One of my favorite National Parks Road Trip itineraries is the Majestic Mountain Loop. This three-park (Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite) trip covers some of the most iconic destinations in California.
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California National Parks Road Trip including Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Parks
Of course, this can easily be completed in three days, but you can easily spend more time at each destination or even add additional National Parks. And why not? California has nine National Parks!
This particular trip is one where I have made it a priority to take an annual National Park Road Trip with my mother, so we can create core memories together as she gets older. This trip included numerous viewpoints and visitor centers to accommodate her mobility needs, and I am very pleased to see the parks doing so well.
Don't worry, I will also provide additional suggestions for those who want more physical activity, especially a few great hikes not to miss along the way.
Day 1 - New Orleans to Kingburg, California
Day 1 Stops include:
- Fly From New Orleans, Louisiana, to Fresno, California (FAT)
- Dinner at In-N-Out Burger
- Fairfield Inn and Suites by Marriott Selma Kingburg
- Ice Cream at Bravo Farms, Traver Location
- Tour through Visalia, California, the Gateway to Sequoia National Park
We started the day early in New Orleans, Louisiana. We drove over from Gulf Shores, Alabama, to New Orleans the night before and stayed at the Sheraton Metairie.
It was a quick and easy drive to the New Orleans airport, and security was a breeze.
We had to stop for some Cafe Du Monde beignets to start the day! It's so nice they are open early, so you can grab this famous treat before leaving town.
We flew from New Orleans to Las Vegas and then to Fresno, California, to kick off our California National Park road trip.
This trip, we are taking my mom to these parks for the first time. Last year, we took her on a Yellowstone and Grand Teton road trip. This year, it was time for Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and Yosemite National Park.
Once we picked up the rental car, our 1st stop had to be In-n-Out burgers! A trip to California is not complete without at least one double-double.
We headed out of Fresno towards Kingsburg and Visalia, California. We are big fans of Visalia and wanted to see how the city had changed since our last visit a couple of years ago.
I was saddened to learn that the Sequoia Legacy Tree was removed in February 2025. It survived for 93 years, but a fungus compromised it, and the decision was made to remove it.
We also learned that the Sequoia Brewing Company has closed in downtown Visalia, which was a total bummer. This was one of our favorite restaurants to visit while in town.
We spent some time exploring Visalia before heading north to Kingsburg to stay at the Fairfield Inn.
On our way, we saw signs for a vintage cheese market and ice cream at Bravo Farms and had to stop. Anyone who knows my mother knows her love of Ice Cream and knew it was not an option to drive by!
They had a great selection of ice cream flavors! I highly suggest getting the orange cream! It tasted like a creamsicle and was delicious.
After a long day of travel, it was time to call it a night.
Day 2 - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
Day 2 Stops include:
- Breakfast at Butter + Milk Biscuit Bar in Visalia, California
- Mesa Verde Ranch
- Sequoia National Park
- Kings Canyon National Park
- Dinner at El Cid in Oakhurst, California
- Inelle Hotel in Oakhurst, California
After a great night at the Fairfield Inn in Kingsburg, we headed out for a full day in Sequoia NP and Kings Canyon NP.
The first stop was for some coffee and a quick tour through the city of Kingburg, often referred to as "Little Sweden." The city has a significant number of Swedish immigrants who settled here in the 19th and 20th centuries. You can see Swedish-style architecture, Dala horse statues all over town, and they even have an annual Swedish Festival.
This is a town I would love to spend more time in, but today was for exploring Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
We drove to Visalia, California, for breakfast at Butter + Milk Biscuit Bar. You need to add this local restaurant to your must-visit Visalia Restaurants.
They have amazing fluffy biscuits that were so good! The biscuits and gravy have crumbled bacon on top. Oh my!
Now it was time to drive to the Ash Mountain entrance of Sequoia National Park. On the way is the small Mesa Verde Ranch fruit stand. This is the perfect place to stop and pick up some oranges for snacks on your trip. You think I'm crazy? The bag I'm holding, I ate the whole bag myself! These oranges are so good!
These oranges are so good that they may have contributed to my decision to visit Sequoia National Park for this year's road trip.
After picking up the oranges, we were on our way to the park and our first stop, the historic Sequoia National Park entrance sign. It was the perfect park icon for a photo to commemorate the trip.
