Best Things Nearby:
This area is the only area of the national park that is accessible by road. Some nearby sites include Grizzly Falls, Boyden Cave, Zumwalt Meadow, Muir Rock, and Mist Falls. All of these locations are great day trip destinations from Cedar Grove. Additionally, all High Sierra trail access is located at Road’s End, about 10 miles east of Cedar Grove.
Best Things About the Resort:
Perhaps the best thing about this campground complex is the lack of crowds, which also holds true for the entire national park. If you have ever visited a popular national park, such as Yosemite, you are constantly around a thousand people, even when visiting during the middle of the week. These campgrounds are nicely spaced out, and are often not filled to capacity. The lack of people makes these campgrounds perfect for fun and relaxation.
Resort Experience:
Cedar Grove is at the opening of a broad U-shaped valley called Kings Canyon, formed by the South Fork of the Kings River. At 4600-feet, Cedar Grove is the primary location in the valley and national park for camping, groceries, showers, and laundry.
Sheep Creek (111 sites), Sentinel (83 sites), Canyon View (37 sites), and Moraine Campground (120 sites) make up the Cedar Grove campground complex. Cedar Grove and much of the park is closed during winter and open April-November (weather permitting). Sheep Creek, Canyon View and Moraine are open as needed, depending on the time of year. The visitor center is located at Sentinel Campground.
To give an idea of layout, all four campgrounds are no more than ¼ mile from the visitor center and market/restaurant. Each campground has different vegetation and geography. Sheep Creek and Sentinel are closer to the river, with immediate access to the water. Both campgrounds have heavy cedar tree vegetation, and abundant shade, with Sheep Creek being the most "lush". Canyon View is slightly farther away from the river, with a steep 25-foot grade to get to the water. The vegetation is lighter, with more Ponderosa pine trees and less ground cover and shade. Moraine is then even farther away from the river, with a significant 200-foot grade to the river. It is a difficult and dangerous hike to the river from this campground. Moraine has the least amount of shade, and is often the last campground to be used during peak nights. At all campgrounds, the river is swift and dangerous. The Cedar Grove portion of the river is not suitable for swimming.
All campgrounds have flush toilets and fresh drinking water. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and bear box. There are bears in the area, but as long as you keep your food stored away in the box, you should not encounter any trouble. At all the campgrounds the ground is relatively flat, with some incline toward the river. The soil is coarse dirt at Canyon View and Moraine, and it is recommended you bring some kind of pad or mattress for sleeping in a tent. All the sites viewed were clean, litter-free, and spaced apart nicely. During the summer, there are evening presentations put on by the park rangers, covering topics ranging from park geology and history to projects to protect certain animal and plant species.
Showers and laundry are .25 miles away right next to the market and restaurant. The only time of year where all four campgrounds become unavailable are peak summer Saturday nights and Fourth of July. Reservations are unavailable for all four campgrounds, as they are first-come, first-serve. The nearest gas is 20 miles outside the valley and park at Kings Canyon Lodge.
- Campground Type: National Park
- Campsite Type: Tent
- Price Range: $10 - $20
- Cleanliness: Excellent
- Campground Facilities: Very Good
- Recreational Facilities: Satisfactory
- Campsite Satisfaction: Excellent
- Family Friendliness: Excellent
- Service: Very Good