• Lonely Planet
  • Courtesy of Lonely Planet

Yosemite, Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks

by Danny Palmerlee and Beth Kohn, contributing author, David Lukas. Lonely Planet, 2nd Edition, 2008; $19.99

You certainly can’t figure out what to do and see at Yosemite National Park, Sequoia and Kings Canyon based solely on animal scat and tracks. So unless you’ve been there several times already, you need a guide like this one from Lonely Planet to help you choose between the area’s numerous activities and family lodging options.

The authors thoroughly cover Yosemite’s neighboring national parks, Sequoia and Kings Canyon (SEKI) too, and treat them as equals. All are spectacular, but Sequoia and Kings Canyon are usually less crowded than Yosemite, yet still boast the views, the falls and the rock formations to die for. 

Pros

The first 15 pages drew me in immediately, with full-color shots of hot spots named and mapped out, and valuable Author Tips, such as: Get your day-hike permit the day before your hike because they'll sell out fast.

The guide also begins with an informative introduction of the parks, and I loved that it offers possible itineraries based on location and length of stay. But even if you can’t get away for four weeks (who can?), you can pick and choose from different options to customize your own trip.

The Kids and Pets section lists five kid-friendly hikes in Yosemite, five in SEKI and a plethora of activities for families for that unexpected rainy day—one of which was visiting Boyden Cavern, a cave my family toured last year on our trip to SEKI. It’s less crowded than Crystal Cave, and we had no problem getting a tour even without a reservation. It’s a steep hike to the opening, but the kids will love spelunking (or rather, holding your hand) through the twisty formations inside. Remember to bring a light jacket—it gets pretty cool in there!

The guide offers a variety of activities for both parks, but I liked the easy-to-follow hiking guide where you can decide which hike to do based on distance, difficulty level, elevation change and more.  

You can also learn about all the wildlife you may see there. But don’t forget about the trees! Check out the General Sherman tree of Sequoia National Park, standing at 275 feet tall and more than 100 feet in circumference—recognized as the largest known living specimen. And of course, if you’re going to Yosemite, don’t leave until you’ve at least stood at Glacier Point, watched the raging waterfalls in awe and stared up at Half Dome. Then you can decide if you want to come back to climb that bad boy.

Cons

The only problem I have with this guide is the feeling of being a bit overwhelmed. There’s so much information included that I would fear I had missed some precious not-to-be-missed spot if I didn’t read the guide cover to cover. And being a mom of two young children with only a handful of minutes to read each night before I surrender to sleep, I don’t need to tell you how long it takes me to read a book. I’ll let you know when I finish Goodnight Moon.

Worth buying? 

Yes. As usual, Lonely Planet leaves no stone unturned and has thought of everything you might need to know, and then some things you didn’t even know you needed to know, to prepare you for a successful Yosemite family vacation.