Sequoia National Park – A walk among the giant trees of the Sierra Nevada slopes
Sequoia National Park is the southern half of a rare natural area on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Range. The range towers over California's Central Valley. The northern half is Kings Canyon National Park, which is adjacent. Both parks are exceptionally beautiful travel destinations where you can see and even hug the giant sequoia trees, the tallest and largest trees in the world. The star of the park is General Sherman, the most massive tree in the world, known for its enormous trunk that it takes more than ten people to encircle. In addition to the giant sequoias, the park offers breathtaking scenic views, waterfalls, and hiking trails climbing the highest part of the range, to the base of Mount Whitney, the tallest mountain in the United States (excluding Alaska).
How many days are needed for a trip to Sequoia National Park?
For a trip to Sequoia National Park, it's best to set aside a full day. Generally, it's better to dedicate an entire day to each park, but you can combine Sequoia and Kings Canyon in one day as long as you don't stray too far from the car.
It's highly recommended to find accommodations near Sequoia National Park, in Three Rivers or Visalia.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Three Rivers near Sequoia National Park…
What are the must-see and do things in Sequoia National Park?
- A hike among the giant sequoias in the Giant Forest
- The monumental General Sherman Tree
- The Foothills Visitor Center in Three Rivers
- The breathtaking view from Moro Rock
- Driving through the Tunnel Log
- The wildlife at Crescent Meadow
- The rugged beauty of Tokopah Falls
- Hop over to the magnificent Kings Canyon National Park to the north
What is Sequoia National Park?
Sequoia National Park is one of the oldest national parks in the USA. In fact, it was the second national park designated as such, following Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. Sequoia was designated as a park along with its neighbor, Kings Canyon National Park to the north, and the two parks are managed as a single unit.
The park was officially established in 1890 to protect the monumental sequoia tree forests on the western slopes of Mount Whitney. This is the highest mountain in the USA outside Alaska, rising to 4,421 meters above sea level. Sequoia Park is the lush counterpart to Death Valley National Park on the eastern slopes of Mount Whitney. Mount Whitney is the highest point in the park (though not accessible), along with several other high peaks along the Sierra Nevada watershed. The park entrance at Three Rivers is just over 400 meters, and from there, it's only an ascent.
Map of Sequoia National Park
How to get to Sequoia National Park?
How to get there by flight?
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) Fresno Yosemite International Airport – Fresno’s international airport is just a 10-minute drive west of downtown. It serves Yosemite Park’s tourism but is actually closer to the two southern Sierra Nevada parks, Kings Canyon and Sequoia. The drive from the airport to Three Rivers, the park’s gateway, is just about an hour and a bit. The regional airport connects with major airports in the western and midwestern USA.
Bakersfield Airport – Meadows Field (BFL) – The secondary airport of Bakersfield is also an option to get closer to the national park, a one and a half hour drive from Three Rivers. The airport offers flights from several major airports in the western U.S., including San Francisco, Denver, and Dallas.
How to get there by car?
Sequoia National Park is located at almost the same distance from both Los Angeles and San Francisco, a three and a half hour drive from each of the major California cities. Access to the park is via Highway 99, the main route of the Central Valley from the east (parallel to I-5 from the west). The major cities near the park are Bakersfield and Fresno in the Central Valley (in the San Joaquin Valley section), within a one to one and a half hour drive.
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When to Visit Sequoia National Park?
Sequoia National Park is a mountainous natural area that's worth a visit, especially on sunny days or days with clear blue skies without many clouds. The park is open all year round, including in winter.
- The perfect season for a trip to Sequoia Park is late spring, when the late sun hours and pleasant weather promise an especially fun experience. From mid-May to early July, the park is relatively spacious, well before the summer peak.
- The best season to visit the park is summer, when there's plenty of sunshine, warm weather, and the breathtaking scenery of the peaks and forests at its peak. The main downside of summer is that due to the number of visitors, the park can get a bit crowded.
- Autumn season is also stunning in Sequoia Park. Although the weather starts to cool down and there are rainy days (and snow in the peaks), the park is painted in shades of orange and red of the fall foliage.
Winter in the park is tough, with most areas covered in snow or ice. The park remains open in winter, but visitors must be prepared with tire chains, suitable thermal clothing, and everything needed to brave the harsh season.
How to plan a trip route in Sequoia National Park?
