Drives California The Southern Sierra
Generals Highway
Generals Highway, CA 198, Sierra Drive · Three Rivers → Grant Grove
The drive
The Generals Highway links Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, and between its two namesakes, the General Sherman and General Grant trees, it climbs from oak foothills to some of the largest trees on earth. This drive starts on Highway 198 in Three Rivers and passes the Ash Mountain entrance, then follows the Kaweah River past Hospital Rock, where there are Native American pictographs and grinding mortars.
Above Hospital Rock the road gets narrow and very curvy, with many hairpins, including the one at Amphitheater Point with its side view of Moro Rock. It tops out among the sequoias of Giant Forest at the museum, runs on above the Marble Fork canyon to Lodgepole, then settles into a steadier run along the mountainsides past Halstead Meadow and the Redwood Mountain Overlook, ending just short of Highway 180 at Grant Grove.
The National Park Service suggests about an hour from the entrance to Lodgepole and 45 minutes to an hour from Lodgepole to Grant Grove, before stops. The Kings Canyon Scenic Byway begins at Grant Grove.
Along the way
- Three Rivers (North Fork Drive)
- Hospital Rock
- Giant Forest Museum
- Lodgepole
- Grant Grove (Highway 180)
Good to know
- There's a park entrance fee per vehicle, good for both parks; non-US residents 16 and older pay an extra fee unless they hold an annual pass.
- Vehicles 22 feet and longer aren't advised between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum, and over 24 feet below Potwisha; longer rigs should come in on Highway 180 by the Big Stump entrance instead.
- There are no gas stations in either park, so fill up before you enter.
- In the snow season every vehicle, 4WD and AWD included, must carry tire chains, and Lodgepole to Grant Grove is unplowed from early January to late March.
- Hazard-tree removal has brought weekday daytime delays of up to 30 minutes on several sections; check the park's road page before you go.
Lodgepole to Grant Grove is unplowed from early January to late March and often closed by snow. Roads close for snow, fire, storms and repairs: before you set off, check National Park Service: Sequoia and Kings Canyon road conditions.
Questions about this drive
How long does it take to drive the Generals Highway?
The Generals Highway from Three Rivers to Grant Grove is 51.2 miles and takes about 2 hours without stops.
Can RVs drive the Generals Highway?
The park advises against vehicles 22 feet and longer between Potwisha Campground and the Giant Forest Museum, the steep, hairpinned part of the Generals Highway; longer vehicles should enter on Highway 180 through the Big Stump entrance.
Is the Generals Highway open in winter?
Parts of the Generals Highway stay open in winter, but Lodgepole to Grant Grove is unplowed from early January to late March and often closed by snow, and chains are often required anywhere in the park.
Is there a fee to drive the Generals Highway?
Yes. The Generals Highway runs inside Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, which charge an entrance fee per vehicle, valid for both parks.
Is the Generals Highway twisty?
Very. The Generals Highway is twisty most of the way, with many hairpins on the climb from Hospital Rock to Giant Forest.
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Free on iPhone and Android. CarPlay and Android Auto come with Apex.
More drives near here
Distance, time, elevation, curves and intensity are from Carve's route. Checked 2026-10-28.