We then headed out to drive the General's Highway up to the Giant Forest. We like to take our time as we work our way up this very windy road uphill into Sequoia NP. The back and forths can get to be a bit much if you have any issues with motion sickness.
There are pull-offs along the way, which turned out to be perfect for bird watching. The Merlin app pulled in birds we have never heard of before.
We were sitting at a pull-off taking a couple-minute break when my wife saw one of her dream birds..A Luzuli Bunting. To say she was ecstatic would be an understatement.
Pulling up to the first Sequoia trees is always a fantastic feeling. My Mom was in the backseat, and all I heard was..John, Look at THOSE TREES! OH MY!
We adapted the trip to fit my Mom's back pain, making it more of a driving trip than a hiking trip.
Sequoia is a great park to take someone unable to do a lot of walking but also wants to experience the beauty of the National Parks.
The Giant Forest Museum offers accessible parking conveniently located near the museum, eliminating the need for a long walk. It is a great stop for information, maps, books, gifts, and restrooms. They also have several hands-on exhibits, which are worth stopping by.
After touring the Giant Forest museum, we drove to Moro Rock, Auto Log, Tunnel Log, and walked amongst the giant sequoias. This area of the park is where you can see a lot of Sequoia Trees from the comfort of your car or get out and stand next to one of these massive trees.
Moro Rock is also one of the top trails in Sequoia National Park, offering breathtaking views from its summit. Fair warning, this trail is more like a stair climber workout, but the views are worth the effort!
I personally loved hearing my mom squeal in joy as we drove through a tree! That alone was worth taking the whole trip!
At this point, my mother was starting to have back pain, and we decided to spend time driving around Sequoia NP exploring before heading up the Generals Highway towards Kings Canyon NP. She did very well as she got out and enjoyed the Giant Forest Museum and all the trees and points of interest.
We drove to and saw the General Sherman Tree. Again, this is a must-see in Sequoia National Park as it is the largest tree in the world by volume! This is also a great hike that gets you out amongst the Sequoias.
We then made our way to the Lost Grove and into Kings Canyon National Park.
The Lost Grove of Sequoias is one of our favorite areas of the park, and my wife would tell you it is one of the best bathrooms in a National Park. You can see huge Sequoia trees next to the road, and there is a great bathroom before heading up the Generals Highway.
The Kings Canyon overlook is a great pull-off for getting a full scope of Kings Canyon and the mountains.
Kings Canyon was a quick visit, as we had adapted to staying in the car for most of the tour. Driving down to Grant Grove is a great way to see more epic trees without having to do a big hike. I highly recommend hiking the General Grant Tree Trail. It has one of the world's largest living trees, which President Coolidge proclaimed to be the Nation's Christmas Tree in 1926.
We then stopped by the Kings Canyon visitor center and made sure to get our cancellation stamps to put into our Park Passport Books. has accessible parking right across the street plus a fun gift shop perfect for easy access if you are trying to minimize walking.
National Park Passport Stamps
National Park Passport stamps can be found in the visitor center.
We like to use these circle stickers for park stamps so we don't have to bring our passport book with us on every trip.
The National Park Passport Book program is a great way to document all of the parks you have visitied.
You can get Passport Stickers and Annual Stamp Sets to help enhance your Passport Book.
After exploring the park, it was time to head to one of our favorite places...Yosemite NP and Oakhurst, California.
The drive from Kings Canyon to Oakhurst, California, is easy. Head down from the park and over to Highway 41, which is a straight shot to Oakhurst and then onto the southern entrance of Yosemite National Park.
For me personally, driving into Oakhurst feels like coming home after having spent so much time in this area. We absolutely love Oakhurst and find ourselves looking for reasons to come back over and over again.
We stopped in and did a quick check-in at the Inelle Hotel, which is a new Marriott Tribute property in Oakhurst, before heading to El Cid Mexican Restaurant.
If you talk to my wife, visiting El Cid is a MUST! She has been talking for months about how ready she is for a delicious Mexican dinner and their epic strawberry margaritas.
El Cid was everything we had expected it to be. They consistently make some of our favorite Mexican food.
We finished the night with a quick driving tour of Oakhurst to see what changes had happened since we were last in town, before heading to the Hotel Inelle.
