The South Fork Kings River is an important tributary of the Kings River

Kings River (California)

The Kings River is a major river of south-central California. About long, it drains an area of the high western Sierra Nevada and the Central Valley. A large alluvial fan has formed where the river's gradient decreases in the Central Valley so the river divides into distributaries...

 in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of California

California

California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. It joins the Middle Fork Kings River

Middle Fork Kings River

The Middle Fork Kings River is a major tributary of the Kings River in the U.S. state of California. The river flows in a generally southwest direction, entirely within Kings Canyon National Park and the Sierra Nevada. Its drainage basin is roughly in size. The river joins the South Fork Kings...

 to form the main stem of the Kings. It is famous for flowing through Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon may refer to:*Kings Canyon National Park is a national park in California, United States, named for Kings Canyon, a canyon within the park...

, a 10000 feet (3,048 m) deep glacial canyon in the heart of Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park

Kings Canyon National Park is a National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada, east of Fresno, California. The park was established in 1940 and covers...

, and Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove

-Towns, cities, and neighborhoods:Canada*Cedar Grove, OntarioUnited States*Cedar Grove, Shoreside Vale, Liberty City*Cedar Grove, El Dorado County, California*Cedar Grove, Fresno County, California*Cedar Grove, Florida*Cedar Grove, Indiana...

, a valley said by some to resemble world-famous Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley

Yosemite Valley is a glacial valley in Yosemite National Park in the western Sierra Nevada mountains of California, carved out by the Merced River. The valley is about long and up to a mile deep, surrounded by high granite summits such as Half Dome and El Capitan, and densely forested with pines...

 farther north in Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park

Yosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...

.

The river is 45 miles (72.4 km) long and flows south for the first part of its course, then west for the remainder. It drains an area of some 460 mi2. Important tributaries include Woods and Bubbs Creeks, and the Roaring River. Settlements on the river include Kanawyers

Kanawyers, California

Kanawyers is an unincorporated community in Fresno County, California. It lies at an elevation of 5020 feet in the canyon of the South Fork of the Kings River....

 and Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove, Fresno County, California

Cedar Grove is an unincorporated community and the location of the visitor center inKings Canyon National Park. Situated near the South Fork of the Kings River, in Fresno County, California, Cedar Grove is the only commercially developed area in the park. Facilities include the Cedar Grove Visitor...

. State Route 180

California State Route 180

State Route 180 is a state highway in California, United States, which runs through the heart of the San Joaquin Valley from Mendota through Fresno to Kings Canyon National Park, with an unbuilt segment defined west to Paicines....

follows about 25 miles (40.2 km) of the lower river.