Family friendly lodging Sequoia Kings Canyon National Parks

The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are incredibly beautiful places to visit with your family.  Towering Sequoia trees set on the mountain side at 5-7,000 feet are humbling to walk among and enjoy.  

Here is a list of family friendly hotels and resorts in the area for your lodging needs.

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1. Wuksachi Village And Lodge

64740 Wuksachi Way Wuksachi Vi
Sequoia National Park, California

Comment:

Located near Lodgepole in Sequoia National Park and open year round. Full service lodge with a high quality restaurant, free Wi-Fi in the lobby, and activities.

reviewed on: January 11 2012

"Amazing beauty, great hotel"

The beauty that surrounds this mountain lodge is indescribable.  As I walked in to the front lobby, the sun was setting behind it on Mount Silliman and birds were singing in the trees.  I was enjoying our stay at the Wuksachi Lodge already!  After checking into our room, we hiked up the hill behind our building to see the sunset.  I was amazed at the beauty and the incredible view into the Central Valley.  I stood on a rock with an ancient mortar hole, created by a Native American, and I imagined that she was a woman from the Wuksachi Tribe that first inhabited Sequoia and who must have watched the sunset just like I was.

Things we loved:
* Location.  Location. Location.  Short car drives to Giant Sequoia groves, grand vistas, and beautiful hikes.  Mountain streams and forests of conifers surround the area with trails leading off in all directions from the Lodge.
* Free Wi-Fi in the lobby and restaurant.  This is a new feature for these mountain areas as they have been “off the grid” for as long as I can remember.  Having free service is always a plus.
* Comfortable and spacious room (we were in a Superior Room) with a set of sliding doors closing off a small living room for us parents.
* In-room refrigerator, coffee maker, TV (with cable… not always guaranteed in the mountains), and beautiful window views of the Sierra and the pine forest.
* Very delicious food in the Lodge Restaurant.  Make reservations before you come or upon arrival: they are REQUIRED for dinner. Call (559) 565-4070.
* Games to play in the lobby.

Things we weren’t so keen on:
* Meals at the fine dining restaurant were very tasty, but came with pretty high prices.  In the winter there is nowhere else to secure a meal, unless you consider snack food from the gift shop as a meal.  We compromised by really enjoying our food for one dinner, and then bringing other food from a grocery store on our way.  During the summer, the market and grill are open at the Lodgepole Village, Grant Grove Village, and at Hume Lake.

COMFORTABLE BEDS
We stayed in the Sequoia Building on the first floor and found the beds to be comfortable and the linens updated and nice.  We had the Superior Room, which had two queen beds in one large room, and a TV and sleeper sofa in another room separated by pocket doors.  The pull out bed was unfortunately quite uncomfortable, even for our 11-year-old, as the head of the mattress (near the couch) was about six inches lower in elevation than the foot.  We had our two kids put their pillows at the other end and they found it more comfortable.

MODERN AMENITIES
You don’t have to trade “Rustic Mountain Experience” for all the modern amenities you enjoy at hotels.  I was very appreciative of central heating, television, telephones, hair driers, iron/board, and daily maid service in this hotel.

BEAUTIFUL GROUNDS
The main lobby of the Wuksachi Lodge is in a rustic-styled building and only houses the front desk, gift shop, lobby sitting area, bar, and restaurant on the first floor.  Downstairs is the conference rooms and gift shop, which is where cross-country skis and snowshoes can be rented seasonally.  The guest rooms are housed in 3 separate lodge buildings (2-3 stories each) located about 300 yards away.  There are beautiful lighted paths that wind through young pine trees between the lobby and lodge buildings.  We really enjoyed walking to and from the lobby for dinner, and my kids were astonished at the number of stars they could see in the night sky.  It was incredibly beautiful.  

