#9 of 31 sights in Kings Canyon
Sight · Kings Canyon National Park
John Muir spoke from this boulder about glaciers that shaped the canyon.
Overview
Map
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 Muir Rock 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
Muir Rock is a broad granite boulder beside a bend in the Kings River at Road’s End in Cedar Grove. A short, hard-packed dirt path connects it to the Road’s End parking area. I’d stop for the river setting and the John Muir connection, even if you’re not here for the water.
Muir spoke from this rock about wilderness and his belief that glaciers carved the canyon. Later evidence confirmed that glacial theory, and his talks and writing helped lead to the area’s national-park designation. It’s a good place to connect the river and granite around you with the larger story of how the canyon was formed.
Visitors sit on the flat rock for the river view and picnic along the water. The river can look calm while cold water and swift currents make it dangerous; spring and early-summer snowmelt is especially hazardous. The pool may be swimmable later in summer, but conditions change, and a placid surface is no safety test. Low water can still leave dangerous currents and slippery rocks.
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
EasyKanawyer Loop Trail5 mi · 2.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayA five-mile river loop with easy grades and a rougher return.
ChallengingRae Lakes Loop41.4 mi · 1.3 days · 0.1 mi awayA high Sierra circuit of lakes, granite and a hard pass.
ChallengingParadise Valley Trail11.4 mi · 7 hr · 0.1 mi awayClimb past Mist Falls to a green river valley beneath granite walls.
ChallengingBig SEKI Loop154.8 mi · 4 days · 0.1 mi awayA 155-mile wilderness loop over high Sierra passes and alpine lakes.
ChallengingGranite Lake and Granite Basin Trail21.9 mi · 12 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steep climb into a granite basin and its high alpine lake.
ModerateMist Falls Trail8 mi · 4.5 hr · 0.1 mi awayRapids, granite canyon walls and a waterfall worth the long walk.
ChallengingEast Lake Trail26.1 mi · 15 hr · 0.1 mi awayAn all-day climb to East Lake beneath Mount Brewer.
ChallengingBubb's Creek Trail24.6 mi · 12 hr · 0.1 mi awayA steep start opens into a long High Sierra creek corridor.
Ranger station · 0.1 mi awayRoad's End Permit StationWilderness permits start here, at the end of Highway 180.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayZumwalt MeadowA short river crossing opens onto a green meadow beneath granite walls.
Sight · 2.3 mi awayRoaring River FallsA 40-foot waterfall, reached by a short but steep paved path.Sight · 2.4 mi awayMist FallsA big waterfall at the end of an 8-mile round trip.
Sight · 3 mi awayKnapp's CabinA 1925 fishing cabin with canyon views from a glacial moraine.
Campground · 4.3 mi awayMoraine CampgroundA riverfront base for Cedar Grove's hikes.
Sight · 4.4 mi awayCedar Grove Pack StationHorseback rides follow the river through Cedar Grove.
Campground · 4.6 mi awayCanyon View Group CampgroundGroup camping beside the South Fork beneath granite canyon walls.Parkwolf’s Kings Canyon ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
