Sequoia Nat'l Park trip

[kimrb266]

We're going to Sequoia Park next week and I noticed that Hwy 198 from Three Rivers into the south entrance has a vehicle advisary of max 22' due to curvy road.
 
Options are Hwy 180 from the north, I was wondering if I can manage hwy198 with my 21' Kodiak Hybrid?
 
Looking at the maps, alternates are north on hwy 245 to 180, or north on hwy 63 to 180.  Anyone familure with this area, these roads?
 
Thanks.

[austinado16]

We always go in on the 180, but then we're headed over the mountain and down in to the back side in order to get down into Kings Canyon and the Sheep Creek Campground which is right on the river.

You'll have no problem on the 180, other than the 7,000' climb up from Fresno.

I haven't gone in from the south entrance yet, so I can't give you any advice there.  Is that advisory for the actual highway through the park, or is it just for the road that serves Crystal Cave?

[waterdoctor]

We always go in on the 180, but then we're headed over the mountain and down in to the back side in order to get down into Kings Canyon and the Sheep Creek Campground which is right on the river.
 
You'll have no problem on the 180, other than the 7,000' climb up from Fresno.
 
I haven't gone in from the south entrance yet, so I can't give you any advice there. Is that advisory for the actual highway through the park, or is it just for the road that serves Crystal Cave?

I used to live in Visalia and have driven up 198 many times (without towing anything) and I can tell you that 198 has very tight turns in some areas. I've seen Class B motorhomes having to stop and back-up to make some of the corners. For the most part, however, you should have no problem taking 198 out of Visalia. You may have to take up part of the other lane to make a curve or 2. The 198 route is, IMHO, a much more spectacular drive. Just my opinion, though. If you haven't had much experience driving really curvy mountain roads, I would suggest taking 180 from Fresno. Your choice. Enjoy your trip.
Steve

[OC Campers]

Hi Kim--We have driven this way in a car.  I don't think I would advise it.  I might try it pulling a popup but not a hybrid.  The road is pretty narrow and there are some hairpin curves.  Plus it is a pretty good climb up the hill.

Jacqui

[austinado16]

Just back from Sequoia/Kings and this time we went in on HWY 198 and after a brief stop in the "Potwisha" campground (which we'd never camp in if it were the last camp ground on earth) we drove up and over the pass and all the way into Kings.....staying at our all time favorite, "Sheep Creek" CG.

That road out of the south entrance is wicked twisty, but I had no trouble with 19' feet of Suburban hauling 15 or so feet of Starcraft.  Didn't need to drive over the lines to make any turns.  It's really a test of the engine and transmission cooling systems though.  Many of the turns are 10mph switchbacks that come back on themselves 180 degress or more......so you're running in about 2nd gear at speeds of 10mph to maybe 35mph.  Lots of load on the engine and trans, and not a lot of airflow over the radiator and trans cooler.  Air temps were in the 90's too, so it was a long hot haul up and over that mountain.

Amazing little stretch of road:yikes:

[waterdoctor]

Hey Austin
Ya wanna run hwy 198 again? Fun ain't it? Seriously, tho, it is fun to drive but ya have to have your TV in tip top condition so as not to overheat on those hot days. When I lived in the area (Visalia) I used to go fishing in the Three Rivers area. My fav was at the end of the road that follows the So. fork of the Kaweah River. The turn off is right in Three Rivers, as I recall (it's over 15 yrs. since I moved away). The road is mostly graded gravel, but it ends at the edge of the wildnerness area and there's several trailheads there. Alot of folks would haul their horses in to pack up those trails. The fishing was pretty good there, too. I'm not sure if you can actually camp there anymore, but you used to be able to. There was a single water spigot, so dry camping is the order of the day. It might be something worth checking out if you're in to that type of thing.
 
BTW - what did you think of the vistas as you were negotiating 198. Pretty awsome, huh? I especially like the view of Moro Rock as you're coming up the canyon.
I'm gald you had a great trip. Too bad the Sequoia side CG's were so cramped. I've noticed that driving thru. The only time I ever camped there was when I was a kid and we camped in a tent-cabin at Lodgepole, back in the late 50's. They still had a lot of bears back then, so venturing out after dark was a definate no-go. Anyway, I'm rambling.
Steve :usflag:

[austinado16]

I'd go back again, including driving that road, in heart beat.  Always up for something new and challenging, especially if it includes a test of the rig and camper!  The 'burb's got 261k on it now and it's a work horse....still.

Loved the views, and once we got up top and into the redwoods, it was even better.  We will return and take more time to see all the sights and big trees up top.  I'd even camp at some of the camp grounds up there.  We drove past them, and they looked good.....other than maybe "Lodgepole."

We scoped out that Three Rivers area might be a nice stop for an afternoon of playing in the water.

Dry camping is all we do, so pretty much anywhere is campable.

[waterdoctor]

Austin
If you want to do some exploring next time you go up there, you might want to take a look at the South Fork area. I just Google Mapped it. Between the upper end of the lake and Three Rivers is So. Fork Drive. You'll turn right (basically south) off 198 and follow the road, I'd say 20mi to the end. According to Google Maps, there is a Ranger station there now, and a campground is indicated. If you get on your computer, you'll need to zoom in to about a mile before the smaller roads show up. You might want to unhook and take only the TV to scout it out first. But I think you'll be pleasantly surprised if you go there. The South Fork of the river runs right thru the campground area and there's lots of smaller feeder tributaries further up stream that you can hike to (probably no more than a couple miles) that have native trout in them. If dry camping's your thing, I don't think you can go wrong with this place. But, just remember, it's been many moons since I was last there, so things might have changed. You could probably ask around in town. The locals have always been very helpful.

Steve