Hiking the Roaring River Falls Trail in Kings Canyon National Park
Distance: 0.4 miles / 0.6 km
The Roaring River Falls Trail in the Cedar Grove District of Kings Canyon is arguably the easiest and most accessible day hike between both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
By this, I mean that the trail to Roaring River Falls follows an entirely paved path, gaining very little elevation from the trailhead to the waterfall, which is arguably the biggest reason this quick and easy adventure at the bottom of Kings Canyon is so popular!
With that in mind, visiting the Roaring River Falls Trail is typically best first thing in the morning during the busy summer travel season if you’re interested in enjoying the waterfall without the crowds that inevitably arrive by mid-morning.
Roaring River Falls Trailhead Parking
Parking for the Roaring River Falls Trailhead is located directly off Highway 180, in a small parking lot adjacent to the trailhead, about 3.0 miles (4.8 km) past the turn into Cedar Grove Village.
That being said, parking in this small lot can be challenging by midday during the summer travel season, and for this reason, hikers commonly utilize a small turnout on the west side of the Roaring River bridge when parking at the trailhead is too difficult.
Google Maps Directions: Roaring River Falls Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Sequoia-Kings Canyon
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
That being said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the Sierra Nevadas are home to a large black bear population, bear spray is not allowed in either Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park.
Hiking the Roaring River Falls Trail
From the parking area, the Roaring River Falls Trail follows a straightforward, paved path, gaining just 36 ft. (11 m) from the trailhead to the waterfall.
Roaring River Falls-River Junction
Just before the waterfall, the Roaring River Falls Trail splits with the River Trail.
In short, the River Trail is a completely separate day hike that begins here and winds its way east, paralleling the South Fork of the Kings River through popular areas like the Zumwalt Meadow Loop and on to Road’s End, about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) away.
In any case, go right on the paved path to reach the end of the Roaring River Falls Trail, and the waterfall shortly ahead.
Read My Separate Post: River Trail
Roaring River Falls
After just 0.2 miles (0.3 km), the paved trail ends at the base of the 40-ft. (12.2 m) Roaring River Falls.
That being said, swimming in the pool is strongly discouraged by the National Park Service, as the river is fed primarily by snowmelt, making the water temperatures particularly cold and dangerous—especially if you visit early in the summer season when there is much more water coming down the river than what’s shown here.
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
