A stunning wilderness area 44,000 acres in size and bisected by the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy 180). Monarch includes dramatic, high-elevation alpine scenery and backcountry trails. Due to the massive 2015 Rough Fire, Monarch's landscape has changed considerably, however, it still offers the opportunity to hike through isolated Giant Sequoias.
Monarch Wilderness Area
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks
16.34 MILES
Joined by a high-altitude roadway bisecting a national forest and contiguous with a number of wilderness areas, these two parks combined offer vast…
27.85 MILES
A scenic subalpine valley at 7500ft, Mineral King is Sequoia’s backpacking mecca and a good place to find solitude. Gorgeous and gigantic, its glacially…
17.37 MILES
This 3-sq-mile grove protects the park’s most gargantuan tree specimens. Among them is the world’s biggest, the General Sherman tree, rocketing 275ft into…
20.12 MILES
A quarter-mile staircase climbs 350 steps (over 300ft) to the top of Sequoia’s iconic granite dome at an elevation of 6725ft, offering mind-boggling views…
12.82 MILES
This sequoia grove off Generals Hwy is astounding. The paved half-mile General Grant Tree Trail is an interpretive walk that visits a number of mature…
17.55 MILES
By volume the largest living tree on earth, the massive General Sherman Tree rockets into the sky and waaay out of the camera frame. Pay your respects to…
12.49 MILES
One of the most popular destinations for a day hike from the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon, Mist Falls is an Edenic spot, with massive boulders,…
9.72 MILES
This verdant meadow, bordered by the Kings River and soaring granite walls, offers phenomenal views. In the early morning, the air hums with birdsong, the…
Nearby Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks attractions
2.88 MILES
The base of these 80ft falls is a short walk from Hwy 180, about 4 miles west of Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon. There's a picnic area here with bathrooms.
6.54 MILES
Cedar Grove, at the bottom of Kings Canyon, is the last outpost of civilization before you reach the rugged grandeur of the Sierra Nevada backcountry. The…
6.56 MILES
Panoramic roadside pullout on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway with soaring views of Rodger's Ridge, Spanish Mountain, Deer Ridge, Deer Canyon, Crown Rock,…
8.12 MILES
When it was dammed in 1908, this 87-acre artificial lake powered a huge log flume that whisked sequoias harvested in Converse Basin to a mill more than 70…
8.26 MILES
Built in 1923 and staffed during the wildfire season, this fire lookout is one of the finest restored watchtowers you could ever hope to visit. A total of…
8.42 MILES
During the 1920s, wealthy Santa Barbara businessman George Knapp built this simple wood-shingled cabin to store gear in during his extravagant fishing and…
9.2 MILES
A five-minute walk on a paved trail (0.3 miles) leads to one of the park’s most accessible waterfalls, a 40ft chute gushing into a granite bowl. In late…
9.72 MILES
This verdant meadow, bordered by the Kings River and soaring granite walls, offers phenomenal views. In the early morning, the air hums with birdsong, the…