KINGS CANYON (Day 3 - part 1)

Our plan for the day was to head up from Grant Grove Village and spend the day in Kings Canyon National Park, then make our way back down to Stony Creek Lodge for the evening.

It was a gorgeous morning drive into the canyon. We made several stops along the way.

Boyden Cavern was still closed but we enjoyed the view of the South Fork Kings River.

The parking curbs were extremely cute... labeled with different features one might find in a cave.

A few more gorgeous river stops followed.

A rainbow!

Grizzly Falls was a very short easy walk.

The water for flows down from Grizzly Lakes in the heart of Monarch Wilderness. Snow melts off of 11,000 foot peaks and makes it ways down here.

From the Cedar Grove visitor center, there were many different hikes one could do. We did the easy River Trail along the bottom of the canyon, past Roaring River Falls, circling Zumwalt Meadow and then heading back.

Map of the area

The start of some amazing views from the canyon floor

Roaring River

Roaring River Falls

Ejoying the view

The valley was carved out long ago by glaciers. The repeated scouring of the canyon sides as well as the filling up of the canyon bottom with the rocky debris is what gives it its u-shape. In contrast, canyons carved out by a river have a v-shape.

Following the South Fork Kings River

A lush garden of ferns

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