Originally Posted by
RichardInSF
...
If I had to skip anything, I'd start by skipping the Kings Canyon part of Sequoia/Kings Canyon. It's much more of a park for backpackers and hikers than for automotive tourists.
If it were a first time and maybe only time trip, I'd focus on Yosemite and maybe throw in Sequoia for a day or two max. ...
As a local who is pretty familiar with everything in the central Sierra, I'd have to agree with this. There are some nice places to visit in KCNP for short or no hiking, including the General Grant Tree loop, the Boyden Cave tour and the Zumwalt Meadow nature trail in Cedar Grove but in general I would agree that the best is in the back country. Yosemite and Sequoia NP have much more for the auto tourist. On the other hand, they are much more crowded than KCNP so it balances out.