CALIFORNIA

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are two national parks situated right next to each other that are testament to nature’s size, wondrous beauty and diversity. For size: it is home to North America’s deepest canyon, the Kings Canyon; the contiguous US tallest mountain, Mt. Whitney;

Mt. Whitney

and the world’s largest living organism, General Sherman. For diversity: it has immense mountains, vast caverns, rugged foothills, alpine lakes, diverse forest that includes the giant trees. its vegetation changes from yuccas typical to dry meditarrenean climate to forest of pines typical of alpine region, where most of the glaciers of Sierra Nevada find home. For beauty:

check this out, pictures they speak more than words, and this professional photographer has beautiful pictures of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Sequoia National Park was created by congress in 1890, becoming the second US National Park, after Yellowstone National Park. The creation of the park was to protect the BIG trees! However, the boundaries of Sequoia National Park protect not even half of the Sequoia groves that remain. In 1999, Bill Clinton signed into law the creation of Sequoia National Monument, to protect forever these defenseless giants from logging, that threatened their existence before.

Highway 180 and Moro Rock from Amphitheater Point, Sequoia National Park

Moro Rock is one of the small outcrops of Sierra Nevada granite. The Sierra Nevada contains a long formation of granite covering nearly 16,000 square miles. The peak of Moro Rock can be reached without technical rock climbing, though serious climbers prefer to climb the face of Moro Rock. From the parking lot of Moro Rock, there is a 400 steps stairway that snakes into the top of Moro Rock.

 Stairway at Mono Rock

For a short hike of about half a mile and 35o ft change in elevation, you reach the top of Moro Rock  at 6725 ft elevation. How cool is that ! In only 400 stone steps you are at the top of Moro Rock, which felt like being at the top of the world! The view at the top is pretty, after all Moro Rock sits at the top of a dense forest of giant trees and Kaweah River Canyon, which its headwaters start at 12,000 ft in elevation and travels 10,000 vertical ft down in only 20 miles!

The Western Divide from the top of Moro Rock

Looking to the East of Moro Rock is the Great Western Divide, which is a series of 13,000 ft plus mountain peaks that runs from North to South.

Sierra Foothills, Looking West from the top of Moro Rock

To the west of Moro Rock is the Sierra foothills, and if you look down closely, you would see the zigzagging road that snakes to the top.

the long windy Highway 180

It is the road that you took entering Sequoia National Park from the South.

Staying at the top of the rock makes you appreciate the National Park System for preserving nature in its purest form. Sequoia National Patk, Kings Canyon National Park and Squoia National Monument all work together in protecting this diverse, beautiful, and magical land of the giants.