With over 85 percent of their combined area declared wilderness, Sequoia and Kings Canyon are great hiking parks — there's no other way to get anywhere. The parks don't even have an east-west cross-Sierra route.

	Hiking Features

The Pacific Crest Trail extends the length of the parks. The John Muir Trail overlaps the PCT in the park, except for the tail that clambers to the top of Mount Whitney.

Here's an overview of the features that make each section of Kings Canyon and Sequoia a unique hiking experience:

Cedar Grove is a prime destination for backpackers, though of course day hiking is excellent too. The Kings River cuts through this glaciated valley, branching off into several creeks. Trails follow the water as it winds through meadows and falls over impressive granite cliffs. This section of the park closes in the winter because of road conditions.

Most trails in Grant Grove are short jaunts beneath the tall trees, including Kings Canyon's most famous, the General Grant Tree. If park history interests you, this is the place to go — interpretive signs line many of the routes. Keep in mind that easy access means this region can get oppressively crowded on busy summer days.

Giant Forest is home to Sequoia's tallest tree, General Sherman, also known as the World's Largest Living Thing. But hikers generally come to this region for the views from Mount Silliman, Alta Peak, and Moro Rock, where you can look down onto the Great Western Divide. Like Grant Grove, this area sees more than its share of summer weekend visitors.

Situated at the end of a precarious 25-mile road, Mineral King is probably the least visited section of Sequoia. The main draw for hikers is the number of pristine alpine lakes within day-hike distance. Backpackers have the advantage of waking up to perfectly still water, where deer and marmots congregate in surprising numbers. The road is closed in winter.

If you appreciate spring wildlflowers, or anytime-of-year oak savanna, the foothills trails around park headquarters at Ash Mountain are hard to beat. Summers here are hot and dry, supporting a totally different ecosystem than other parts of the park. Highlights are the rock formations and technicolor meadows.