Sequoia National Park

Giant sequoias are the largest living organisms on earth by volume. They exist naturally in only one place: a narrow band of the Sierra Nevada in California between 1,400 and 2,150 metres elevation. Sequoia National Park protects the best groves. Photographs consistently fail to represent them properly because cameras cannot capture scale at the scale these trees exist; standing at the base of the General Sherman Tree and looking upward is a genuinely different experience from looking at any photograph of the General Sherman Tree.

The General Sherman Tree

The largest single tree on earth by volume: 1,487 cubic metres, 84 metres tall, 31.3 metres in circumference at the base, estimated 2,200 to 2,700 years old. The drive to Giant Forest Museum and the short walk to the tree take about 20 minutes from the park entrance. Do not rush this.

The Big Trees Trail, a 1.3-kilometre loop around the Giant Forest meadow, is the best single short walk in the park. It passes several trees nearly as large as the General Sherman in morning light before 9am. The quality of early light through the sequoia grove before other visitors arrive justifies setting an alarm.

Moro Rock

A granite dome above the Giant Forest with one of the better views in the Sierra Nevada from a short and accessible approach: 0.7 kilometres, 110 metres of elevation gain, carved stone stairways through the rock. The summit at 2,050 metres looks south over the Middle Fork Canyon and west toward the Central Valley. Best short hike in the park for views per unit of effort.

Kings Canyon

Continue north from Giant Forest on Kings Canyon Highway (closed in winter) to reach the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, which descends 1,500 metres into one of the deepest canyons in the United States. At Roads End, the Mist Falls trail (9 kilometres return) is the standard day hike, flat through the valley then climbing through forest to a substantial waterfall. Allow four to five hours.

Getting There

The Ash Mountain (Highway 198 from Visalia) and Kings Canyon (Highway 180 from Fresno) entrances are both about 3.5 hours from Los Angeles. No practical public transport exists; a rental car is necessary. The Generals Highway has restrictions on vehicles over 22 feet; large RVs cannot access the Giant Forest from the southern entrance.

Staying and Eating

Wuksachi Lodge inside the park books out months ahead for summer weekends. Stock up on food in Visalia or Fresno before entering; park store prices are high and selection is limited. Campgrounds throughout both parks require advance booking through recreation.gov from April through September.