Kings Canyon Visitor Center

Never a bad time. If youre coming up in the snow, or even possible snow. Be prepared. The weather changed quick.

The park is incredible. A must see if you're nearby. The scenery is majestic. The roads are well kept and safe. All in all an unforgettable experience.

Great friendly staff. Kids got Junior Ranger badges and we did the Big Stump Trail and the General Grant trail with the Fallen Monarch. Both lovely, easy, shady and cool on an August morning

What a Beautiful Park! This place is a Natural Wonder! I love it all times of the year!

The actual staff are nice in person but their phone tree is horrific. We tried to call and ask about road closures and conditions due to the fires before driving over an hour to visit. The phone tree had menu options for current conditions or road closures but after minutes of non-relevant info, the tree would loops back to the main menu. Then even to leave a message, you need to listen to a few more minutes of rambling. It’s designed to deter people for leaving a message. Someone did return my message though… 3 days later! Do better, prioritize customer service, and fix your phone tree.

Despite the gov shutdown, this visitor center was open. Lots of merch if that's what you're into. No maps were available here. Clerk was extremely helpful and knowledgeable for both parks.

Review of Kings Canyon Visitor Center, Kings Canyon National Park ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Kings Canyon Visitor Center, located in the heart of Kings Canyon National Park, serves as an exceptional starting point for visitors looking to explore the breathtaking landscapes and diverse ecosystems of the park. This facility provides a wealth of resources that enhance the visitor experience, making it a must-visit destination within the park. Upon arrival, visitors are greeted by friendly, knowledgeable staff who are eager to help with planning hiking routes, providing information about park safety, and sharing insights about the natural and cultural history of the area. The center also offers a variety of informative displays and interactive exhibits that delve into the geology, wildlife, and history of Kings Canyon, making it educational for all age groups. One of the standout features of the visitor center is its well-stocked gift shop, which offers a range of souvenirs from books and maps to crafts made by local artists. These items not only serve as wonderful keepsakes but also support the park's maintenance and educational programs. The center is well-maintained and features clean, accessible facilities, including restrooms and a small snack area, providing a comfortable break from the day's activities. Additionally, the visitor center's location offers easy access to several trailheads, making it a convenient hub for both novice explorers and seasoned hikers. Moreover, the panoramic views surrounding the center are simply spectacular. Whether you're visiting to gain a deeper understanding of the park's ecology or just stopping by to pick up a trail map, the backdrop of towering mountains and lush valleys adds a special touch to your visit. Overall, the Kings Canyon Visitor Center is highly recommended for anyone visiting Kings Canyon National Park. Its helpful staff, educational resources, and strategic location provide an invaluable service to all park visitors, ensuring a safe, informative, and enjoyable experience. Whether you're here for a day trip or a longer adventure, make the visitor center your first stop to enhance your exploration of one of California's natural treasures.

VERY NICE! Gift shop, post office, and a restaurant- expensive food but very good. Helpful, friendly.

Great visitor center, shop, museum, and overall facility. Helpful ranger helped us plan our 1.5 days to help us get the most out of the SEKI area - their advice helped us avoid the majority of crowds and gave us the best flavor for such a short time. A must-stop before you go along on your adventure. Nice restrooms are attached to the VC and there is a separate restaurant, gift store, and small grocer across the street.

Thank you to the rangers for helping us decide on which hike is the best. I prepared the plan for the day for a while but the ranger knew the actual information, which resulted in changed plans for better.

Offers short and long hikes at all levels. Coming alone I really appreciate the short hikes surrender by lots of other hikers. What a beautiful place to spend the day. A great place to take pictures and to be come one with nature.