The trip to Sequoia National Park is part of the journey through California’s Central Valley and the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada Range. This trip includes Kings Canyon National Park, which is located directly north along Highway 180. Both parks are equally distanced from Los Angeles to the south and San Francisco to the north, making them accessible from any of California's major cities. You can also combine these parks with a visit to Yosemite National Park, located about a two-hour drive to the north.
The trip in Sequoia National Park is linear and very easy to plan; simply drive on the Generals Highway. If you start the trip from the south (for those coming from Los Angeles), the entrance to the park is through the town of Three Rivers, where the Foothills Visitor Center is located. The town has accommodations, restaurants, and shops, serving as the logistical hub of the park. Those coming from the north (from the direction of San Francisco) often start their trip at Kings Canyon National Park and Grant Grove Village, the logistical center of the neighboring park.
The heart of Sequoia National Park itself is the Giant Forest Museum. The museum is located near the Giant Forest, the massive grove of sequoia trees, where in the northern part you'll find General Sherman, the park's main attraction. From the museum, Crescent Meadow Road leads to the scenic viewpoint of Moro Rock and, of course, to Crescent Meadow, the wildlife area of the park. Crescent Meadow is the starting point of the High Sierra Trail, the formidable trail climbing up the ridge. On the way from Moro Rock to Crescent Meadow, you pass through Tunnel Log, the park's unique attraction, a tunnel passing under a giant fallen sequoia tree.
North of the museum, continue to Tokopah Falls, accessible from the Lodgepole Visitor Center in the northern part of the park.
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Popular Hiking Trails in Sequoia National Park
There are tons of hiking trails in Sequoia National Park that suit almost everyone—ranging from easy and short paths near designated parking areas, suitable for families and strollers, to challenging trails for those really in shape.
The most popular hiking trails in the park are:
- Congress Trail – A four-kilometer circular trail in the forest with a relatively easy difficulty level, starting at the General Sherman Tree.
- Big Trees Trail – A gentle, one and a half kilometer loop trail, surrounding an open meadow with sequoia trees around it.
- Moro Rock Trail – A short trail carved into the massive granite rock, offering a stunning view of the canyon.
- Tokopah Trail – A five-kilometer trail with an easy level, leading to the breathtaking waterfalls in the northern part of the park.
- Mist Falls – A 12-kilometer circular hiking trail near Kings Canyon Park. The trail leads to the waterfalls up the ridge.
- High Sierra Trail – A professional mountain climbing trail over 110 km deep into the ridge mountains at the base of Mount Whitney.
Everything you need to know about lodging in Sequoia National Park
The tour in Sequoia National Park also includes a visit to the neighboring Kings Canyon National Park, located to the north (administratively, the two parks are managed as a single unit).
The small mountain town of Three Rivers is the southern gateway to the two national parks and the logistical center. In the town, you'll find rural lodges and motels alongside restaurants, grocery stores, and more. The drive from the town center to the heart of the national park takes about half an hour, making it ideally located.
Another option for accommodation near Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park is the small town of Grant Grove Village, considered the logistical center and gateway to Kings Canyon National Park. In this village, there is a limited selection of lodges with a rustic character. Additionally, along the roads crossing the parks, both Generals Highway and Highway 180 (which crosses Kings Canyon), there are a few secluded rustic lodges.
A very convenient lodging option near the parks is in the Central Valley below. The small city of Visalia is about an hour's drive from all the attractions of Sequoia National Park and an hour and a quarter from Grant Grove Village. The city boasts plenty of motels from all major American chains such as Marriott, IHG, and more. Visalia is the preferred location for those who want to start their trip in Sequoia National Park. For those who want to begin in Kings Canyon and not stay on the mountain slopes but rather in Central Valley, a place to stay can be found in the larger city of Fresno, where there are plenty of motels from all chains, both near the airport and along Highway 180, which climbs to Kings Canyon.
Click here to check availability and prices for hotels in Three Rivers near Sequoia National Park…
Map – Where to Stay Near Sequoia National Park?
All Attractions in Sequoia National Park
Three Rivers
The quaint little town of Three Rivers serves as the gateway and logistical hub to Sequoia National Park (and to some extent also to Kings Canyon Park to the north). The town is located at the confluence of the three channels of the Kaweah River, above Lake Kaweah, on the western edges of the Sierra Nevada Range just above the San Joaquin Valley in Central Valley. The town stretches along Sierra Drive, which leads into Sequoia National Park (where the road is officially renamed Generals Highway as you enter the park) and features the homes of the two thousand permanent residents, hotels, motels, and restaurants for the convenience of those visiting the park.
