| This file describes leaving Hwy 99 at Fresno, to reach Sequoia/Kings Canyon via The Wye. | ||||||||
| Driving Directions | > | Central Valley | > | Fresno to The Wye | > | Sequoia & Kings Canyon | ||
| Waypoints between Fresno and The Wye are plotted in several images to clarify the text below. | ||||||||
Click here for GPS waypoints in Waypoint+ format (NAD83, decimal degrees) with descriptive comments, in a popup window. Follow the FRESNO-WYE route waypoints, as described below.
Here is an overview of the entire route from Fresno to The Wye:
Fresno keeps re-routing Hwy 180 as it leaves Hwy 99, and as of Sep 2002
the freeway called 180 dead-ends at the surface street called Chestnut!
If you leave Hwy 99 at the Hwy 180 interchange, you'll go past the
Hwy 168 exit, and abruptly end up on the surface street Chestnut
(at waypoint 180END). Turn right (south) for one mile, and be careful
NOT to miss the left turn on old Hwy 180 (or else you'll end up crossing
Hwy 99 way to the south).
An BETTER ROUTE, which avoids all freeways except Hwy 99 and which is faster
for BOTH northern and southern approaches, is to get off Hwy 99 at Jensen
(099JEN), jog up to the old Hwy 180 at McCall (JENMCL to 180MCL), then go
east on the original Hwy 180. Jensen has a speed limit of 65mph east of
Clovis Ave, so don't think of it as a city street! Staying on the 180
freeway doesn't gain you much since it ends so soon and dumps you out
on congested city streets near shopping malls. Jensen avoids all that.
Here is a detailed look at the freeways in Fresno:
Bypass downtown Fresno by exiting at Jensen Avenue (waypoint 099JEN)
roughly 3 miles south of the Hwy 180 exit on Hwy 99. This is the best
exit whether you are going north or south on Hwy 99, and you can find
quite a few fast food franchises at this exit. It's better to wait for gas.
Go about 9 miles east on Jensen, and turn left on McCall Avenue (waypoint JENMCL).
The Jensen/McCall intersection has a large electrical substation - you can't miss it!
Go about 2 miles north on McCall and turn right on Hwy 180 (waypoint 180MCL)
which is also called Kings Canyon Road. This intersection is easy to spot
because all the businesses there are boarded up. Go east through waypoint 180ACD,
where you'll see the last reliable gas station (10 cents/gal cheaper than freeway).
NOTE: Going north from waypoint 180ACD to waypoint 168ACD takes
you off Hwy 180 and re-connects you with Hwy 168, the route to
Prather and
Shaver Lake.
Here is the flatlands drive east of Fresno:
Go about 9 MORE miles east on
Hwy 180 to the town of Minkler, where Hwy 180 abruptly turns south (waypoint MINKLR).
Only a quarter of a mile later you must turn left (east) at a stop sign where more
than one person has gone straight - watch out for the turn at waypoint 180180.
About 10 miles east of Minkler is the intersection of Hwy 180 with Hwy 63 - those
coming from the south may choose to exit Hwy 99 near Visalia and come up Hwy 63
instead of taking the route described above, but you won't save much time.
Here is the rest of the drive east to The Wye:
24 miles east of Hwy 63 (past the intersection with Hwy 245), Hwy 180
brings you to The Wye. This intersection (waypoint THEWYE) is where Hwy 180
turns north (and then east) to Cedar Grove
(Kings Canyon) and the Generals Highway continues east (and then turns south)
to trailheads such as Rowell Meadow,
Marvin Pass,
Lodgepole, and
Crescent Meadow (Sequoia).
Just over a mile north of The Wye is the Grant Grove
ranger station (waypoint GRANTG) where you can pick up permits.
There is a nice restaurant and a tacky gift shop in the same complex.
They have gas, but hours are limited and it's expensive.
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