The John Muir Lodge was perfect for my trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The area around the lodge is very quiet. This is especially true if you get out at 4:30 in the morning for a sunrise hike, and you can feel how quiet and dark it is in the parking lot. It feels like the whole world is asleep. In fact, the only issue I really had was finding a place to park after about 8:45 PM because the people who stay at the John Muir Lodge are all in their rooms by that time. You don't have people staying up late and making noise. The Grant Grove visitor center, restaurant, gift shop, and market are all about a 3.5-minute walk away (I timed it), which was very convenient. And if you need a sunset every night, Panoramic Point is only a 2-mile drive away, which was also convenient. Panoramic Point is also good for sunrise; I had the sunrise there to myself on a Tuesday morning. Sequoia is only an hour away for most of its attractions. I'll grant that the Lodgepole market is much better than the Grant Grove market (and the Wuksachi Lodge is better than the Grant Grove restaurant for breakfast), but you also have many more people down in Sequoia. There is also more of a bear problem in Sequoia than up in Grant Grove.
