Three Rivers, CA
What's here?
Three Rivers is only a 10 min drive away from Sequoia National Park main entrance Ash Mountain (then another 60 min drive once you enter the park to the famous stuff in the park like General Sherman, the world's largest tree by volume). If you've got more time to explore, Kings Canyon National Park is another world-class park an hour away. There's a $35 entrance fee per car for these parks, so bring a credit card or your national park annual pass!
Besides the two national parks, you can also grab a beer at Three River Brewing Co, enjoy the best lunch spot in town at Sierra Subs, ride horses on forest trails, swim in the hundreds of swimming holes nearby, boat, kayak, or standup paddleboard in the lake.
How to get here?
There are no airports nearby (and no Ubers/Lyfts once you get here), so driving is your best option. It takes about 4 hours (250 miles) to drive from San Francisco (SFO/OAK). From Los Angeles (LAX/LGB/BUR), the drive is about 3.5 hours (200 miles). The closest airport is Fresno Yosemite Airport (FAT) which is a 1.5 hours drive (80 miles). You can rent cars at all of these airports.
We highly recommend carpooling! If you aren't sure who to carpool with, hit us up and we can help.
Cell reception is very spotty in Three Rivers, so we'd suggest downloading offline maps for the area ahead of time.
Where to stay?
Thanks to its proximity to national parks, there are lots of options for places to stay. Anywhere along Sierra Drive should be within a ~10 minute drive from the venue. Some options to get you started:
- Airbnbs
- VRBOs
- Hotels/Lodges (we've heard good things about Buckeye Tree Lodge)
- Camping
What to wear/pack?
The weather should be superb this time of the year, with daily highs around 80°F (26.5°C) and lows around 55°F (13°C).
Bring bathing suits and shoes you don't mind getting wet (for whitewater rafting), outdoorsy clothes (for national parks), and whatever you feel cute in (for our wedding).
The wedding festivities are outdoors, so comfortable shoes and a light jacket for night time won't hurt.
Lastly, we are out in nature in the Spring, so don't forget your bug spray and sunscreen! We'll have them available at the reception, but you might want to have them before then too.
Can I bring my kid(s)?
Of course!
We don't have anything specifically planned for kids, but they are welcome to join us for everything. Some caveats: Friday night Roast-hearsal Dinner might include child inappropriate jokes, and Saturday morning whitewater rafting has a 6+ age requirement.
Plese let us know in your RSVP so we can make sure they have a seat/food.
Can I bring my dog(s)?
Hell yeah! We've got our dog Mack with us too.
All of the events are outdoors at dog-friendly venues, so bring your pup(s) as long as they aren't disruptive and you are comfortable having them by your side at all times.
Keep in mind that national parks are not dog-friendly outside of paved roads, so you might want to to leave your dog(s) at your hotel/Airbnb when you visit the parks (including for our Sunday celebratory hike).
Mack will be there? Can I pet him???
As much as we love Mack, as he got older, he's become more of a grumpy old man and less into being pet by new people he doesn't know well. We also worry that we won't be able to pay close attention to him throughout the night. So unless Mack already knows you well, we would NOT recommend petting him. He's perfectly fine just chilling near us or by himself.
How's parking at the venue?
There is parking right in front of Ol Buckaroo, as well as the building on the left (the Sequoia Coffee Co building). There are around 24 spots total so carpooling is highly encouraged!
If the travel cost is a concern for you...
We'd love to help! Flights and rental cars and lodging costs can add up quickly and we didn't exactly pick a convenient location... Just let us know if cost is an issue for you and we'll help cover travel costs as much as we can. We wouldn't want to celebrate this milestone without you!