Are you an adventurous soul? Are you still in the hunt for the perfect holiday place? Would you dare to face a bear? Do you want to climb a mountain or swim in a crystal-clear lake? If your answer is YES, search no more – Sequoia National Park in the USA is the perfect place for your adventurous soul!
Fact: The size of a park is 1635 km2, which makes it the second biggest national park in the USA, right after Yellowstone park. But what is the biggest attraction? Keep reading…
Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevada is home to the largest trees in the world – Giant Sequoias. These breathtaking giants can grow as tall as 80 meters. And that is not all, they are also one of the oldest trees in the whole world, growing here for thousands of years. Nowadays, you can only find them right here in the Sequoia National Park.
The most massive tree in the world – General Sherman
I hope you enjoy walking because most of the park’s area is not car-friendly, and visitors enjoy the visit while walking or horse riding. It is going to be worth it because Sequoia National Park is home to the largest tree of all – General Sherman (83,8 m). He grows in a forest called Gigantic, and you can also find other of world’s largest trees right here.
General Sherman’s Tree – the largest Sequoia in the world
Sequoia National Park used to be home for many First Nation people. When you visit the park, it’s almost like you are going back in time, and you will see how nature in the USA looked before the white man’s arrival. That said, keep in mind that the white man desired the wood from these giant trees, and thousands of them were felled before people realized that sequoia wood is not good for trade because of its structure. The whole area is under national protection, marked as a National Park since 1890, and it has been extending ever since.
The park is not only about large trees, but there is also almost 200 caves in the area. However, as a tourist, you can only enter Crystal cave, swim in many lakes, take a perfect picture of a waterfall or try fishing.
The most popular activity in the Sequoia National Park and nearby Kings Canyon, not only for tourists but also for Americans, is hiking. Before you slip in some comfy shoes, do some research. All trails are a thousand kilometres long and on the road, you can face bears and wildlife in general. It is not legal to approach the wildlife, and there is a strict ban on leaving the trail.
Hiking trails in Sequoia NP
Hiking Trails: You have a lot of options, whether you are searching for an easy-peasy walk, or you want to do some hardcore hiking. You can hit the road for just a few hours or enjoy nature for days. The most popular trails are the Congress Trail, Alta Peak Trail, or Hazelwood Nature Trail.
- Hazelwood Nature Trail: The best for beginners; it’s a mile-long loop, and it will only take an hour of your time. The entrance lies just a few meters from the Giant Forest Museum.
- Congress Trail: Two-mile long trail, starting right under gigantic General Sherman.
- Alta Peak Trail: If you have a few hours to spare, this will be the one for you. The incline is around 1300 meters. It is not a loop, but both ways measure 12 km.
Sequoia are absolutely breathtaking trees
While walking, you can enjoy the clear night sky and watch stars, or take an astronomy class. If you like hills, you don’t want to miss Mount Whitney (4 421 m) – the biggest mountain in the continental United States of America.
National Sequoia Park is open throughout the whole year, although the main season is traditionally in summer. Before you visit the park – make sure to check the official NP website for the current situation as some places in the park can be closed due to bad weather.
Fallen Sequoia as a tunnel for cars
The park is not car-friendly, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your car in the city. There are some places that are only reachable by car or by free park bus, for example, Log Tunnel (84m long) used to be a tall sequoia, but the tree fell and hit the road back in 1937, and the park management decided to turn it into a car tunnel – 6,4 m wide.
No visitor miss the opportunity to ride through the tunnel
And last but not least is the accommodation. There are some cottages or luxurious hotels in the park itself – go to www.visitsequoia.com and find all the information. If you feel like travelling a bit, you can drive back to some close cities. The closest one is Fresno (2 hours drive), San Francisco, Los Angeles or Las Vegas. We did it exactly like that, and we slept in Fresno because it’s a much cheaper choice.
What national parks you have visited in the US? Which one did you like the most? Let us know in the comments.
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Sequoia National Park has been on my list for awhile. The trees just look unreal! It’s something I feel like would be even more impressive in person. Thanks for sharing on #TheWeeklyPostcard.
Hi Anisa, I am happy you like this post, of course – meet this giant trees is better in person, I would highly recommend to visit this park. It is great experience !
The sequoias are so majestic! I haven’t been up to Sequoia National Park but I’ve been to lots of parks in California with giant Sequoias and they’re just so mesmerising. #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hi Katherine, I totally agree with you, the giant trees are very amazing and its great you can meet them in other places than just this national park.
I absolutely loved Sequoia when I visited years ago. It was October and the foliage was just amazing. Love your photos!
Hi Esther, thank you for your nice comments, I think you can visit the Sequoia in every time in the year.
It’s been such a long time since I last visited SNP, I can hardly remember it! I know I visited as a child but haven’t been back since! Next time to Cali I want to do a big road trip to show my husband all the areas I grew up and visited! Thanks for linking up with #TheWeeklyPostcard!
Thank you for your nice comment, I think your husband will be happy when you shows him this beautiful park. It is very nice to share this things together.
I´ve wanted to visit the Sequoia National Park for years – these 80m-tall-giants are so impressive! I had no idea it was the second biggest national park after the Yellowstone though. Must see the General Sherman with my own eyes #TheWeeklyPostcard
Hi Anna, I am very happy you like this article, the Sequoia national park is not so known like other big parks as Yellowstone or Grand Canyon, but it is not less impressive than others.
I’ve always wanted to go to Sequoia National Park to see those massive trees! I’m already short, so I can only imagine how dwarfed I would feel standing next to those majestic trees!
Hi Bryna, your comment make me smile in my mouth. I think everyone could feel like a dwarf, but it is not only the size what is impresive on this trees. They seems to be so majestic and the wood has beautiful colour.
Hey you guys – loved this post! Sequoia and Kings Canyon has been one of our favorite parks for a long time, but it has been a long time since we’ve been there. You’ve reminded us how much we like it, and how much we want to go again!
Hi Rob and Ann, thanks for nice comment. This post reminded even to us, how much we enjoyed the park. It was wanderful.
The Sequoua National Park has been on my bucket list for a long time. The trees have always amazed me, I really enjoy reading you post! #theweeklypostcard