#10 of 31 sights in Kings Canyon
Sight · Kings Canyon National Park
A big waterfall at the end of an 8-mile round trip.
Overview
Mist Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in Kings Canyon, reached by a backcountry hike from Road’s End. It’s about 8 miles round trip, and the usual outing takes four to five hours. Choose it when you have the time and energy for a real walk, not when you’re squeezing in one more roadside stop.
Parkwolf’s verdictA waterfall worth a full dayMap
Plan your stop
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kings Canyon Tour Guide
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Kings Canyon National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Kings Canyon audio tourRecorded for this place
Road's End and Muir Rock“You're nearing Road's End, where Highway one eighty finishes and a short dirt path leads to Muir Rock beside the Kings River.”
Plays as you drive up to Mist Falls in the Parkwolf Kings Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…The kids and my husband and I all agree that the narration really added to our experience driving through the parks. We learned so much about the history and the flora & fauna.”
Guide
Start just past the Road’s End Permit Station. The sandy route follows the South Fork Kings River through a glaciated canyon, with relatively level, open miles at first and rapids and smaller cascades along the way. The last mile climbs through woods about 600 feet; then you turn around and walk back. Bring plenty of water and trail food, and give yourself time to enjoy the stop without rushing.
The water fans down a granite slope into the boulder-filled river. Spray makes the rocks around the falls slippery and dangerous, so enjoy the cascade from firm ground instead of climbing closer to the water. For a photo, frame the whole falls with boulders and a strip of river below; the wider view gives a better sense of the setting.
Road’s End is in Cedar Grove, where road access is seasonal, usually from May through early or mid-November. Opening dates vary with conditions, so check the road status before you drive in and account for the long walk back.
Wildlife
227 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
385 sightingsMule DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
188 sightingsMarmotMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
118 sightingsPikaMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
14 sightingsGolden TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
32 sightingsRainbow TroutMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Kings Canyon. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
Keep exploring
ChallengingAvalanche Pass Trail to Roaring River30.7 mi · 19 hr · 2.2 mi awayA long, hard route over a forested 10,000-foot pass.
ChallengingCopper Creek Trail to Granite Pass22 mi · 18 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep climb pays off with basin meadows and two huge views.
ModerateCedar Grove North Side Trail5.1 mi · 3 hr · 2.3 mi awayA five-mile walk links Roads End with Cedar Grove's west side.
ChallengingSimpson Meadow Trail22.9 mi · 20 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep Copper Creek climb gives way to a rough river descent.ChallengingGrouse Lake via Copper Creek Trail17.2 mi · 13 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep canyon climb ends at a granite lake beyond the treadModerateMist Falls Trail8 mi · 4.5 hr · 2.3 mi awayRapids, granite canyon walls and a waterfall worth the long walk.
ChallengingEast Lake Trail26.1 mi · 15 hr · 2.3 mi awayAn all-day climb to East Lake beneath Mount Brewer.
ChallengingBubb's Creek Trail24.6 mi · 12 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep start opens into a long High Sierra creek corridor.
Ranger station · 2.3 mi awayRoad's End Permit StationWilderness permits start here, at the end of Highway 180.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayMuir RockJohn Muir spoke from this boulder about glaciers that shaped the canyon.
Sight · 3.1 mi awayZumwalt MeadowA short river crossing opens onto a green meadow beneath granite walls.
Sight · 4.6 mi awayRoaring River FallsA 40-foot waterfall, reached by a short but steep paved path.Parkwolf’s Kings Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
