I was invited to the Outdoor Writers Association of California Spring 2025 Conference, hosted by Visit Visalia. Visalia is in the Central Valley between Bakersfield and Fresno and is the gateway to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. There is minimal lodging in the parks, and the only closer option (by 35 minutes) is the small town of Three Rivers, which is still below 1,000 feet elevation so not much cooler than Visalia. My last time in the area in 2006 I stayed in Three Rivers because I was whitewater rafting there. The rafting is a one day Class IV+ on the natural flow Kaweah River with a short season.
Liz was eager for this trip as she had not visited these parks since she left California at age 12. We drove the 2.5 hours to Visalia Monday morning and toured the county museum that afternoon. Visalia is the oldest inland European settlement in California between Stockton and Los Angeles, starting in 1850. In 1862 Fort Babbitt was established there because the majority of the early settlers were Confederate sympathizers.
In front of the museum is a sequoia cross section.
Visalia is the county seat of Tulare County, which along with its neighbors Fresno and Kern, are the 3 most productive agricultural counties in the US. The major products are citrus, nuts and dairy. The museum has the first self-propelled combine from 1886.
Among the indoor 19th century exhibits was this safe.
On Tuesday we left at 6:30AM in two vans for Sequoia NP. The reason was to visit Crystal Cave, which just reopened after being closed for road damage since the KNP Complex Fire in 2021 and flood erosion in 2023. With the high demand we were let in before the 9AM public opening.
On the way up we pass Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah.
This dam was completed in 1962. It’s full now but will be almost completely drained by the end of the summer for agriculture irrigation. Before 1962 parts of Visalia would be flooded in high rain/snow years. Now the regulated flow spares Visalia but Lake Tulare can still reform in years like 2023.
There is a half mile hike down to the Crystal Cave, crossing Cascade Creek.
The cave opening is relatively wide as it was under water at one time.
We all noticed the spider web gate, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940.
Crystal Cave is marble, not limestone. Some formations:
Cave Creek runs through the bottom of Crystal Cave and some areas are very wet.
Here is a ceiling that collapsed a long time ago.
This formation is now known as “Jabba the Hutt.”
Liz near the exit:
We then moved on to Giant Forest. The most famous attraction is the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest living organism by weight and volume.
Liz’ iPhone 15 has an extra wide angle option to fit General Sherman into a picture frame at the expense of some fisheye distortion.
Nearby two sequoias have expanded into each other at their bases.
Our naturalist guide Daniel explained that this immediate area is unusually favorable for fast growth of sequoias. Seedlings sprouting after fires can be quite dense. Bedrock averages only 6 feet down, so sequoia roots spread out widely and interlock with multiple trees. So it’s common to see sequoias in tight groups.
We ate our packed lunches at Beetle Rock Center.
This was built originally for employees but is now used for special reserved events.
View into the Central Valley from Beetle Rock:
We walked the other direction toward this cluster of sequoias.
Note bear warning sign.
And just beyond to the Giant Forest Museum.
Our last stop in the park was at Moro Rock. A stairway is built into the granite.
Liz at the end:
View down the middle fork of the Kaweah River:
View toward the Great Western Divide:
Highest peak at far left distance is Black Kaweah 13,765 feet.
Descending More Rock:
Leaving the park with its wood carved sign:
Our outstanding and knowledgeable hosts: Suzanne Bianco and Sherrie Bakke from Visit Visalia and Daniel Huecker of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.
Liz was eager for this trip as she had not visited these parks since she left California at age 12. We drove the 2.5 hours to Visalia Monday morning and toured the county museum that afternoon. Visalia is the oldest inland European settlement in California between Stockton and Los Angeles, starting in 1850. In 1862 Fort Babbitt was established there because the majority of the early settlers were Confederate sympathizers.
In front of the museum is a sequoia cross section.
Visalia is the county seat of Tulare County, which along with its neighbors Fresno and Kern, are the 3 most productive agricultural counties in the US. The major products are citrus, nuts and dairy. The museum has the first self-propelled combine from 1886.
Among the indoor 19th century exhibits was this safe.
On Tuesday we left at 6:30AM in two vans for Sequoia NP. The reason was to visit Crystal Cave, which just reopened after being closed for road damage since the KNP Complex Fire in 2021 and flood erosion in 2023. With the high demand we were let in before the 9AM public opening.
On the way up we pass Terminus Dam and Lake Kaweah.
This dam was completed in 1962. It’s full now but will be almost completely drained by the end of the summer for agriculture irrigation. Before 1962 parts of Visalia would be flooded in high rain/snow years. Now the regulated flow spares Visalia but Lake Tulare can still reform in years like 2023.
There is a half mile hike down to the Crystal Cave, crossing Cascade Creek.
The cave opening is relatively wide as it was under water at one time.
We all noticed the spider web gate, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1940.
Crystal Cave is marble, not limestone. Some formations:
Cave Creek runs through the bottom of Crystal Cave and some areas are very wet.
Here is a ceiling that collapsed a long time ago.
This formation is now known as “Jabba the Hutt.”
Liz near the exit:
We then moved on to Giant Forest. The most famous attraction is the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest living organism by weight and volume.
Liz’ iPhone 15 has an extra wide angle option to fit General Sherman into a picture frame at the expense of some fisheye distortion.
Nearby two sequoias have expanded into each other at their bases.
Our naturalist guide Daniel explained that this immediate area is unusually favorable for fast growth of sequoias. Seedlings sprouting after fires can be quite dense. Bedrock averages only 6 feet down, so sequoia roots spread out widely and interlock with multiple trees. So it’s common to see sequoias in tight groups.
We ate our packed lunches at Beetle Rock Center.
This was built originally for employees but is now used for special reserved events.
View into the Central Valley from Beetle Rock:
We walked the other direction toward this cluster of sequoias.
Note bear warning sign.
And just beyond to the Giant Forest Museum.
Our last stop in the park was at Moro Rock. A stairway is built into the granite.
Liz at the end:
View down the middle fork of the Kaweah River:
View toward the Great Western Divide:
Highest peak at far left distance is Black Kaweah 13,765 feet.
Descending More Rock:
Leaving the park with its wood carved sign:
Our outstanding and knowledgeable hosts: Suzanne Bianco and Sherrie Bakke from Visit Visalia and Daniel Huecker of the Sequoia Parks Conservancy.
Last edited:
