Where to Stay in Sequoia National Park | Areas + Hotels + Map |

Hotels in Sequoia and Kings Canyon

Staying inside either of the two national parks is the best way to enjoy everything to see and do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, especially if you don't have much time. This option has both pros and cons:

✅ Advantages of staying in Sequoia National Park:

• Prime location and close to tourist attractions
• More time exploring the park and less time driving
• You can visit the famous sights early without having to drive a lot

❌ Disadvantages of staying in Sequoia National Park:

• Limited variety of lodging
• High prices, especially during peak season
• Fewer services (restaurants, supermarkets, etc.)

As we mentioned in our guide to visiting Sequoia and Kings Canyon, there are two main entrances, and each park is divided into different areas. It’s important to choose your lodging carefully based on what you plan to visit, which entrance you’ll use, and which exit you’ll take, to avoid unnecessary travel.

In a typical 15-day USA West Coast road trip, you're going to spend between half a day and a full day here; you enter at one entrance and exit at the other, focusing on visiting Grant Grove (in Kings Canyon National Park) and Giant Forest (in Sequoia National Park).

💡Recommended: How to Visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon | Guide + Tips + Map |

Hotels in Grant Grove

Grant Grove is part of Kings Canyon National Park and is the area you reach when entering the park through the Big Stump Entrance in the northwest. The most popular attraction is the General Grant Tree, the second-largest tree by volume.

Here is Grant Grove Village, a small town that serves as a hub for visitors and features the Kings Canyon Visitor Center, a couple of lodging options, 3 campgrounds, 1 restaurant (the Grant Grove Restaurant), and a small grocery store. Here are the hotels you’ll find here:

John Muir Lodge

A rustic wooden hotel built in 1998. It features high ceilings with exposed beams and a charming common room with a stone fireplace, as well as books and games for guests to enjoy. The rooms are cozy and spacious, furnished with handcrafted wooden furniture, and some feature balconies where guests can enjoy the views. It's open only from mid-March through November.

Grant Grove Cabins

A more modest lodging option located next to the only restaurant in the area. Here, you can choose to stay in cabins with private bathrooms or in tents. It’s open only from mid-March through November.

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Hotels in Giant Forest and Lodgepole

This is the most visited area of Sequoia National Park, as it's home to the world-famous General Sherman Tree, as well as other attractions. There are two visitor centers here (the Giant Forest Museum and the Lodgepole Visitor Center), one lodging facility, two campgrounds, three restaurants, and a small grocery store that also offers laundry services.

Wuksachi Lodge

This lodge is one of the best places to stay in Sequoia, not only because of its location surrounded by these giant trees, but also because it’s a beautiful, modern hotel that has managed to retain its cozy atmosphere. It features a very pleasant common room with a fireplace, two restaurants (The Peaks and Wuksachi Pizza Deck), and a gift shop. It’s open from mid-March through November.

💡One option is to stay on the section of the Generals Highway that connects Grant Grove and Giant Forest, which is part of the Sequoia National Forest. For example, the Montecito Sequoia Lodge and the Stony Creek Lodge are good choices. They’re located outside the boundaries of both parks but still close by, and you’ll definitely pass through there during your visit.

Hotels in Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove, which is part of Kings Canyon National Park, is an area with scenery similar to Yosemite’s and is best visited if you have more than one day to spend in the park, since it’s a 1- to 1.5-hour drive from Grant Grove along CA-180.

This area has fewer amenities than the previous ones, but you'll find the Cedar Grove Visitor Center, 4 campgrounds, 1 lodging facility, 1 restaurant, and a small grocery store where you can buy basic supplies.

Cedar Grove Lodge

This charming wooden hotel is the only one in the area and is open from around mid-May to mid-October. It’s nestled in the heart of nature, next to the South Fork Kings River, and offers outdoor lounge chairs where you can relax by the riverbank. The rooms are spacious and comfortable, and on-site you’ll find the only restaurant and grocery store in the area.

Hotels in Mineral King

Mineral King is one of the least-visited areas of Sequoia National Park, but that doesn’t make it any less spectacular. It’s the perfect place to visit if you have more than a day to spend in the park and want to explore some of the less touristy spots, as well as go on one of the magnificent hikes in the area. Just don’t expect many amenities—there’s only one hotel, one restaurant, and two campgrounds.

Keep in mind that the access road is narrow, steep, and winding, so it'll take you between 1 and 1.5 hours to drive along it. It's open from mid-May through October, and if you're traveling in a RV longer than 12.2 meters (40 ft), you aren't permitted to enter.

Silver City Mountain Resort

This is the only accommodation in the area—a beautiful resort featuring wooden bungalows and cottages that are thoughtfully appointed. It’s perfect for a relaxing getaway, as the setting is absolutely stunning. It also has a restaurant serving fresh, locally sourced food.

Campgrounds in Sequoia National Park

Camping in Sequoia and Kings Canyon is a fantastic and more affordable way to spend the night within the parks. There are a total of 14 campgrounds spread across both parks and, with the exception of one that operates on a first-come, first-served basis, reservations for the rest must be made in advance through recreation.gov.

Only 3campgrounds are open year-round; the rest have different opening dates depending on weather conditions.

