How to Find Hiking Trails in Sequoia National Park
In Sequoia National Park, big trees are the reason people visit. The giant sequoias are scattered all along the Sierra Nevada mountains between 5,000 and 7,000 feet. These giant trees are stunning, so hiking through them allows the hiker to experience the trees undisturbed in quiet meditation. The park is also home to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower United States.The park has trails from very easy to extremely difficult. Here's how to find some just for you.
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Instructions
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Hiking among the Sequoias
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Hike the Marble Falls Trail, 3.5 miles long and 1,900 elevation. The moderately steep trail begins at Potwisha campground, four miles after the Sequoia National Park entrance station on CA 198. It follows Marble Canyon upstream to its falls, a sequence of cascades in a narrow canyon.
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See the Giant Forest, the central region of the national park with the best sequoia groves. This is a 1.2 mile loop with a 60' elevation. It starts next to the Giant Forest Museum and winds around a large clearing filled with wildflowers in the spring and summer. The path is paved and wheelchair accessible.
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Try the Congress Trail, a two mile loop with a 200 foot elevation. Start at the famous General Sherman tree, and stroll this easy, paved path as it loops through large sequoias. The path offers one of the best introductions to the scenery of the forest, but can be busy.
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Walk Crescent Meadow, a loop of 1.8 miles with 190 foot elevation. The path to Crescent Meadow circles around the meadow and is a good place to see both large sequoia trees and wildflowers.
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Don't miss the Trail of the Sequoias, a nine mile loop hike with 1200 foot elevation. This is not an easy hike, but is doable in a day. Find the trailhead at the parking area for the General Sherman tree. This is a loop route that uses parts of the Alta and Congress Trails.The path climbs steadily through forested land to a ridge at 7,300 feet, returning past the House group of sequoias at the end of the Congress Trail.
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Take a difficult day hike to Alta Peak, 13.8 miles with a 4300' elevation. This is a steep, strenuous climb. The trail begins at the Wolverton Creek camping and picnic area, reached by a side road branching off the Generals Highway a little way south of Lodgepole Visitor Center.
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Tips & Warnings
Carry water. Hiking at higher altitudes can make you thirstier than you think you are.
Always watch for unfriendly wildlife when hiking. Be aware, but not afraid.
