Zumwalt Meadow Guide
The most popular parts of Kings Canyon National Park are found in its sequoia groves, namely Grant Grove. An hour drive into the canyon though takes you into the heart of the park in the Cedar Grove region, where you'll find what almost looks like a smaller version of Yosemite National Park. Just like Yosemite, this valley is home to a number of waterfalls, granite cliffs, and meadows, including the popular Zumwalt Meadow.
When to Visit
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Cedar Grove is closed to travel from around November to late April each year, but the amount of snow fall can push opening and closing dates up or back. Summer months bring the most crowds, and while this is one of the more popular hikes in the Cedar Grove area of the park, expect far less than you'll find up in Grant Grove. Be sure to bring bug spray if visiting in the summer--it's almost a necessity.
How to Get There
If you're coming from Grant Grove in Kings Canyon, take Highway 180, following the signs for Cedar Grove--the highway only runs two ways so it's not hard to spot. It's around 33 miles to the Zumwalt Meadow parking area from the top, with the road twisting and turning its way down to the bottom: slow speeds and knowledge of your car's low gear are a must. Once you've reached the bottom, continue past the Kings Canyon sign and visitor center, and keep an eye out for the sign marking the Zumwalt Meadow parking area on your right.
Zumwalt Meadow
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Time: 1 hour.
Distance: .6/1.5 miles.
If you simply want to see the meadow and return the way you came, it's a .6 out-and-back hike to the first viewpoint. Otherwise, it's around 1.5 miles to complete the entire loop. (*NOTE: a portion of the boardwalk part of the trail is still damaged as of December 2020, and it's impossible to complete the loop in full). Begin from the parking lot, heading through the forest, with the south fork of the Kings River running on your left. Eventually, you'll come to a suspension bridge that takes you over the river and into more woods.
Continue through the wooded part of the trail, until the terrain becomes rocky. This section is known as a moraine, or essentially the rock rubble left behind once glaciers finished carving Kings Canyon out. The trail here is rockier, but still easily passable and requires no scrambling.
Crossing the moraine.
Once you're through the moraine, you'll find yourself back in the forest. Heading right will take you on the boardwalk across the river, and the complete loop around the meadow, while heading left will take you to the first proper view of the meadow. As part of the boardwalk was still down and impassable, we opted to head left and check out the first view point.
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Hi there, I'm Dan: videographer, travel-addict, and beer-lover. I left corporate life behind to start my own video business and travel the world. Want to know more about me and Dan Treks?
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The forest opens up and gives you a great view of Zumwalt Meadow. It's possible to step down to the edge of the meadow, but be advised, the interior of it is sensitive, and walking out onto it isn't allowed. Depending on the time of year, you might have wildflowers, short plant life, or like when I visited in the fall, very high plant life--well over my head!
Zumwalt Meadow giving off a great view of Kings Canyon.
From here it's up to you to finish the loop, or turn back if you've had your fill of the meadow. Zumwalt Meadow is near the end of the road through Cedar Grove, with the parking lot at the very end reserved for backpackers venturing into Kings Canyon's wilderness. For more things to do in Kings Canyon National Park, click here. If you're done in Kings Canyon though, do yourself a favor and check out its twin right next door: Sequoia National Park.
Kings Canyon National Park Cinematic Video
See Zumwalt Meadow, Grizzly Falls, the General Grant Tree and more, all in two minutes or less in this cinematic video of Kings Canyon National Park.