Kings Canyon National Park, CA
A largely level river walk from Roaring River Falls to Road's End.
Overview
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
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 trailhead
Roaring River Falls“You're coming up on Roaring River Falls, a good choice for a waterfall stop without a long hike. The river squeezes through a narrow granite chute and drops about forty feet into a pool.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead 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.”
Trail guide
Kings Canyon River Trail links Roaring River Falls with Road's End in Cedar Grove: 2.8 miles one way, along the Kings River and through the Zumwalt Meadow area. It is a point-to-point connector, not a loop. Arrange a pickup at the far end; walking back doubles the hike to about 5.6 miles. The grade is gentle overall, so the distance and sun exposure matter more than climbing.
Start at the Roaring River Falls parking area and walk the paved falls path for about 0.1 mile to the River Trail junction. The long western stretch stays low in the canyon and has open, sunny sections beside the river. Near Zumwalt, cross the Kings River on the expansion bridge. The current route continues through woods and talus for views of the meadow; the tread around Zumwalt is unpaved and can be sandy and loose.
Beyond the meadow, the trail joins the Kanawyer route toward Road's End. Look for the cave-like opening among the large granite boulders before the final bridge crossing into Road's End. Flooding in 2019 damaged sections of the old meadow alignment, so follow the bridge and woodland route rather than expecting a complete loop around the meadow. If you only want a short meadow walk, the current Zumwalt route from its own trailhead is about 0.8 mile.
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
EasyRoaring River Falls Trail0.3 mi · 18 min · At the trailheadA short paved walk ends at a granite-chute waterfall.
EasyKnapp’s Cabin Trail0.1 mi · 15 min · 0.8 mi awayA tiny cabin stop with a surprisingly big canyon view
EasyZumwalt Meadow Trail1.5 mi · 1 hr · 1.5 mi awayCross the river for a meadow view framed by granite cliffs.
EasyKanawyer Loop Trail5 mi · 2.5 hr · 2.2 mi awayA five-mile river loop with easy grades and a rougher return.
ChallengingGrouse Lake via Copper Creek Trail17.2 mi · 13 hr · 2.3 mi awayA steep canyon climb ends at a granite lake beyond the tread
ChallengingRae Lakes Loop41.4 mi · 1.3 days · 2.3 mi awayA high Sierra circuit of lakes, granite and a hard pass.
ChallengingParadise Valley Trail11.4 mi · 7 hr · 2.3 mi awayClimb past Mist Falls to a green river valley beneath granite walls.
ChallengingBig SEKI Loop154.8 mi · 4 days · 2.3 mi awayA 155-mile wilderness loop over high Sierra passes and alpine lakes.Sight · 0.2 mi awayRoaring River FallsA 40-foot waterfall, reached by a short but steep paved path.
Sight · 0.8 mi awayKnapp's CabinA 1925 fishing cabin with canyon views from a glacial moraine.
Sight · 1.5 mi awayZumwalt MeadowA short river crossing opens onto a green meadow beneath granite walls.
Campground · 2.2 mi awayMoraine CampgroundA riverfront base for Cedar Grove's hikes.
Sight · 2.2 mi awayMuir RockJohn Muir spoke from this boulder about glaciers that shaped the canyon.
Ranger station · 2.3 mi awayRoad's End Permit StationWilderness permits start here, at the end of Highway 180.
Sight · 2.4 mi awayCedar Grove Pack StationHorseback rides follow the river through Cedar Grove.
Campground · 2.4 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.
