Best things to do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Home to General Sherman, the largest tree (and living thing) in the world, Giant Forest, contains 12 of the top 40 giant sequoias. You'll feel like an ant as you walk along the 3.2 km (2 mi) Congress Trail; the sheer enormity of the trees towering above gives this area its name. Other noteworthy trees found here include: General Grant, the second largest sequoia tree in the world (estimated to be over 3,000 years old), and the equally impressive President Tree. Watch for wildlife ranging from squirrels to deer to black bears. Make sure to visit the museum where you'll learn how tree bark up to 0.5 m (18 in) thick protects these colossal creatures from fire.

General Sherman Tree--a giant sequoia that is 83.8 m (275 ft) tall and about 2,500 years old--is the crown jewel of the Sequoia National Park's Giant Forest. By volume, it is the largest tree in the world and ranks among the biggest on the planet in both height and diameter. The trail leading from the parking lot to the tree is paved, and even though it has steep sections, it's not a difficult hike. Because the tree is a major attraction, you might have to wait for your turn to take a picture next to it.

Witness the immense natural wonder of the Kings Canyon National Park's namesake, . Camp and hike this mountainous region, situated in southern Sierra Nevadas and formed by the South Fork of the Kings Rivers. This canyon, part of the larger South Fork canyon, is 2,500 m (8,200 ft) deep and was shaped out of granite by glaciers. View the cliffs, river, and meadows in the amazing glacial valley and see why the park was named for this particular site. You can also visit the mysterious Boyden Cave, one of the many caves encompassed by this canyon.

Rising high above the Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, Moro Rock Trail offers some of the best views in the area. Almost all of the park areas can be seen from the top of this 2,050 m (6,725 ft) tall granite monolith. The rock's vertical sides are nesting grounds of peregrine falcons, as well as rock climbers' heaven. If scaling sheer cliffs isn't your favorite way of getting around, head for the 400 steps that lead to the summit. Even though you'll have railings and rest areas, the stairway is steep, and the hike up can be strenuous. The rest areas provide nice views for those who don't like the heights or who can't make it all the way to the summit. The steps might be inaccessible during bad weather.

Hume Lake is a reservoir in the Sierra Nevada, within Sequoia National Forest and Fresno County, central California.

Hume Lake is on Tenmile Creek, which is a tributary of the Kings River, and adjacent to the unincorporated community of Hume.

The surface elevation of the lake is 1,585 m (5,200 ft). It is accessible from California Route 180, via Forest Service road 30, and is about 50 mi (80 km) east of Fresno, not far from the west entrance to Kings Canyon National Park.

The 87-acre (35 ha) lake lies behind the world's first concrete reinforced multiple arch dam, designed by John S. Eastwood and constructed in 1908 by the Hume-Bennett Lumber Company. During lumber operations, the lake stored logs for an adjacent mill and supplied water for a flume used to transport the cut lumber to Sanger, California.

Since the cessation of logging in 1924, Hume Lake has shifted from primarily industrial use and is now mainly used for recreation.