An excellent place to stop before visiting Sequoia and Kings National Parks! I stopped by this visitor center on my way up to Kings Canyon National Park, and the ranger who assisted me was very helpful. I told her that I was looking to do a moderate hike between 4-6 miles long that would take me between 3-4 hours to complete. Based off of my preferences, she recommended the Cedar Grove Overlook hike. This hike is about 5 miles long and takes about an average of 3-4 hours to complete. The recommendation was perfect and the hike up to the Cedar Grove Outlook ended up being one of the most enjoyable National Park hikes that I've done thus far! They only have select maps with a general overview of both parks here. Since I already had one of these, there was no point in taking another one with me. They do have maps of specific hikes here as well, but they are for viewing only. The ranger was nice enough to let me take a picture of the map just in case. Lord knows that my sense of direction isn't the greatest, so the map came in handy when I needed it. The visitor center is located about 45 minutes from Kings Canyon and about an hour away from Sequoia National. In addition to park information, this visitor center also serves as a gift shop and a mini museum. They carry a nice variety of maps and souvenirs, but the lines were pretty long in the afternoon. The museum portion of the center was set up very nicely. It's small, but they have a few murals with information about the history of the park listed next to it. They also have a small theatre that plays 15 minute informational clips if you have the time to watch them. I didn't spend too much time here since my main purpose was to get information about the hiking trails, but I did enjoy spending a little bit of time in the museum. There's an adequate amount of parking and a few restrooms located right outside of the building. There's also a water fountain that has a spout that faces down and is great for filling up water bottles! I brought my own reusable bottles, but you can purchase these at the visitor center as well. There's a general store, café, lodge, and a picnic area located right across the parking lot. The Grant Grove is only about a mile or two away, and it's a great place to stop before or after leaving the park. There are some really neat trees in the grove and it's perfect for kids and families. If you're traveling up to Sequoia and Kings National Park, this visitor center is a great place to stop on your way there.

First place we stopped upon entering Kings Canyon National Park. Not far from the Big Stump entrance station. Very close to John Muir Lodge and the General Grant Tree/Sequoia Grove. We picked up the Junior Ranger booklet and checked on the status of the different roads and trails. At first we got a pretty useless Ranger who pretty much answered the questions we asked without expanding on the answers. But the second and third Ranger we spoke with were both a wealth of information. Free WiFi. But you need to be pretty near the building to get the signal.

There's a shop nearby that is a little tricky in that we thought at first, it was the visitor center as they share the same parking lot. Would reccomend going to the actually visitor center as there was better items for sale here and it is the official visitor center. They had a nice national park pin set (cheaper than getting individual park pins) that I got as well as a memory animal tracks card game for kids. Only downside is that because of COVID, there were lines outside this store as well as the other store. They were only allowing about 6 people in the store at a time when we were there Memorial Day weekend.

1) Really awesome that they have a small handout of hikes available. They are broken down by easy, intermediate and advanced. I am sure that guests find this helpful... and it's probably one of the top questions! 2) What wasn't so impressive was the snarky attitude of the woman behind the desk. Educate and inform -- don't criticize. Sure, I was in the wrong (I didn't do all of the pre-trip research about the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway that maybe I should have) -- use it as an opportunity, not an opportunity to scowl. I started the National Park Passport program the day before, and was excited to see the stamp out and easily accessible. I do recommend a stop here to familiarize yourself with the Park. There are restrooms, and a place to top up your water bottle. 2017: 69/100

Lots of very interesting education to soak in but I was too excited to go out and explore the actual nature. My advice is walk the trails taking in all the scenery. Then educate yourself through the center. As well as the outside postings. I think this is where we saw huge tree stumps tagged with historical age markers.

It's hard not to give a NATIONAL PARK less than ***** FIVE STARS in that it's what I'd call "Nature's Disneyland" for people to go on adventures and travel for vacations to expect the unexpected and have a nice time in the great outdoors where it challenges the imagination more so than an amusement park, for kids. It's near Sequoia National Park, so if you do one, you do the other, and visit both when you're in the area.

Average visitor center. Items at the gift shop were overpriced compared to others. We were not given a map of the park upon entering because we were waved through with our military pass. Stopped here to get one and the park ranger snapped at us, proclaiming we should have received one at the entrance. I wasn't aware that maps were a hot commodity. Also, most of the park area for Kings Canyon and Sequoia have either limited or no cell service at all, so having a paper map is kind of a big deal. This area (Grant Grove) is one of the few areas with cell service. Note: Ongoing construction through 2017.

My husband wanted to ask a quick question about King's Canyon. He knocked on the window and the guy inside the office yelled "WE OPEN AT 9"! Thought that was rude, especially since he's already there.

Nice movie, gives a great overview and orientation to the area. The ranger was a bit standoffish but efficient in her duties. I would recommend the movie and the avoid the maps use what you got at the part entrance and from the registration desk.

We stopped in here to find out about the two parks. The staff was informative, friendly and energetic. They also had a decent selection of souvenirs and nic-naks.