TOP-NOTCH RESTAURANT
We were impressed with the kindly service and the delicious food in the Wuksachi Restaurant.  We had made reservations early and were glad we did as the large room was packed with families enjoying dinner.  The kids were disappointed that there weren’t crayons or the typical kids menu activity page to enjoy, but they seemed fine waiting for their pizza (really tasty), macaroni and cheese, and cheeseburgers while we played a game of “find the hidden quarter” on the table.  I stole bites of my husband’s bacon-wrapped meatloaf (pleasantly spicy with amazing taste) but I was mostly absorbed in my tender sea scallops and “melt-in-your-mouth” mashed potatoes.  Our waitress was pleasant, helpful, and prompt.  In the morning, the restaurant serves a breakfast buffet, and then lunch, as well.  Guests can also order box lunches such as “Fresh Albacore Tuna Salad on Croissant” or kids lunches to take with them as they explore Sequoia.  There is also a dining room Take-Out Menu available from 5pm-8:30pm.

TIPS
There are definitely some things I want to recommend to help other families best enjoy their stay at Wuksachi, so read below and take heed!
* Drive up early and get there before dark.  The curvy roads through the park are not lighted and it can feel confusing to drive in the dark.  Besides, you'll miss one of the main reasons to visit this lodge: the beauty around it is astounding!
* Make dinner reservations before coming, or as soon as you can on arrival.  They fill up quickly.  During the winter, it is the ONLY place within a 1-hour drive to get dinner.  
* If you are on a careful budget, consider bringing breakfast bars and picnic lunch items from home for meals.
* Do not unload your car when you are at the lobby.  You will have to drive to a different parking lot to get to the building you are staying in.  There are wheeled carts to assist you in getting your things up the hill to your room.  If you have mobility problems, ask for a room on the first floor, as there are no elevators in the lodge buildings.

DRIVING SUGGESTIONS
I have driven all 3 highways in to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park over the years and I recommend taking Highway 180, no matter what your Google or MapQuest directions suggest.  Highway 198 and 245 may be a shorter distance but the time spent on very curvy roads can increase driving time and carsickness.  Check road conditions, as there is construction on all 3 highways during the 2012 year.  Always bring tire chains, especially from November to May.  Vehicles longer than 22 feet must take Highway 180, and please note that there is no gas in the park.

BOTTOM LINE
I highly recommend staying at the Wuksachi Lodge on a visit to Sequoia National Park.  I actually recommend placing a visit to this National Park on any family’s “Must See List,” and choosing the Wuksachi Lodge as headquarters (especially in the winter) will make the visit much more enjoyable.

This review is based on a complimentary stay at the Wuksachi Lodge.  I received no other compensation and the business owner did not state any requirements that I express a particular point of view. The opinions I express are my own.

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2. John Muir Lodge

California 180
Kings Canyon National Pk, California

Comment:

Located in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park and open year round. Hotel, cabins, a restaurant, and store.

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3. Cedar Grove Lodge

Cedar Grove
Kings Canyon National Pk, California

Comment:

Located down in the canyon of Kings Canyon. Open seasonally from mid-May to mid-October. A small motel with a grill, laundry and store. Located next to the Kings River.

reviewed on: January 07 2012

"Great location"

My parents have stayed in a patio room in this lodge several summers while we have camped nearby.  The room is not spacious, but the patio outside offers one of the most scenic views and beautiful sounds of the rushing Kings River and the canyon walls above it.  We have enjoyed taking a shower in their private bath, and my parents rave about the blessing of having fresh coffee every morning in their room, over trying to perk it on a camp stove.

During our camping trips, we visit this lodge almost daily because it is where we enjoy ice cream after a hike, a wade in the river, or a nap in our camp hammock.  It's not scooped fresh, but found pre packed in the freezer section.  It's still yummy!  We love eating it on the upstairs patio, overlooking the river.  

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4. Montecito Lake Resort

63410 Generals Highway
Kings Canyon National Pk, California

Comment:

Located south of Grants Grove on the Generals Highway toward Lodgepole. Cabins, a restaurant, hotel, and many activities centered around the lake, equestrian events and more. Summer camps available.

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