A bit about the area

The foothill communities around the southern entrance of Sequoia National Park are all within Tulare (pronounced Two-Larry) county. Tulare County is in the heart of the rich farmlands of the San Joaquin valley, north of Los Angeles, south of San Francisco, between the Coastal Range and the Sierra Nevada Range of mountains. The County seat is Visalia, which is 30 minutes west of Three Rivers.

The Sequoia Foothills Chamber of Commerce includes members from Three Rives and a number of small communities at the southwestern entrance to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Three Rivers is located between the Park and Lake Kaweah, while Lemon Cove is just west of the Lake. Exeter, Woodlake, Lindsay and Visalia are west of Lemon Cove

We can be found on any map of California, almost exactly mid-way between Los Angeles in the south, and San Francisco in the North right up along the western face of the Sierra Nevada mountains. That puts us about 3.5 to 4.5 hours easy drive from both those cities, and also about that same distance from Monterey at the coast.

The town of Three Rivers is a small community of about 2,200 people who take great pride in our slice of paradise. There are actually five tributaries that form the Kaweah watershed, three of which flow through the town, which itself is spread along seven miles of the 198 highway that links Visalia to the Park. Three Rivers is known as an artists' community with a very long history of art and music.

Three Rivers offers a variety of Lodging, plus several Food establishments and Restaurants. There are also several churches here. Our town is also your last stop for Retail and Service before you enter the Parks.

SFCC Body Visiting - Fall Attractions
SFCC Body Visiting - Year Round Attractions
DSCN2524Click for November 2011 Album
1st Saturday

Every month, rain or shine, on the first Saturday, Three Rivers celebrates Art with an event unique to the area - 1st Saturday. Running from around 10am through 6pm, you can visit dozens of artists in studios, galleries, or homes following a map, and enjoy not only the art, but also food and music. People in the area have come to make this a full day event. Get your map at Anne Lang's at the corner of Highway 198 and North Fork Drive and you're set for the day.

Concerts

The Three Rivers Performing Arts Institute provides us with amazing free Concerts by young virtuoso string players in June, a Concert in the Grass in the Fall, and a Chamber Music Series which runs through the Fall/Winter/Spring.

The Sierra Traditional Jazz Club provides us with monthly jazz Concerts in addition to a long-running all-volunteer traditional jazz Festival in April. You may email jbarc@thegrid.net for more information.

The Tulare County Symphony puts on Pops in the Park, a Holiday Concert, and 6 Masterworks Concerts in neighboring Tulare and Visalia.

Several area restaurants offer live music.

Watercolor classes, yoga classes, meditation sessions, and an African drum circle that meets every week are also available year-round.

 May07392Click for Lake Kaweah Album
Lake Kaweah
(at Lake Kaweah, snow-melt capacity: 183,300 acre feet)

Recreational opportunities will vary by season. A selection of activities which may be available, depending on the time of year, is listed below by area. Please check with the Army Corps at Lake Kaweah and Kaweah Marina for more complete information.

  • Park Office - Information
  • Lemon Hill - Information, Visitor Center, Museum, Book Store, Picnic, Swim, Fish, Launch Ramp, Marina
  • Kaweah Recreation Area - Fish, 2 Launch Ramps (one low-water ramp and one high-water ramp)
  • Horse Creek Day Use - Picnic, Swim, Fish
  • Horse Creek Campground - Camp, Fish
  • Horse Creek Bridge - Swim, Fish
  • Slick Rock Recreation Area - Picnic, Swim, Fish, 2 Launch Ramps (two high-water ramps)
  • Cobble Knoll - Swim, Fish, Hike
Horseback Riding

We have trails and lessons, a horse camp for kids, and fitness programs for adults. For more information, contact Wood 'N' Horse

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Hiking in Three Rivers and the Parks

Between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon, there are over 800 miles of trails, and over 93% is wilderness. For more information go to the Park website here.

Three Rivers is fortunate to have additional trails available through the Federal Bureau of Land Management or BLM, for short. Some of the most extensive trails begin in the Case Mountain foothill area of Three Rivers and end up in Sequoia National Park. Contact info@threerivers.com for more information about the BLM trails.

Camping in Three Rivers and the Parks

Between Sequoia National Park, Kings Canyon and Lake Kaweah, in addition to our members Kaweah Park Resort, Sequoia RV Ranch and Three Rivers Hideaway, we have ample opportunities for camping.

Mountain biking, fishing, swimming, field tours, yoga classes, mountain bike riding, bird watching, yoga classes, wildflower gazing and star gazing are also available year-round.