If you're interested in booking a campground for the high season, we recommend creating an account on recreation.gov in advance and practicing with the app to get familiar with it. The most popular sites sell out fast!

In this table, we've listed all the campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, along with their locations, prices, opening dates, and whether or not they require advance reservations. You'll find them all marked on the map at the end of the article.

Hotels near Sequoia and Kings Canyon

If you’re not entirely convinced by the lodging options inside the park for whatever reason, there're several towns in the vicinity of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon that are ideal as a base. Your choice will depend on the direction of your itinerary, since the typical approach for a West Coast road trip is to enter through one entrance and exit through the other, following a linear route.

✅ Advantages of staying near Sequoia National Park:

• A wider variety of accommodations
• Best prices
• More services (restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations, pharmacies, laundromats...)

❌ Disadvantages of staying near Sequoia National Park:

• More driving time
• Possible lines at the entrances during peak season
• You'll need to get up earlier if you want to get into the park before crowds arrive

Lodging near the north entrance (Big Stump)

From closest to farthest, here are the towns where you can stay near the Big Stump Entrance, which provides direct access to the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park:

• Dunlap and Yokuts Valley: these are very small towns, located very close to each other and between 30-34 km (18-21 mi) from the entrance (about a 30-minute drive). Although there aren't a huge number of amenities, you'll find a few restaurants, a gas station, a supermarket, and some small shops.
  • Glamping Dome: incredible glamping-style accommodation with domes that have everything you could possibly need. Its location in the heart of nature is amazing, and it features a small communal kitchen and shared bathrooms. ➡️ Book it here.
  • Squaw Valley Motel: a roadside motel with decent rooms, a pool, and an outdoor barbecue area. ➡️ Book it here.

• Fresno: this is the closest city to the north entrance, located about 83 km (52 mi) away, so it'll take you about an hour to get there. Although it’s not exactly a tourist hotspot, it’s where you’ll find the widest variety of hotels and services, as well as the closest airport to the park.
  • Sonesta ES Suites: one of the best hotels in town for value for money. It’s modern, has great amenities, spacious studio apartments with kitchens, a pool, laundry facilities, and breakfast included in the price. ➡️Book it here.
  • Rodeo Lodge: located north of Fresno, in Clovis. It’s a roadside motel with well-decorated, with spacious rooms and a small kitchen. It has a pool and laundry facilities. ➡️Book it here.
  • Comfort Suites Fresno River Park: a well-located American chain hotel with very spacious rooms. Breakfast is included in the price. ➡️Book it here.

Lodging near the south entrance (Ash Mountain)

From closest to farthest, here are the towns where you can stay near the Ash Mountain Entrance, which provides direct access to the southern part of Sequoia National Park:

• Three Rivers: this is where we've stayed, as it’s the closest town to the south entrance. It’s 9 km (6 mi) away, and it takes no more than 10 minutes to get there by car. It’s a picturesque town surrounded by nature, in the confluence of 3 forks of the Kaweah River. Here you’ll find restaurants, a gas station, shops, a variety of lodging options (though they’re generally expensive), and a bus line that takes you to the park during peak season.
  • Sequoia Studio Suites: a glamping-style hotel featuring ultra-modern, well-equipped bubble rooms. It offers a shared kitchen, an outdoor barbecue area, and a hot tub. ➡️Book it here.
  • Lazy J Ranch Motel: this ranch offers spacious and comfortable rooms, though the furnishings are admittedly a bit outdated. There’s a pool and pets on the property. ➡️Book it here.
  • The Parks Inn: a family-run hotel located in a spacious house with a beautiful garden, just outside Three Rivers. The rooms are cozy, and the homemade breakfast served by the owner will be the best you’ll have on your trip through the U.S. It has a pool. ➡️Book it here.

• Exeter: a quiet town in a central location, situated 45 km (28 mi) from the south gate (a 40-minute drive). It lacks the charm of Three Rivers and has fewer hotel options, but it offers more facilities.
  • Best Western Exeter: a hotel with spacious rooms that include a refrigerator, microwave, and comfortable beds. Breakfast is included and you'll find a pool and a gym. ➡️Book it here.

• Visalia: this is a medium-sized city located 56 km (35 mi) from the park entrance (about a 45-minute drive), bigger than the previous options. It offers more facilities and a wide range of lodging options, including the most affordable hotels near Sequoia National Park. During peak season, a shuttle bus service operates from here, taking you to the park and also stopping at Three Rivers.
  • La Quinta Visalia: a hotel with spacious rooms, an American-style breakfast included in the rate, a hot tub, a heated indoor pool, and a fitness center. ➡️Book it here.
  • Wyndham Visalia: a hotel with spacious, comfortable rooms and excellent facilities. It features two pools (one indoor and one outdoor), a fitness center, a bar, and a restaurant. ➡️Book it here.
  • The Darling: Visalia’s most beautiful and elegant hotel, with exquisite décor and white as the dominant color. It offers rooms of various sizes, a bar-restaurant on the rooftop terrace, and a swimming pool. One downside is that parking is paid. ➡️Book it here.

Map of lodging in Sequoia and Kings Canyon

All the places to stay, along with our recommended hotels, are marked on this map, including lodges and campgrounds within both national parks.

We hope this post has helped you choose the perfect place to stay in Sequoia National Park!