On the eastern edge of the town, heading towards the Sequoia forests, you'll find the Foothills Visitor Center, right after the official sign of the national park. This visitor center is your go-to spot for all the technical information on hiking in the park from the park rangers. It's also the place to learn about the history, geological features, and nature, as well as all the current things you need to know before you start your journey up to the forests. About a ten-minute drive on the Generals Highway into the park, you'll pass under Tunnel Rock, a giant boulder by the road with a short walking trail beneath it.
The Giant Forest
The giant forest is the heart of a visit to Sequoia National Park. The forest is located on Generals Highway, a forty-five-minute drive from the entrance gate at Three Rivers. The destination features nearly ten thousand giant Sequoia trees, the largest concentration of Sequoia trees in this part of the Sierra Nevada. You can venture into the forest via the Big Trees Trail, a circular path of just over a kilometer among the Sequoia trees.
At the entrance to the forest, right on the road, you'll find the large cabin of the Giant Forest Museum, where you can learn a lot about this formidable tree species. The museum is the official start of a series of organized hiking trails of various levels, including vehicle access to Moro Rock.
From the museum, you can head out for a hike on the Alta Trail, which is about twenty kilometers long, leading to the most formidable trail in the park – the High Sierra Trail, stretching over 110 kilometers. Both trails are quite tough and are only for experienced hikers (anyone planning to stay overnight in the park must obtain a permit from the park authority).
The General Sherman Tree
The General Sherman is undoubtedly the superstar of Sequoia National Park and an undisputed symbol of the place. This massive tree is located in the northern part of the Giant Forest, a ten-minute drive from the museum. It's the most massive tree in the world in terms of volume, standing at 83 meters tall with a diameter of 11!! meters. Access to the tree is from a large parking lot just north of it, from which a path descends to the tree, nearly a kilometer’s walk. This is the busiest and most tourist-heavy spot in the entire park, and in the peak of summer, it can get quite packed, so it's best to arrive early.
Moro Rock
Moro Rock is a favorite destination for hiking in Sequoia National Park, mainly due to its breathtaking viewpoint. Amidst the forest-cloaked mountainous park, the rock offers a chance to enjoy the open view over the Sierra Nevada slopes. The rock is accessible with a 10-minute drive south from the Giant Forest Museum on Crescent Meadow Road. The walk to the viewpoint is along the Moro Rock Trail, carved into the rock above the canyon below. The giant granite boulder stands out above the canyon of one of the Kaweah River's channels and offers a stunning scenic view.
The Tunnel Log
Halfway between the Moro Rock parking and the end of Crescent Meadow Road is the Tunnel Log, one of the coolest attractions in Sequoia National Park. The log is a gigantic sequoia tree trunk that fell across the road in 1937. It's estimated to be over two thousand years old and about eighty meters tall. When they paved the road, they decided to leave the massive trunk in place and simply cut a short tunnel through it. Today, the road bypasses the giant tree's roots, but you can still veer off and drive through the short tunnel beneath the trunk.
Crescent Meadow
Crescent Meadow is one of the park's most unique spots, mainly because of the thriving wildlife. You can access the meadow via Crescent Meadow Road, about a ten-minute drive from Moro Rock and twenty minutes from the Giant Forest Museum. At the end of Crescent Meadow Road, there's a large designated parking area, from which a two-and-a-half-kilometer circular trail leads to the meadow. From the trail, you can spot unique wildlife emerging from the forest thicket, including elk and even bears. In spring and summer, the meadow blooms with a wide variety of flowers, some endemic to the area.
The parking area also serves as the trailhead for the High Sierra Trail, and it's bustling with mountaineers and seasoned hikers who leave their vehicles there while they climb the ridge.
Tokopah Falls
The Lodgepole Visitor Center is the gateway to Tokopa Falls in the northern part of the national park. The visitor center is a ten-minute drive from the General Sherman area, on the Generals Highway. A minute's drive from the visitor center is the large regulated parking lot that serves as the trailhead for the falls. The access to the falls is via a trail over five kilometers long from the trailhead. The trail isn't considered particularly hard, but you should keep in mind the distance back to the parking lot as well.
Tokopa Falls is a sharp channel, four hundred meters long, on one of the tributaries of the Kaweah River. The water rushes down through a steep, exposed rocky channel, around which trails allow a view of the falls.
