Parking
Use the Redwood Canyon Trailhead parking area. The final approach includes a narrow dirt road; vehicles cannot reach the canyon in winter. Check current road access before setting out.
Overview
About Sugar Bowl Loop
Why go
- A dense stand of young and mature sequoias
- Two overlooks and varied forest on one loop
Heads up
- A sustained ridge climb with 1,480 feet of gain
- A narrow dirt access road and no winter vehicle access
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Kings Canyon map
Full mapElevation5,751–6,969 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Kings Canyon alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are active because high fire danger raises the risk of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors and employees.Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed fireSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed during an active prescribed burn; stay out until crews clear hazards and reopen them.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Kings Canyon Tour Guide
Your drive to Sugar Bowl Loop, narrated.
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
Redwood Canyon at Redwood Saddle0:00 / 0:27
“You're nearing Redwood Saddle, the trailhead for Redwood Canyon's sequoia walks.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Kings Canyon Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Redwood Mountain Overlook
- The Pika's Winter Hay
- Why Snow Turns Pink
- Kings Canyon Overlook and Buena Vista Peak
- 55 audio storiesacross Kings Canyon’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mule Deer, Marmot, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 77 trails, 61 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…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
Hiking Sugar Bowl Loop
What this loop isSugar Bowl Loop is a 6.
Sugar Bowl Loop is a 6.5-mile loop from Redwood Canyon Trailhead, climbing Redwood Mountain's ridge to two overlooks before dropping through the Sugar Bowl and returning along Redwood Creek. Allow about four hours. The climb totals 1,480 feet, so this is a substantial walk before you reach the grove.
Climb the ridgeAt the trailhead sign, take the Sugar Bowl route to the right, away from the separate Hart Tree…
At the trailhead sign, take the Sugar Bowl route to the right, away from the separate Hart Tree Loop. Switchbacks carry you up the ridge. The first overlook, about 1.5 miles in, faces Big Baldy; another comes near the 2-mile mark at Redwood Mountain's summit. The ridge crossing brings a change from sequoias on the cooler north-facing slope to oak and pine on warmer ground, with open views toward Big Baldy.
Walk through the Sugar BowlThe namesake is a dense stand of mature and young giant sequoias within the much larger Redwood…
The namesake is a dense stand of mature and young giant sequoias within the much larger Redwood Canyon grove. Fire has shaped this forest for generations, and sequoias regenerate especially well after fire. Young trees and blackened trunks are part of the landscape's story, not a separate destination.
Follow Redwood Creek backFrom the grove, the trail descends to Redwood Creek and returns along the canyon toward the…
From the grove, the trail descends to Redwood Creek and returns along the canyon toward the parking area. This stretch is more sheltered, with sequoias, firs, pines, willows and Pacific dogwood; the dogwood flowers in late spring and its leaves can turn red in autumn. Keep to the Sugar Bowl route at the Hart Tree junction so the walk stays the 6.5-mile loop, without adding the separate Hart Tree circuit.
Make the access workStart at the Redwood Canyon Trailhead parking area.
Start at the Redwood Canyon Trailhead parking area. The final approach includes a narrow dirt road, and vehicles cannot reach Redwood Canyon in winter. Pets are prohibited on park trails, though service dogs are allowed. A wilderness permit is required for overnight camping.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Kings Canyon
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.
