Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
North Grove Loop
easy FamiliesFirst-Time VisitorsSolitude Seekers
1.5 mi Distance
Varies Estimated Time
loop Trail Type
What to Expect
The North Grove Loop is what Kings Canyon looks like before the tour buses arrive. Starting near Grant Grove, the trail drops into a hushed corridor of mixed conifers and then — almost without warning — giant sequoias begin appearing at the edges of the path, their cinnamon-red bark catching whatever light filters through the canopy. The route traces meadow edges and crosses small creeks, keeping the grade gentle enough that you barely notice you're moving through old-growth forest that predates most of human civilization. The forest floor is soft with duff, the sequoias are old enough to feel indifferent to your presence, and the meadows open the sky just enough to break the shade. This is the trail for people who want the sequoia experience without performing it — no crowd, no designated photo spot, just the trees doing what they've done for a thousand years.
Trail Details
Distance 1.5 miles round-trip
Difficulty easy
Estimated Time Varies
Trail Type loop
Pets Not allowed
Season Year-round
Trailhead North Grove Loop
- 1
Start before 9am or after 4pm — Grant Grove draws crowds and the adjacent General Grant Tree trail siphons most of them, but the parking lots still fill early on summer weekends.
- 2
The trail surface is packed dirt with rooty sections near the creek crossings; trail runners are fine, but sandals will catch on exposed roots.
- 3
The best sequoia sightlines come about a third of the way in, where the trail curves west through a grove opening — stop here and look up rather than ahead for the full cathedral effect.
