Cedar Grove Overlook

Cedar Grove Overlook is a rocky outcrop high on the forested wall above Cedar Grove, reached by a branch of Hotel Creek Trail. From here, you get a long view up and down Kings Canyon. Go if you want a broad panorama and are happy to spend a few hours climbing; this is not a quick roadside stop. The view is mid-canyon, while hikes near Road's End give you a more dramatic end-on look.

Allow 3 to 4 hours for a strenuous 4.4- to 5-mile round trip. Published route estimates differ on the elevation gain, from about 1,200 feet to roughly 1,650. The path climbs the dry, south-facing canyon wall through chaparral on a long string of switchbacks, then eases onto a forested ridge. The overlook spur begins about 1.8 miles in and is roughly 0.4 mile long. Start in the cool of morning for the exposed climb.

The rocky outcrop sits partway along the canyon wall, with a view in both directions. Across the valley, avalanche tracks cut through the pine slopes. Include some of the rock underfoot and those tracks across the canyon to show the height and scale of the view. It is a broad panorama, not the head-on canyon view you get farther up-canyon.