Zumwalt Meadow

Zumwalt Meadow is a lush opening beside the Kings River in Cedar Grove, framed by steep granite walls. The river crossing and meadow make it one of the canyon's signature short stops. Go for a compact walk and a close look at the canyon floor; this isn't a route through a complete meadow loop.

The meadow trail is listed at 0.8 mile. It crosses the river on an expansion bridge, then climbs through woods and talus to views across the meadow. Flooding in 2019 washed away sections of the old route through the meadow and beside the river, so treat the visit as an out-and-back unless you continue onto the Kanawyer Loop. Beyond the meadow, that trail continues another 0.8 mile toward Road's End and Muir Rock.

From the parking area to the expansion bridge, the path is relatively level, but it is unpaved, sandy and not firmly packed in places. That stretch may suit some wheelchair users; the full route is not described as accessible. Past the bridge, the woods and talus make for rougher walking. Spring snowmelt can flood the trail or nearby ground.

The meadow sits below steep granite walls and broken rock slopes. Sierra Nevada granite formed as molten rock cooled underground about 100 million years ago; glaciers later carved the deep valleys and jagged peaks around Cedar Grove. Here the contrast is easy to read: grass and river on the canyon floor, high bare rock above.

From the bridge, look both ways along the Kings River; farther along, the trail rises to a view back across the meadow. Meadows can attract bears, yellow-bellied marmots, deer, birds of prey and snakes, but sightings are never guaranteed. Take the river, green meadow and wall together in the view to show how the canyon fits around this small opening.