We’ve filmed and hiked throughout Yosemite National Park and come back again and again because the valley genuinely never stops delivering. El Capitan from Valley View. Half Dome at golden hour. The sound of Yosemite Falls in spring. These things hold up no matter how many times you experience them. Pair Yosemite with Sequoia and Kings Canyon on the Majestic Mountain Loop and you get granite, the largest trees on Earth, and the deepest canyon in the country in a single drive.
Table Of Contents: Yosemite to Sequoia National Park Road Trip
5 Quick Things to Know About the Majestic Mountain Loop
- The America the Beautiful interagency pass makes the most sense for this road trip to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. The pass costs $80, and entrance fees for the parks would run $70 anyway. The pass also covers the surrounding national forests and public lands nationwide for a full year.
- Vehicle reservations are not required at Yosemite in 2026. The park dropped its timed-entry system entirely this year. International folks 16 and older now pay a $100 non-resident surcharge on top of the standard entrance fee at Yosemite and at Sequoia and Kings Canyon (effective January 1, 2026). The $250 non-resident annual pass covers those surcharges.
- Bear spray is not allowed in Yosemite, Sequoia, or Kings Canyon. Read more about black bear safety in Yosemite.
- Visiting between September and May? Bring snow chains, even with four-wheel drive. Not all rental agencies allow chains, so check before you book. Here’s more on snow chain requirements in California’s mountains.
- Budget five days if you can. Two for Yosemite, one each for Sequoia and Kings Canyon, and one for the driving between them. We’ll lay out the itinerary below.
Where to Start the Yosemite to Sequoia Road Trip
We’re partial to the scenic route, so here are two ways to fly into this trip plus a third option that adds a serious twist. Sequoia to Yosemite is only 90 miles as the crow flies, but you have to drive around the southern crest of the Sierra Nevada, and that changes everything.
Fly Into Fresno
Fresno Yosemite International (FAT) sits perfectly positioned between Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon. Start and finish at whichever park you like. A Going analysis ranks these three among the most affordable national parks to fly to.
From FAT it’s 96 miles to Yosemite and 64 miles to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
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Fly Into the Bay Area
If the price is right, flying into the San Francisco Bay Area is worth considering, and it opens the door to returning along the Pacific Coast Highway. Choose Oakland or San Jose over SFO to skip the San Mateo Bridge traffic.
Sacramento International also works. Stockton Metropolitan only connects to Las Vegas and Phoenix, so it’s a long shot for most folks.
Fly Into Las Vegas
The curveball. Fly into Las Vegas and you can add Death Valley National Park to the loop. Here’s why that’s special. At Badwater Basin in Death Valley you stand at the lowest point in North America, 282 feet below sea level. Just 85 miles away, behind Sequoia National Park, Mount Whitney tops out at 14,505 feet, the highest peak in the Lower 48. No other corner of the country swings that hard in one afternoon of driving.
Whichever airport you choose, get a rental with all-wheel or four-wheel drive. You’ll appreciate it in the mountain summers and need it in the winters.
When Is the Best Time for a Sequoia to Yosemite Road Trip?
To get the full Kings Canyon experience, plan for late spring through fall. Highway 180 past the Hume Lake junction, the road into the canyon itself, closes for winter in mid-November and reopens in late April. In 2026 it reopened on April 24. To appreciate the Kings Canyon leg of this loop, you need the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, full stop.
Tioga Road in Yosemite typically stays closed until late May or June, though 2026 broke the pattern with a May 15 opening, the earliest in 11 years. Glacier Point Road follows a similar schedule, and Mariposa Grove Road usually opens in mid-April. On the other side of summer, the high roads close around mid-November.
Our pick is mid-June through September. Everything is open, the waterfalls still have life in early summer, and September trades some waterfall volume for noticeably thinner crowds.
National Park Crowds
It’s no revelation that national parks get crowded in summer. Yosemite drew 4.2 million people in 2025, the fifth most visited national park in the country, and a healthy chunk of those arrive in June, July, and August. With vehicle reservations gone for 2026, expect the Valley to be even busier during peak months.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon run far quieter. Combined, the two parks see roughly a third of Yosemite’s traffic, which is one of the quiet arguments for giving them more of your trip than most folks do.
Whichever way you run the loop, hit Yosemite on weekdays for the smallest crowds. Saturdays in July are an exercise in parking-lot patience.
Shuttles and Transportation
The full Yosemite to Sequoia road trip with Kings Canyon in the mix runs about 400 miles if you drive to the outer points of each park’s roads.
Both Yosemite and Sequoia offer shuttle options for folks who’d rather not fight the traffic.
