History
Kings Canyon National Park, established March 4, 1940, incorporates lands initially protected as General Grant National Park (established October 1, 1890 and abolished March 4, 1940). Of note, the park was established to ensure the permanent preservation of wilderness character 25 years prior to the passing of the Wilderness Act. The site protects the General Grant Tree, declared by legislation as the Nation's Christmas Tree (1926) and a national shrine in memory of the men and women of the Armed Forces (1956).
Specialties
This dramatic landscape testifies to nature's size, beauty, and diversity--huge mountains, rugged foothills, deep canyons, vast caverns, and the world's largest trees.