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Sequoia & Kings Canyon: May 2009

We were in Kernville for my twin nephews graduation on Thursday and figured, heck, we're going to be that close, we might as well head on up to Sequoia.

We only had a few days, but we've been there many times and we love the area. We arrived about 12:30 in the afternoon at Stony Creek Campground, which is in between Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks: perfectly situated. The sites at Stony Creek Campground are much bigger than what you would get at the National Parks. We've stayed in Lodgepole and Dorst campgrounds and we've enjoyed them greatly, but you have no privacy and the spaces are very small and right up against each other.

We were expecting the same type of thing since we're in the Sequoia's but we were pleasantly surprised when we arrived at Stony Creek. The sites are shaded and run along Stony Creek, you can hear water running throughout the campground. Ample shade is available and a hiking trail is found right off the campground.

We had a few thunder storms while camping and even had a hail storm, which was a surprise. But we didn't let that stop us from having a great time. We hiked through Zumwalt Meadow, saw Grizzly Falls and Roaring River Falls, picnicked along the Kings River, hiked through Crescent Meadow to Tharp's Log and went bear hunting (for pictures). We saw a momma bear and two cubs and another cub in a different area.

This was the first time we've experienced rain while camping. We are from CA and normally camp in CA or AZ so this was new to us, but quite fun :). The thunderstorm rolled in around 6:00 pm Friday right after our fire was going well. We spent the evening in our tent listening to the rain and relaxing. (We have an 8 person tent for just the 2 of us so we have room for chairs & small table along with our bed). Saturdays storm was a short one and didn't keep us from having a fire and enjoying the evening out.

This was a much needed trip and we were really happy to be back among the big trees. Sequoia National Park is one of those "must sees" and I highly recommend it.

Happy Camping!

Tags: campground, canyon, creek, falls, grizzly, kings, meadow, river, roaring, sequoia, More…stony, zumwalt

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Comment by Karen on January 26, 2011 at 8:54pm: Sandra, check out Upper Stony Creek campground first if it's available. It has only about 20 sites and each site is super big! They only have vault toilets, but they are very clean. It's right on the river and amazing. We'd look for a site there before Stony Creek after visiting both. We spent a week there last summer and highly recommend it.

Comment by Sandra on January 26, 2011 at 2:16pm: Thanks for the input on Stony Creek campground. I've always camped at Lodgepole, but after reading this & seeing your pix, I think I'll try Stony Creek next time. Sounds like more my style.

Comment by Myra Johnson on October 2, 2009 at 7:42pm: I'm so looking forward to visiting CA. next year. Sequoia and Kings Canyon are a must on my list. Karen, thanks for the information on the camping out there.

Comment by Karen on July 4, 2009 at 1:25pm: Hi Webfoot, I haven't tried Azalea, but I've looked at it too. After checking out a few of the spots, I think I prefer staying in the forest rather than the national park as you get much bigger sites. I agree, Lodgepole it crazy crowded, there are a few sites that offer a bit of space if you can get them. Good to know no reservations are needed at Azalea, that might be a good option for those spur of the moment trips.

Comment by Webfoot on July 3, 2009 at 12:58pm: Have you ever tried Azalea at the Grant Grove? No reservations needed, situated halfway between Cedar Grove and the Giant Forest. Nice spots throughout the campground. Lodgepole is the worst - way too crowded and the campsites are right on top of each other. Dorst is OK, but not much better than Lodgepole.