Roadside Vistas Between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove

The byway starts in the Sierra Nevada foothills near Dunlap and passes through Grant Grove before dropping through Sequoia National Forest on its way to the Cedar Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. From the park entrance, the highway continues 30 miles east to Cedar Grove.

Kings Canyon is one of the deepest canyons in the nation, and this drive takes you right into it. The road was blasted out of nearly sheer walls, so it calls for slow, careful driving. Allow 45 minutes to an hour for the trip from the sequoia groves, and plan to stop often to take in the water-carved walls.

Scenic pull-outs appear along the route. Most have no striped parking, but they sit on flat asphalt, and many views can be seen without leaving your vehicle. Junction View offers excellent views of both the Middle Fork and the South Fork of Kings Canyon. At Yucca Point, you can look almost straight down into the foaming junction of the Middle Fork and the South Fork of the Kings River.

McGee Overlook is a popular stop on Highway 180 within Sequoia National Forest, and it is one of several sites tucked into the national forest along the way. Boyden Cave holds a marble cave, and nearby, marble layers sit alongside bands of volcanic rock that tremendous forces tipped nearly upright. A five-minute walk leads to Grizzly Falls, where the falls are impressive and the shade is welcome on a warm day.