Cedar Grove, the scenic heart of this California national park, reopens to visitors | Opinion
Roads End isn’t just an alluring metaphor on the Fresno County map. It is an actual place – nestled inside a glacier-carved canyon akin to Yosemite Valley except with a fraction of the crowds – and closer than it sounds.
To reach Roads End, drive Highway 180 east from Fresno through the foothills and ascend to Kings Canyon National Park. Visit the giant sequoias if you wish, but our journey continues toward Cedar Grove over 30 zigzagging miles that reopened Monday after sustaining significant storm damage during the winter of 2022-23.
Roads End is the highway’s terminus, naturally, 5 miles beyond Cedar Grove. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this was the approximate site of an inn and livery stable on the edge of “civilization” that catered to fishermen, hunters and wanderers, including famed naturalist John Muir. Who spoke highly of Violet Kanawyer’s blackberry pie.
Today, such creature comforts are located at Cedar Grove. While Roads End mainly serves as a trailhead for day hikers and backpackers bound for Kings Canyon’s rugged, remote interior. (The most sought-after wilderness permit, by far, is for the 41-mile Rae Lakes Loop).
A short path from the main parking lot leads to Muir Rock, an apartment-sized boulder overlooking a quiet stretch of the Kings River where the conservationist and author held lectures. Standing in the shadow of Grant Sentinel, a granite pillar rising 3,500 feet overhead, Muir shared his love of nature while expounding his then-controversial theories that Yosemite and Kings Canyon (which he called “a fitting rival” to Yosemite) were carved by glaciers.
The emerald pool below Muir Rock is a popular swimming hole – the leap down is about 12 feet – starting in mid-summer when river flows taper.
In geologic terms, Kings Canyon and Yosemite Valley are classified as U-shaped canyons notable for their flat, wide bottoms and near vertical granite walls. But in practicality, the similarities pretty much end there.
Unlike Yosemite Valley, Kings Canyon doesn’t boast 1,000-foot waterfalls. (There are some pretty ones, no doubt, but nothing on that scale.) It also lacks throngs of tourists. Yosemite’s annual visitation (3.9 million in 2023) is six times what Kings Canyon sees (643,000), and most of those folks don’t venture past Grant Grove.
Highway washout repaired
En route to Cedar Grove and Roads End, Highway 180 traverses a more typical V-shaped canyon carved solely by rivers – the Kings River Canyon. (A slight distinction from Kings Canyon but an important one.)
That stretch of roadway, technically within the Sequoia National Forest, sustained 16 washouts and multiple slides from severe storms the previous winter. The largest slide, east of Boyden Cavern, required the reinstallation of a 72-inch diameter drainage pipe reinforced with another 6 feet of concrete at the inlet and complete hillside regrading.
Repairs took Granite Construction about nine months and 20,100 man hours to complete, Caltrans spokesman Alex Aguilera said. While total costs were $11.5 million, restored access to the heart of Kings Canyon is priceless.
After being closed throughout 2023, the Cedar Grove visitor center and pack station are back open, as is the permit station at Roads End. The Cedar Grove market opens Saturday with the lodge, grill and showers scheduled to follow June 21, according to a park service press release. The Sentinel Campground is expected to open by July 1.
The parking situation is nothing like Yosemite. Even so, both Roads End parking lots typically fill by late morning on summer weekends. The drive from Fresno is roughly 2½ hours – not including all the places you’ll want to get out of the car and gawk.
This story was originally published June 14, 2024 at 5:30 AM.
