Hiking Trails
Grant Grove Hiking Trails lead through the heart of this ancient forest and will take you to some incredible places, including the summit of Big Baldy, the heart of Redwood Canyon, and the unique "sawed tree".
Kings Canyon offers hundreds of miles of maintained wilderness trails. There are short and easy strolls, led by the meandering Big Stump Trail. There are long and steep trails, offering dramatic High Sierra scenery. For the intrepid, there’s Big Baldy (8,209 feet) Ridge Trail. Hiking Redwood Canyon is another peak experience where you’ll discover the world’s largest grove of sequoias.
Old logging trails, river crossings, lakeshore ambles – Kings Canyon is laced with paths to everlasting hiking happiness.
Read on for descriptions on just a few of the many Kings Canyon hiking options in the heart of Grant Grove.
Big Stump Trail
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 1 hour
Trailhead: Next to the entrance station inside the Highway 180 entrance
Elevation Gain: 200 feet
Description: One of the lesser-traveled trails in Kings Canyon National Park, the Big Stump hiking trail features many enormous stumps left over from the logging days. Two points of interest along the trail include the Mark Twain tree, a giant stump you can climb onto via a small ladder, and the Sawed Tree, a sequoia tree that bears an enormous scar from being partially sawed through which now stands perfectly healthy.
Redwood Canyon Trail - Hart Tree Loop
Distance: 6.5 miles, round trip
Time: 4 hours
Trailhead: Redwood Saddle parking area
Elevation Gain: 850 feet
Description: The Hart Tree Loop is another less-traveled Grant Grove hiking trail located in Redwood Canyon, which contains the largest sequoia grove in the park. To get to the trailhead, drive south on Generals Highway from Grant Grove and turn right at Quail Flat onto a dirt road. The Redwood Saddle parking area is 1 ½ miles down the road. The Hart Tree Loop trail goes past an old logging site from the 1800's, past Hart Meadow and Fallen Goliath, and through Tunnel Tree, a hollowed out giant sequoia. Roughly halfway into the hike you will reach a spur trail that leads to the Hart Tree, the largest tree in the grove. The hike is relatively easy and provides numerous vista points along the way.
Big Baldy Trail
Distance: 4.5 miles, round trip
Time: 2 ½ hours
Trailhead: Parking area on Generals Highway, approximately 8 miles south of Grant Grove
Elevation Gain: 600 feet
Description: The trail to the summit of Big Baldy is considered moderate difficulty. The trail alternates between forest and granite covered areas and eventually reaches an elevation of 8,209 feet with jaw dropping panoramic views. For those interested in a little more Kings Canyon hiking, continue on for another half mile to catch a view of a formation called Chimney Rock.