The Sequoia Shuttle from Visalia runs late May through early September (May 21 to September 7 in 2026). It costs $20 round trip, reservations are required, and the buses seat 16. Once you’re inside the park, a separate system of free in-park shuttles covers the Giant Forest area on multiple routes, no reservation needed. Check the park transit page for current maps and routes.
Yosemite’s YARTS buses run year-round on the Merced route and seasonally from Sonora and Fresno. Riders don’t need their own park entrance pass, since admission comes with the fare. Ticket prices range from a few dollars to around $44 depending on distance, one-way or round trip, and discounts.
The one hiccup is Kings Canyon. No shuttle or public transportation connects there. For the canyon itself, you need a vehicle.
Travel Distances on the Majestic Mountain Loop
From the Foothills Visitor Center in Sequoia National Park to Road’s End in Kings Canyon is 81 miles of winding mountain road. Expect about three hours.
From Road’s End, about as remote as you’ll get in the twin parks, it’s 182 miles and roughly four hours to Yosemite Valley, passing through Wawona on the way.
Want to add Mammoth Lakes? Plan on 102 miles from Yosemite Valley over Tioga Pass, passing Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows. Summer and early fall only.
National Forests Near Yosemite and Sequoia National Park
Whether park crowds, traffic, or curiosity pulls you off the main route, four national forests line the Yosemite to Sequoia drive, and they’re criminally underused.
Yosemite Highlights
Ideally you’ll have five days for the full loop, with two of them in Yosemite. We put together a list of 20 things to do at Yosemite, and our 1 to 5 day Yosemite itinerary covers the pacing.
Our favorite hike in the park is Clouds Rest, partly because it looks 1,000 feet down on the crowds waiting at the Half Dome cables. We’ve made the full case in our Clouds Rest guide.
- Yosemite Valley is the heart of the park. Granite walls, Yosemite Falls and Bridalveil Fall, the Merced River winding through the meadows, and most of the famous viewpoints and trailheads.
- Glacier Point serves the biggest panoramic view of the Valley, Half Dome, and the high country, reachable by car in the warmer months. It’s also a fine spot for stargazing.
- Tuolumne Meadows shows you a different Yosemite. Open grassy expanses ringed by granite domes at higher elevation, with trailheads in every direction and far fewer people.
- Tenaya Lake sits in the granite along Tioga Road, clear and cold. Picnic, swim in late summer if you’re brave, or just stand there a while.
If there’s one part of Yosemite to skip on this specific trip, it’s Mariposa Grove. You’re about to see the largest tree on the planet at the next stop, so save the sequoia time for Sequoia.
Yosemite Resources: Map / Guidebook / Facts / Where to Stay / Best Hikes
Sequoia National Park Highlights
In Sequoia, the General Sherman Tree is the headliner, the largest tree on Earth by volume at roughly 52,500 cubic feet of trunk. Walk the Giant Forest around it, then climb the 350-plus steps up Moro Rock, the Half Dome of Sequoia National Park, for a panorama of the Great Western Divide.
Don’t miss Crescent Meadow, quiet and full of wildlife, and give the Giant Forest Museum a half hour for the natural and cultural history.
Sequoia Resources: Map / Guidebook / Things to Do / Facts / Where to Stay / Best Hikes
Kings Canyon National Park Highlights
Kings Canyon is the sleeper of the three. Drive the Scenic Byway down into the canyon, stop at Grizzly Falls, and crane your neck at the Grand Sentinel rising off the canyon floor. Backpackers come for the Rae Lakes Loop, one of the great multi-day routes in the Sierra.
Not to be out-treed, Kings Canyon is also home to the General Grant Tree, the Nation’s Christmas Tree.
Did you know? Kings Canyon is deeper than the Grand Canyon by 2,200 feet. The Grand Canyon’s deepest point is 6,000 feet. Kings Canyon reaches 8,200.
Walk the loop at Zumwalt Meadow for the best short hike on the canyon floor, and stop at the Cedar Grove Visitor Center for the human history of the canyon.
Kings Canyon Resources: Things to Do | Facts | Map | Guide | Park Conditions
A Three Day Majestic Mountain Loop Itinerary
Start the trip in whichever park you’ll spend the least time visiting, and build toward your headliner. Nobody wants to rush their bucket list park.
Day 1 in Sequoia
For this example we start at Sequoia, since you can see the Giant Forest and General Sherman in a day. Work in the Giant Forest Museum, then finish on the 1.6-mile trail to Sunset Rock to watch the day end before the stars come out.
Day 2 in Kings Canyon
Stay overnight at John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon for a head start on Day 2. Campers can use this campground map to plan. The nearest full-service town is Visalia, 50 miles from the Sequoia entrance, and the drive up from the foothills is an attraction in itself.
