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Exploring | Sports and the Outdoors
Exploring
Scenic Drives
Fodor’s Choice | Generals Highway.
One of California’s most scenic drives, this 43-mile road is the main asphalt artery between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Some portions are also signed as Route 180, others as Route 198. Named after the landmark Grant and Sherman trees that leave so many visitors awestruck, Generals Highway runs from Sequoia’s Foothills Visitor Center north to Kings Canyon’s Grant Grove Village. Along the way, it passes the turnoff to Crystal Cave, the Giant Forest Museum, Lodgepole Village, and other popular attractions. The lower portion, from Hospital Rock to the Giant Forest, is especially steep and winding. If your vehicle is 22 feet or longer, avoid that stretch by entering the parks via Route 180 (from Fresno) rather than Route 198 (from Visalia or Three Rivers). TIP Take your time on this road—there’s a lot to see, and wildlife can scamper across at any time..
Scenic Stops
Sequoia National Park is all about the trees, and to understand the scale of these giants you must walk among them. But there is much more to the park than the trees. Try to access one of the vista points that provide a panoramic view over the forested mountains. Generals Highway (on Routes 198 and 180) will be your route to most of the park’s sights. A few short spur roads lead from the highway to some sights, and Mineral King Road branches off Route 198 to enter the park at Lookout Point, winding east from there to the park’s southernmost section.
Crescent Meadow.
A sea of ferns signals your arrival at what John Muir called the “gem of the Sierra.” Walk around for an hour or two and you might decide that the Scotland-born naturalist was exaggerating a wee bit, but the verdant meadow is quite pleasant and you just might see a bear. TIP Wildflowers bloom here throughout the summer. | End of Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow Rd., 2.6 miles east off Generals Hwy. | Shuttle: Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow.
Fodor’s Choice | Crystal Cave.
One of more than 200 caves in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Crystal Cave is composed largely of marble, the result of limestone being hardened under heat and pressure. It contains several eye-popping formations. There used to be more, but some were damaged or obliterated by early-20th-century dynamite blasting. You can only see the cave on a tour. The Daily Tour ($15), a great overview, takes about 50 minutes. To immerse yourself in the cave experience—at times you’ll be crawling on your belly—book the exhilarating Wild Cave Tour ($130). TIP Purchase Daily Tour tickets at either the Foothills or Lodgepole visitor center; they’re not sold at the cave itself. | Crystal Cave Rd., off Generals Hwy. | 559/565–3759 | www.sequoiahistory.org | $15 | Mid-May–Nov., daily 10–4.
Fodor’s Choice | General Sherman Tree.
The 274.9-foot-tall General Sherman is one of the world’s tallest and oldest sequoias, and it ranks No. 1 in volume, adding the equivalent of a 60-foot-tall tree every year to its approximately 52,500 cubic feet of mass. The tree doesn’t grow taller, though—it’s dead at the top. A short, wheelchair-accessible trail leads to the tree from Generals Highway, but the main trail (½ mile) winds down from a parking lot off Wolverton Road. TIP The walk back up the main trail is steep, but benches along the way provide rest for the short of breath. | Main trail Wolverton Rd. off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) | Shuttle: Giant Forest or Wolverton–Sherman Tree.
Mineral King Area.
A subalpine valley of fir, pine, and sequoia trees, Mineral King sits at 7,500 feet at the end of a steep, winding road. This is the highest point to which you can drive in the park. It is open only from Memorial Day through late October. | Mineral King Rd., 25 miles east of Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) | June–late Oct., daily.
Fodor’s Choice | Moro Rock.
Sequoia National Park’s best non-tree attraction offers panoramic views to those fit and determined enough to mount its 350 or so steps. In a case where the journey rivals the destination, Moro’s stone stairway is so impressive in its twisty inventiveness that it’s on the National Register of Historic Places. The rock’s 6,725-foot summit overlooks the Middle Fork Canyon, sculpted by the Kaweah River and approaching the depth of Arizona’s Grand Canyon, although smoggy, hazy air often compromises the view. | Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow Rd., 2 miles east off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) to parking area | Shuttle: Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow.
Tunnel Log.
This 275-foot tree fell in 1937, and soon a 17-foot-wide, 8-foot-high hole was cut through it for vehicular passage (not to mention the irresistible photograph) that continues today. Large vehicles take the nearby bypass. | Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow Rd., 2 miles east of Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) | Shuttle: Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow.
Educational Offerings
Programs and Seminars
Evening Programs.
The Sequoia Natural History Association presents film and slide shows, hikes, and evening lectures during the summer and winter. From May through October the popular Wonders of the Night Sky programs celebrate the often stunning views of the heavens experienced at both parks. | 559/565–3341 | www.sequoiahistory.org/snhacalendar.asp | Locations and times vary.
Free Nature Programs.
Almost any summer day, half-hour to 1½-hour ranger talks and walks explore subjects such as the life of the sequoia, the geology of the park, and the habits of bears. Giant Forest, Lodgepole Visitor Center, Wuksachi Village, and Dorst Creek Campground are frequent starting points. Look for less frequent tours in the winter from Grant Grove. Check bulletin boards throughout the park for the week’s offerings.
Seminars.
Expert naturalists lead seminars on a range of topics, including birds, wildflowers, geology, botany, photography, park history, backpacking, and pathfinding. Reservations are recommended. Information about times and prices is available at the visitor centers or through the Sequoia Natural History Association. | 559/565–3759 | www.sequoiahistory.org.
Tours
Fodor’s Choice | Sequoia Field Institute.
