Sequoia splendor - Special Advertising Feature

Visitors can enjoy the beauty of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the surrounding areas.

* Driving distance: 243mi/396km

* Suggested time: 2--3 days

FRESNO. Go south on Hwy. 99, past vineyards, fruit orchards, and trade centers such as Fowler, Selma (the "Raisin Capital of the World"), and the Swedish village of Kingsburg. (Approximately 15 miles west is the historic town of Hanford.) From Hwy. 99 just past Goshen, go east on Hwy. 198 to...

VISALIA (41mi/96km). Fields of citrus, vineyards, olives, cotton, walnuts, and other crops surround this peaceful town. Take Hwy. 198 due east, past the Kaweah Oaks Preserve; turn north to edge the southern shore of Lake Kaweah to reach...

THREE RIVERS (28mi/45km). Named for the confluence of the East, Middle, and South Forks of the Kaweah River. From the town of Three Rivers, continue on Hwy. 198 to...

ASH MOUNTAIN (7mi/11km). Take Hwy. 198 east through the Sequoia NF to the southern entrance and headquarters for Sequoia NP, where the famed General's Highway begins. This 46-mile route climbs through former American Indian domains to...

HOSPITAL ROCK (5mi/8km). Pictographs mark an ancient Potwisha Indian encampment. Nearby is Morro Rock, a gigantic monolith towering 6,725 feet. A side road a few miles before Giant Forest leads to Crystal Cave, which is open June to September. From here, drive on to...

GIANT FOREST (14m/22km). The cathedral-like canyons and canopies of mighty sequoias make this one of the most memorable of all the Big Tree groves. Highlights include the 1,800-year-old General Sherman Tree, 275 feet high and more than 36.5 feet thick. The highway now curls northwestward to...

GRANT GROVE (32mi/51km). Head north on Hwy. 180 to Wilsonia and the General Grant Tree. For your return, drive south to the intersection of Hwy. 180 and then head west, passing through Minkler and Centerville (or detour to Reedley via Road J31), to...

FRESNO (55mi/88km).

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Gale Group