# National Parks — Places to See

*Candidate menu of sights (with seasonal notes) for the Yosemite and Sequoia / Kings Canyon legs. The chosen, day-by-day version lives in the park day plans in [`itinerary.md`](itinerary.md).*

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## Yosemite (Sep 22–24)

### Valley

- **Tunnel View** — classic panoramic first look into the valley
- **Bridalveil Fall** — 5-min walk from the car, right near Tunnel View
- **Valley View** — Merced River framing of the valley
- **El Capitan** — view from the meadow below. *Note: Horsetail Fall firefall effect only happens in February; waterfall likely dry in September*
- **Cook's Meadow Loop** — flat 1-mile walk, Half Dome framed over open meadow, great for golden hour photography
- **Mirror Lake** — Half Dome reflection, early fall colour; water level typically low in late September
- **Lower Yosemite Falls trail** — easy 1-mile paved loop, ~20-30 min, gets you right to the base

### Above the Valley

- **Glacier Point** — best morning light on Half Dome, spectacular panoramic views

### South (near Wawona)

- **Mariposa Grove** — largest giant sequoia grove in Yosemite, 10 min from the cabin

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## Sequoia & Kings Canyon (Sep 24–26)

> **No cell service** near the Miramonte cabin — screenshot maps and notes before arrival.

### Sequoia — Giant Forest area

- **Giant Forest Museum** — orientation, start here
- **General Sherman Tree** — largest tree on Earth by volume; shuttle access
- **Congress Trail** — 2-mile paved loop through giant sequoias; better than just the Sherman stop
- **Moro Rock** — granite dome, ~350 steps to a panoramic summit
- **Big Trees Trail** — easy flat loop around a meadow
- **Tunnel Log** — drive-through fallen sequoia
- **Tokopah Falls** — ~3.5-mile round-trip hike from Lodgepole
- **Crystal Cave** — marble cave, guided tour only, tickets in advance. *Note: usually closes for the season in late Sep / early Oct — verify dates*

### Kings Canyon

- **Grant Grove & General Grant Tree** — the "Nation's Christmas Tree", quieter than Sequoia
- **Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Hwy 180)** — dramatic descent into the canyon; walls glow in afternoon light
- **Roaring River Falls** — short walk from the byway
- **Zumwalt Meadow** — short loop, canyon walls + river
- **Road's End** — end of the byway, trailheads (~2 hrs each way from the cabin)
