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By Root 433 0

46 mi east of Sequoia and 55 mi west of Kings Canyon on the edge of the San Joaquin Valley. Its vibrant downtown contains several good restaurants and bed-and-breakfasts. Closest to Kings Canyon’s Big Stump entrance, Sanger lies on the Kings River where it emerges from the foothills, about 40 minutes from the park. The agricultural community calls itself "the Nation’s Christmas Tree City" and celebrates the holiday each year with a caravan to the General Grant Tree. Fresno, the main gateway to the Southern Sierra region, is about 55 mi west of Kings Canyon and about 65 mi southwest of Yosemite. California’s sixth-largest city is sprawling and unglamorous, but it has all the amenities you’d expect of a major crossroads.

VISITOR INFORMATION

Fresno Convention & Visitors Bureau

848 M St., Fresno 93721 | 559/445–8300 | www.fresnocvb.org. Fresno County Office of Tourism | 2220 Tulare St., Fresno 93721 | 559/262–4271 | www.gofresnocounty.com. Sanger Chamber of Commerce | 1789 Jensen Ave., Sanger 93657 | 559/875–4575 | www.sanger.org. Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce | 42268 Sierra Dr., Three Rivers 93271 | 559/561–3300 | www.threerivers.com. Visalia Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Bureau | 220 N. Santa Fe Ave., Visalia 93291 | 559/734–5876 or 877/847–2542 | www.visaliachamber.org.

NEARBY ATTRACTIONS

Boyden Cavern.

The Kings River runs through a canyon that’s deeper than the Grand Canyon. The seepage of its waters has created many caves in this area, well below the surface of the ground. If you can’t make it to Crystal Cave in Sequoia, Boyden is a reasonable substitute, but the operations here aren’t on par with those at the former. Tours depart roughly every 45 minutes and start with a steep walk uphill. | 74101 Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (Rte. 180), between Grant Grove and Cedar Grove, Sequoia National Forest 93633 | 209/736–2708 or 866/762–2837 | www.caverntours.com/BoydenRt.htm | $14 | Apr.–mid-May and mid-Sept.–Nov., daily 11–4; mid-May–mid-Sept., daily 10–5.

Forestiere Underground Gardens.

More than 10 acres of subterranean grottos, tunnels, and alcoves lie beneath a busy commercial strip. It took Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere 40 years, starting in 1906, to create this surreal complex of skylight-lighted fruit tree groves, a chapel, and living quarters 20 feet underground. The gardens are on the National Register of Historic Places. Access is by guided tour; reservations are recommended. | 5021 W. Shaw Ave., 2 blocks east of Hwy. 99, Fresno 93722 | 559/271–0734 | www.undergroundgardens.com | $12 | Tours weekends at noon and 2; call for other times.

Lake Kaweah.

The Kaweah River rushes out of the Sierra from high above Mineral King in Sequoia National Park. When it reaches the hills above Central Valley the water collects in Lake Kaweah, a reservoir operated by the Army Corps of Engineers. You can fish, swim, hike, camp, or picnic on its shores. | 34443 Sierra Dr. (Rte. 198), about 20 mi east of Visalia, Lemon Cove 93244 | 559/597–2301, 559/561–3155, 877/444–6777 campground reservations | Free; camping $16, boat launch $3.

Old Town Clovis.

What once was a distinct settlement has been swallowed up by sprawl, but the Old West architecture of this town a few miles northwest of central Fresno has been carefully restored. Within a few blocks there is a high concentration of antiques shops interspersed with restaurants and other specialty stores. Special events frequently fill the streets with crowds. | Rte. 168 east to Bullard Ave. exit, then Bullard to 5th St. to Clovis Ave., Clovis 93613 | 559/324–2084 or 877/725–6847 | www.ci.clovis.ca.us.

Project Survival’s Cat Haven.

Take the rare opportunity to glimpse a Siberian lynx, a cloud leopard, a Bengal tiger, and other endangered wild cats at this conservation facility. A guided hour-long tour along a quarter-mile of walkway leads to fenced habitat areas shaded by trees and overlooking the Central Valley. | 38257 E. Kings Canyon Rd. (Rte. 180), 15 mi west of Kings Canyon National Park, Dunlap 93621 | 559/338–3216 | www.cathaven.com | $9 | May–Sept., Wed.