At an elevation of 4,500 feet, Grizzly Falls is a stunning and thunderous 75 foot waterfall that plunges down a wall of granite into a rocky pool. The majestic waterfall is located in Kings Canyon within the boundaries of Giant Sequoia National Monument just off the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, the only road between Kings Canyon’s two main areas, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.
We parked in the roadside parking lot for the Grizzly Falls Picnic Area. The picnic area sits at the base of the waterfall where Grizzly Creek flows into the South Fork of the Kings River so not only is it mostly shady, it is also nice and cool.
From the picnic area a short, paved trail that is only 0.1 mile round trip took us right to the base of Grizzly Falls. It was a blazing hot summer day, so as we snapped photos, we enjoyed the cool mist coming off the falls and lingered just long enough or our clothes to feel a little more wet than I planned!
It was a quick but wonderful stop on our way back into Kings Canyon National Park to visit Cedar Grove, Roaring River Falls, Knapp’s Cabin, and Zumwalt Meadow.
Know Before You Go
- Grizzly Falls Picnic Area is located in Giant Sequoia National Monument, about three miles from the Cedar Grove Area of Kings Canyon National Park. It has a vault toilet and a few picnic tables.
- The road to Grizzly Falls — Highway 180 / Kings Canyon Scenic Byway — closes in the winter and usually doesn’t reopen until late April
- There are no entrance fees to visit the national monument but you must pass through Kings Canyon National Park to reach the waterfall and the national park charges an entrance fee.
- 328,315 acre Giant Sequoia National Monument was designated by President Clinton in April 2000. It is administered by the U.S. Forest Service as part of the Sequoia National Forest and includes 38 giant sequoia groves.
- Giant Sequoia National Monument is split into two separate sections. The northern section surrounds General Grant Grove and other parts of Kings Canyon National Park. The southern section, which includes Long Meadow Grove, is directly south of Sequoia National Park, surrounding the eastern half of the Tule River Indian Reservation.
- Notable spots in the Northern portion of the national monument are Indian Basin Grove and Princess Campground, Converse Basin Grove, and the Boole Tree.
- Notable spots in the Southern portion of the national monument, are Belknap Grove, Tule River Canyon, Trail of 100 Giants, and Freeman Creek Grove.
