These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you’re looking for a nice, quiet trail that meanders through the forest of towering sequoias in Kings Canyon National Park, give North Grove and Sunset Loop a try. This short and easy trail strolls through corridors of majestic sequoias and lush vegetation. It is awesome to explore year-round, even in the winter after heavy snowfall. You just need some snowshoes! Since North Grove and Sunset Loop is a lesser-known trail than its neighbor, the General Grant Trail, it is a perfect trail for those who want to see the big trees without the crowd.
North Grove and Sunset Loop Trailhead:
36°44’49.8″N 118°58’29.4″W
There is a decent size paved parking lot in front of the trailhead.
Kings Canyon National Park charges a fee to enter. The fee varies depending on the vehicle used to enter the park (car, motorcycle, bike, on foot, or horseback). For more information, click here. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use that instead.
1.7 mi Loop
347 ft
Easy
Takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour
The best times to visit this trail are April through October.
Vault toilet at General Grant Tree Parking Lot
Pets are not allowed on the trail!
The North Grove and Sunset Loop trailhead is at the end of Grant Tree Road. You’ll want to drive past the main parking lot for General Grant Grove and keep going. You’ll see another parking lot at the end of the road. There is a metal gate with a big sign for North Grove Trail. This is where your adventure begins!
We started our hike following along the paved road. The trail descends slowly as soon as we leave the parking lot. At about 0.1 miles, we came to a fork. This is the start of the lollipop loop. If you’re going right (counter-clockwise), you’ll be following the more rugged North Grove Trail first and if you’re going left (clockwise), you’ll be following the more paved Sunset Trail. Either way, it won’t make too much of a difference. We opted to go counter-clockwise.
At this point, the pavement turns into a dirt trail. North Grove and Sunset Loop continue to descend through a lush pine forest. At first, there weren’t any sequoias; however, as we went further, the scenery got better. As the trail switched back, it dropped down into a little gully with lush green vegetation and towering sequoias. This was our favorite part as we meandered our way in between the dense flora. Some of the sequoias here are quite impressive. We had fun comparing them.
As the North Grove and Sunset Loop trail reached its lowest point, the sequoias became less impressive. The trail also became more rugged, with rain ruts on the ground. From here, we followed the trail to climb back up to the paved road. Along this section, you can see the burnt scars from previous fires. It was interesting to see some of the half-burnt sequoias still resiliently surviving.
After the trail left the burned area, we came upon another intersection. From the sign, if you go right, you’ll follow the Sunset Trail to the Dead Giant Loop Trail. If you want to extend your hike, you can go that way. However, we kept straight on the trail toward the Grant Tree and Visitor Center. At this point, the trail became a paved road. There were also a couple of steeper sections. However, since the trail is paved, it is not that bad. This paved trail ran along a seasonal stream for a bit before making its way to the parking lot.
If you’re done with the North Grove and Sunset Loop, don’t forget to check out the General Grant Tree trail. Even though it can get very crowded, it is worth a visit. Another great hike here is the Big Stump Trail. Since you’re visiting Kings Canyon National Park, don’t forget to go to Sequoia and check out some of our favorite hikes there, such as the Congress Trail. This is a perfect trail to see giant sequoias. Another one of our favorites is the Moro Rock. There is something super cool about climbing up the stairs on the giant granite dome!
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
Nice to meet you!
Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
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