The Sequoia Natural History Association’s highly regarded educational division conducts single-day and multiday “EdVenture” tours that include backpacking hikes, natural-history walks, and kayaking excursions. | 47050 Generals Hwy., Unit 10 | Three Rivers | 559/565–4251 | www.sequoiahistory.org.
Sequoia Sightseeing Tours.
This operator’s friendly, knowledgeable guides conduct interpretive sightseeing tours in a 10-passenger van. Reservations are essential. The company also offers private tours of Kings Canyon. | Three Rivers | 559/561–4189 | www.sequoiatours.com | From $69 tour of Sequoia; from $129 tour of Kings Canyon.
Sports and the Outdoors
The best way to see Sequoia is to take a hike. Unless you do so, you’ll miss out on the up-close grandeur of mist wafting between deeply scored, red-orange tree trunks bigger than you’ve ever seen. If it’s winter, put on some snowshoes or cross-country skis and plunge into the snow-swaddled woodland. There are not too many other outdoor options: no off-road driving is allowed in the parks, and no special provisions have been made for bicycles. Boating, rafting, and snowmobiling are also prohibited.
Bird-Watching
More than 200 species of birds inhabit Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Not seen in most parts of the United States, the white-headed woodpecker and the pileated woodpecker are common in most mid-elevation areas here. There are also many hawks and owls, including the renowned spotted owl. Species are diverse in both parks due to the changes in elevation, and range from warblers, kingbirds, thrushes, and sparrows in the foothills to goshawks, blue grouse, red-breasted nuthatches, and brown creepers at the highest elevations. Ranger-led bird-watching tours are held on a sporadic basis. Call the park’s main information number to find out more about these tours. The Sequoia Natural History Association (559/565–3759 | www.sequoiahistory.org) also has information about bird-watching in the southern Sierra.
Cross-Country Skiing
Wuksachi Lodge Rentals.
Rent cross-country skis and snowshoes here. Depending on snowfall amounts, instruction may also be available. Reservations are recommended. Marked trails cut through Giant Forest, about 5 miles south of the lodge. | Off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), 2 miles north of Lodgepole | 559/565–4070 | Nov.–May (unless no snow), daily 9–4 | Shuttle: Wuksachi-Lodgepole-Dorst.
Hiking
The best way to see the park is to hike it. Carry a hiking map and plenty of water. Visitor center gift shops sell maps and trail books and pamphlets. Check with rangers for current trail conditions, and be aware of rapidly changing weather. As a rule of thumb, plan on covering about a mile per hour.
Easy
Fodor’s Choice | Congress Trail.
This 2-mile trail, arguably the best hike in the parks in terms of natural beauty, is a paved loop that begins near General Sherman Tree. You’ll get close-up views of more big trees here than on any other Sequoia hike. Watch for the clusters known as the House and Senate. The President Tree, also on the trail, supplanted the General Grant Tree in 2012 as the world’s second largest in volume (behind the General Sherman). TIP An offshoot of the Congress Trail leads to Crescent Meadow, where in summer you can catch a free shuttle back to the Sherman parking lot. Easy. | Trail begins off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), 2 miles north of Giant Forest | Shuttle: Giant Forest.
Crescent Meadow Trails.
A 1-mile trail loops around lush Crescent Meadow to Tharp’s Log, a cabin built from a fire-hollowed sequoia. From there you can embark on a 60-mile trek to Mt. Whitney, if you’re prepared and have the time. TIP Brilliant wildflowers bloom here in midsummer. Easy. | Trail begins at the end of Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow Rd., 2.6 miles east off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) | Shuttle: Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow.
Moderate
Tokopah Falls Trail.
This trail with a 500-foot elevation gain follows the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River for 1.75 miles one way and dead-ends below the impressive granite cliffs and cascading waterfall of Tokopah Canyon. The trail passes through a mixed-conifer forest. It takes 2½ to 4 hours to make the round-trip journey. Moderate. | Trail begins off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), ¼ mile north of Lodgepole Campground | Shuttle: Lodgepole-Wuksachi-Dorst.
Difficult
Mineral King Trails.
Many trails to the high country begin at Mineral King. Two popular day hikes are Eagle Lake (6.8 miles round-trip) and Timber Gap (4.4 miles round-trip). TIP At the Mineral King Ranger Station (559/565–3768) you can pick up maps and check about conditions from late May to late September. Difficult. | Trailheads at end of Mineral King Rd., 25 miles east of Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198).
Horseback Riding
Trips take you through forests and flowering meadows and up mountain slopes.
Tours and Outfitters
Grant Grove Stables.
Grant Grove Stables isn’t too far from parts of Sequoia National Park, and is perfect for short rides from June to September. Reservations are recommended. | www.visitsequoia.com/grant-grove-stables.aspx | From $40 per person.
Horse Corral Pack Station.
One- and two-hour trips through Sequoia are available for beginning and advanced riders. | Big Meadow Rd., 12 miles east of Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) between Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks | 559/565–3404 | www.highsierrapackers.org | From $45 | May–mid.-Sept.
Sledding and Snowshoeing
The Wolverton area, on Route 198 near Giant Forest, is a popular sledding spot, where sleds, inner tubes, and platters are allowed. You can buy sleds and saucers, with prices starting at $8, at the Wuksachi Lodge (559/565–4070), 2 miles north of Lodgepole.
You can rent snowshoes starting at $14.50/half day at the Wuksachi Lodge (559/565–4070), 2 miles north of Lodgepole. Naturalists lead snowshoe walks around Giant Forest and Wuksachi Lodge, conditions permitting, on Saturdays and holidays. Snowshoes are provided for a $1 donation. Make reservations and check schedules at Giant Forest Museum (559/565–4480) or Wuksachi Lodge.