Day 3 - Oakhurst, California
Day 3 Stops include:
- Breakfast at OMFG Fantastic Grub
- Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad
- Reimers
- Shopping at Good Ol Things and Yosemite Falls Trading Post
- Yosemite Pie Company
- Dinner at South Gate Brewing Company
- Inelle Hotel in Oakhurst, California
After a really long day yesterday, we decided to take it easy today and explore the Oakhurst area.
We had a hard time deciding where to go for breakfast in Oakhurst. There are so many great options, it was hard to pick just one.
We decided to go to O.M.F.G., a new restaurant in Oakhurst. The menu features a variety of breakfast and lunch options.
I went with the Mac Daddy Bagel and would definitely go back for it again! Mac and cheese, egg, sausage, and bacon on a cheese bagel...hello yum!
After a great breakfast, we headed up to one of our favorite things to do in Oakhurst, take a ride on the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad.
Everyone really enjoyed the one-hour train ride on the historic steam train. It is a great family-friendly ride with tons of great history and cool facts about the area.
The train ride is relaxing and perfect for those who are ready to take a break.
They also offer a great Moonlight Special train ride that includes dinner and a performance around a campfire.
After the train ride, we headed straight to Reimers for their amazing ice cream. Yes, my mother had already noticed they had ice cream on our way to the railroad! Reimers is the go-to spot in Oakhurst for a delicious sweet treat.
You can't go wrong with any of their ice cream flavors. Make sure to pick up some of their homemade fudge and chocolate.
Right next door is Yosemite Falls Trading Post! They have a ton of Yosemite-themed souvenirs and gifts. We bought a really cool sweatshirt blanked with Yosemite on it.
We took a break from the heat to relax at the Hotel Inelle for a bit before heading out for some more shopping and dinner.
A trip to Oakhurst isn't complete without wandering Good Ol Things! You can't miss this shopping complex, just look for Bigfoot, a giant metal dinosaur, and fun carved wooden bears.
The store is filled with a mix of a little bit of everything you can imagine, and some things you can't imagine are real. We found super-fun surprise bags inspired by the 1980s and 1960s.
On our way to dinner, we had to stop into Yosemite Pie Company. We had heard great things about their pies and had to pick one up. They had a gorgeous blueberry pie that we needed in our life.
For dinner, we headed to South Gate Brewing Company! They are a favorite spot in town and did not disappoint.
Make sure to try their award-winning beers! The double IPA and South Gate IPA are two of my favorites.
They can can any beer you love in a 24oz crowler so you can take some with you.
Day 4 - Yosemite National Park
Day 4 Stops include:
- Judy's Donuts
- Yosemite National Park
- Dinner at Aroma Restaurant and Buffalo Bar
- Inelle Hotel, Oakhurst, California
We headed out at 5 a.m. to try to beat the rush into Yosemite. The 1st stop was Judy's Donuts in Oakhurst, which is always a good idea!
They have ham and cheese croissant bakes that are amazing. Additionally, their donuts are simply delicious.
One thing we love about Oakhurst is that you can hop on Highway 41 and head straight to the southern entrance to Yosemite.
We headed into the park, and our first stop was at Tunnel View. We visited for a couple of minutes but didn't spend too much time, as the sun was extremely bright early in the morning.
Our next stop was at Bridalveil Fall! It was nice to see this part of the park back open after undergoing a large rennovation. There is a brand new bathroom that is gorgeous! If you visited in the past you remember the small stinky bathroom with a long line.
Now there is a great new bathroom that is clean, bright, and has a ton of space. They also added a great new boardwalk trail up to the viewing platform for Bridalveil Fall.
The new path is a lot smoother and easier to maneuver if you have any mobility restrictions.
We then headed into Yosemite Valley, and it did not disappoint! The weather was perfect, showcasing the breathtaking beauty of Yosemite Valley. Knowing that my mom has mobility restrictions, we kept a lot of the day for driving and small walks like Bridalveil Fall, the Swinging Bridge, Yosemite Chapel, Sentinel Bridge, The Ahwahnee Hotel, and Yosemite Falls.
The Swinging Bridge was the perfect easy walk to see Yosemite Falls, wildlife, and the Merced River.
She was able to see Yosemite Falls, El Capitan, and a great view of Bridalveil Fall from across the river.
Since we were driving most of Yosemite Valley, it didn't take as long as we thought it would to drive around the valley.
