Tunnel Log , another massive sequoia , which once stand 275 foot tall , that fell over the road . Because these sequoia are so immense and so heavy ( General Sherman weigh about 4.2 million pounds ) , instead of removing it , the park service just cut a tunnel through it . Et voilà : tunnel log !
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Another diversion off Generals Highway near the Giant Forest will take you toCrystal Cave , one of at least 240 known cave located within Sequoia National Park . This marble cavern is deserving a few hours of exploration – book one of the park’sguided cave toursto see some of the cave ’s fragile formations , and if you’rereallyin for an adventure , ledger the 3.5 - hourWild Cave Tourthat will have you crawling on your belly and wax through narrow passageways .
There are also many waterfalls to give chase between these two green . Tokopah Fallsis an easy 3.4 - mile roundtrip hike that starts at the Lodgepole Campground near the Giant Forest and leads to a 1,200 - foot cascading waterfall surrounded by granite cliffs .
Kings Canyon
Just after perish the Redwood Mountain Overlook , Highway 180 schism . Continue by turn right ( point directionally northerly ) as this stretch of Generals Highway becomes theKings Canyon Scenic Byway .
This is where you ’ll findGeneral Grant , another large male child sequoia and the country ’s only inhabit national shrine . Hume Lakeis worth the short detour , where you could go kayaking and mountain biking ( rental usable ) . TheSandy Cove Day Use Areais a capital spot to go swimming , have a snap , or go for a walk around the lake .
As you keep to head east toRoad ’s End(literally , where the road ends ! ) , pop out of the car to seeGrizzly FallsandRoaring River Falls , both very short walk from their several parking wad . Once you reach Road ’s End , pass some time hike inZumwalt Meadow , one of the most iconic , scenic meadows in these Mungo Park . Go for a swim atMuir Rock , hike the1.5 - mile trailaround the meadow , or make the foresighted trek toMist Falls , a roughly 8 - mile , comparatively mat hike ( salve for the stairs at the end ) through jaw - devolve scenery to one of the largest waterfall in the parks .
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There are many , many , manyplaces to camp within Sequoia and Kings Canyon , from all fashion of developed camping ground to areas where dispersed camping is admit ( though you do need a campfire permit ) . Find all the details you needhere , but FWIW , some of the favourite situation areAzalea , Sunset , andSheep Creek . For non - campers , there areplenty of lodgesin the Rosa Parks , too . None of them are fancy , but if it ’s a bed and indoor plumbing you ’re after , they get the job done .
After hitting Road ’s End and heading back the way you come to the main Generals Highway , follow 180 West back to Fresno . And there you have it : a hebdomad - long - plus road trip without ever leaving the Central Valley ! Coastline is overrate , anyway .