Day 3 in Yosemite
Another option is ending Day 2 in Oakhurst, positioned for Yosemite’s south entrance. Oakhurst runs a free trolley around town, so give yourself a morning or evening there. Arrive at Yosemite before 9 am to beat the worst of the entrance lines and claim parking.
Get to Yosemite Valley as early as possible and park the car once. Finding a spot is half the frustration. From there you can reach El Capitan, Lower and Upper Yosemite Falls, and the Valley viewpoints on foot and by shuttle. Half Dome hikers need a permit while the cables are up, generally late May through mid-October.
If you have four or five days, spend one exploring Big Oak Flat Road and Tioga Road, from Tuolumne Grove out to Tenaya Lake and Tuolumne Meadows. For a long day hike away from the crowds, the Waterwheel Falls Trail out of Tuolumne is the move.
Peak Bagging Near the Yosemite to Sequoia Road Trip
This corridor holds the highest point in the Lower 48, the highest point in Yosemite, and, with a short detour, the highest peak in Nevada.
Mount Lyell | 13,114 Feet
Yosemite’s highest peak demands a long approach from Tuolumne Meadows, ideally as an overnight backpack. The round trip runs about 26 miles through alpine meadows, rocky slopes, and glacially carved valleys.
The first nine miles are flat. Then you’ll need Class 3 to 4 climbing skills for the summit. The Lyell Glacier is one of two glaciers remaining in Yosemite, and it’s a fraction of the footprint first documented some 140 years ago.
Boundary Peak | 13,147 Feet
Take a 67-mile detour across the Nevada line to bag Boundary Peak, the highest point in Nevada. Its runner-up sits clear across the state at Great Basin National Park. Boundary Peak Wilderness is part of Inyo National Forest.
The route starts at the Queen Mine Trailhead and climbs about 4,000 feet over roughly seven miles round trip, from desert terrain through alpine country with long views of the Great Basin and White Mountains.
The hike demands real preparation. High elevation, unpredictable weather, rough terrain.
Mount Whitney | 14,505 Feet
Mount Whitney is the tallest peak in the contiguous United States at 14,505 feet. Only Denali stands taller on this continent’s US soil, towering another 5,800 feet over Whitney from Alaska.
From Whitney Portal, the trail spans about 22 miles round trip and climbs more than 6,100 feet past the famous 99 Switchbacks and Trail Crest. Forest at the bottom, bare alpine rock at the top.
Plan ahead. You’ll need to win a Mount Whitney lottery permit to make this trek.
Final Thoughts on the Majestic Mountain Loop
Any trip that buys you more time in the Sierra Nevada is worth taking. The driving itself works in your favor too, giving your body time to adapt to altitude before the bigger hikes.
All three parks have giant sequoias, so pick where the trees matter most and spend your time differently at the other two. Maybe the trees get Sequoia, the canyon hike gets Kings Canyon, and Yosemite becomes a valley and high country day.
The Majestic Mountain Loop website has additional planning details. The parks line up for an easy-driving trip with some of the best scenery in America. Don’t overpack the schedule, and don’t sleep in either. There’s too much to see.
Helpful Related Links
Things to Do in Yosemite: 20 Epic Things to Do in Yosemite National Park
Clouds Rest Hike: Hike Clouds Rest in Yosemite, Not Half Dome (Honest Guide)
Half Dome Hike: Here’s Why You May Want to Reconsider the Half Dome Hike
Best Hikes in Yosemite: 20 Best Hikes in Yosemite National Park
Yosemite Facts: 10 Shocking Yosemite National Park Facts
Hetch Hetchy: Hetch Hetchy, the Epic Enviro Battle That Changed America
Things to Do Sequoia: 15 Amazing Things to Do in Sequoia National Park
Redwood National Park: Redwood National Park Ultimate Guide
Things to Do Redwood National Park: 15 Epic Things to Do in Redwood National Park
Death Valley National Park Guide: Death Valley National Park Ultimate Guide
Things to Do Death Valley: 18 Epic Things to Do in Death Valley National Park
Joshua Tree Guide: Joshua Tree National Park Ultimate Guide
Best Hikes Joshua Tree: 15 Epic Hikes in Joshua Tree National Park
Things to Do Pinnacles National Park: 10 Epic Things to Do in Pinnacles National Park
Redwoods Near San Francisco: 15 Best Places to See Redwoods Near San Francisco
Los Angeles National Parks: 7 Epic National Parks Near Los Angeles
San Francisco National Parks: 8 Best National Parks Near San Francisco
San Diego National Parks: 6 Amazing National Parks Near San Diego
Sequoia Facts: 10 Giant Sequoia Tree & National Park Facts
Channel Islands Facts: 10 Amazing Channel Islands National Park Facts
West Coast Parks: 20 Best West Coast National Parks Ranked by Experts
What to Bring to Sequoia
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