This gave us time to head up Tioga Road and explore the park further. We drove out to Tuolumne Meadows with stops at Quaking Aspen Falls (also known as Tioga Pass Falls), Olmsted Point, Tenaya Lake, and Tuolumne Meadows.
The mosquitoes were ferocious in Touloumne Meadows. Make sure you are prepared for bugs and more mosquitoes.
We were photographing some epic birds and quickly realized that we were getting bitten all over.
After spending time exploring the Tioga Road, we headed back to Tunnel View to get photos and enjoy the gorgeous view.
Next up was the drive up to Glacier Point, where I showed my Mom Half Dome from another angle. We pointed out Half Dome throughout the day as we drove through the park, prepping her for Glacier Point.
It was fun hearing her exclaim OHHHHHH when we came around the corner and there was Half Dome perfectly placed.
Glacier Point was the perfect way to end a busy day exploring Yosemite! We drove back down towards Oakhurst and decided to pass, seeing Mariposa Grove of giant Sequoias as we were all exhausted and ready for dinner.
For dinner, we headed to Aroma Restaurant and Buffalo Bar at the Narrow Gauge Inn, as it was only four miles from the park's entrance in Fish Camp. We had heard great things about the restaurant and were super excited to check it out.
The restaurant had a wilderness lodge feel, and everything we ordered was great. The fish tacos were packed with flavor. My wife had a great salad with apples and cranberries.
After having a great meal, we headed back to our hotel.
It's hard to believe it's our final night in Oakhurst. We are not ready to pack up and think about heading back to the Fresno airport tomorrow.
Day 5 - Oakhurst to Madera
Day 5 Stops include:
- Breakfast at Ducey's on the Lake
- Auto Tour Bass Lake
- Reimers
- Shop at Oakhurst Gift Works
- Dinner at Black Bear Diner, Madera, California
- Springhill Suites, Madera, California
It's always hard to pack up our bags and know we're leaving when we're having a great time. Yosemite is truly one of our favorite places in the world.
We kicked off the day with breakfast at Ducey's on the Lake, which is always a good idea. You can't go wrong with the gorgeous view of Bass Lake and the always delicious food.
We try to visit Ducey's on the Lake every time we are close to Bass Lake. You can stay at The Pines Resort and enjoy waking up to these gorgeous views!
After breakfast, we drove around Bass Lake and enjoyed a quick visit to North Fork, which is considered the Exact Center of California. It is a cute town with fun shopping, including the Gnarly Carrot.
On our way back around Bass Lake, we saw a momma bear with cubs!!! It was the first time we had seen a bear at Bass Lake, which was so much fun.
We couldn't leave Oakhurst without one more stop at Reimer's Ice Cream (Mom's orders). We stopped in for ice cream cones and to pick up a few sweet treats to take home with us.
This map in Reimer's always amazes me! The pins represent the locations from which people have visited. It's great to see how many countries are marked.
Oakhurst Giftworks is another must-visit store while in Oakhurst. They offer the best gifts and fun products, which are constantly updated. They also have a great antique section.
We also went back to Good Ol Things to pick up a couple of mystery bags, which we ended up opening later in the day.
We had to stop for a visit to the talking bear in the heart of Oakhurst. It's always a fun photo opportunity, and as you can see, we were having a great time with all the carved bears in town.
We forced ourselves to leave Oakhurst and wave goodbye until our next trip, which we are already planning, thankfully.
Black Bear Diner in Madera was the perfect spot for dinner. You know, we had to continue the bear theme of the trip.
We stayed overnight at the SpringHill Suites Madera, which is conveniently located next door to Black Bear Diner and offers an easy drive to the Fresno Airport.
Our last order of business from this trip was opening mystery bags that we bought for each other from God Ole Things in Oakhurst. These bags were a lot of fun to open! It was silly, fun, and left our trip on a high note.
Day 6 - Fresno to New Orleans
Day 6 Stops include:
- Fly to New Orleans
- Drive home
We woke up early in the morning, headed to the airport, hopped a flight from Fresno, and began our journey back home.
The hardest part of any National Parks road trip is the time to say goodbye and head home. As always, California was full of charm, the neighboring gateway cities are doing amazing work to support our most treasured resources, and the staff in our parks deserve all the love for their hard work and dedication.
Check out all of the National Parks in California and neighboring National Parks in Oregon, National Parks in Nevada, and National Parks in Arizona.
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