People. Before 1916, a company of mounted cavalry troops was dispatched each summer from San Francisco's Presidio to patrol what is now Sequoia and Kings Canyon. In those early years, the summer of 1903 stands out as a monument to energy and commitment. This was the year that Captain (later Colonel) Charles Young and soldiers of the all-black troops I and M of the 9th Cavalry came to the Sierra. Young and his troopers completed the first road to the Giant Forest, making the grove easily accessible for the first time. On the day the road opened, modern tourism began in Sequoia National Park. more... Skip to park information. People - Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks (U.S. National Park Service)