The first destination of my most recent road-trip was Sequoia National Park. It occupies a vast territory (including Mt. Whitney the tallest peak in the 48 contiguous US states) but only a very small part of it is accessible by car. Even so, one can easily spend at least 2 days here. After reading several reviews and articles my plan was to spend one day in Sequoia and Kings Canyon, however at the end of the first day I did not get to see everything I wanted to even in Sequoia, never mind making it to Kings Canyon. Luckily the campsites had open spots and I was able to spend the night at Lodgepole Camp, which sits on the Kaweah River with trails going east to Tokopah Falls or north to Twin Lakes.
In the morning I awoke to the fresh smell of pine, birds chirping, chipmunks running around and a deer family grazing just a few feet away. I was in heaven already!
Morning walk around Lodgepole Camp ▼
After the Ash Mountain Entrance, Generals Highway, twists and ascends quickly through a dense forest of pine, cedar and fir. This is the main road available for cars inside Sequoia.
If you want to visit Crystal Cave your best chance is to buy your tickets the day before or get there very early, before 9AM. I was traveling at the end of the heavy tourist season and got there fairly early yet the cave tours were completely sold out. There are no tickets at the cave, as of now they can only be purchased at the Foothill Visitor Center or at the Lodgepole Visitor Center.
A must see in the park is Morro Rock. It is a granite dome rising to 6725 ft offering stunning views. While there are other similar domes in Sequoia National Park, this is the only one which has stairs and railing built on it to make it more easily climbable for visitors. It is a 0.25 mile staircase which ascends 300ft.
Driving on from Morro Rock the looping road takes us to Tunnel Log, a giant fallen sequoia that was carved out so cars could drive through it. Here’s your chance for another postcard style photo!
After returning to Generals Highway I recommend taking a walk out onto Beetle Rock. It is such a beautiful, quaint spot, you can truly take some time for yourself here, enjoy a picnic, or a romantic walk. Most tourists seem to head straight to the Giant Forest on the other side of Generals Highway, as there was no one else at Beetle Rock. It is a shame to miss out on this spot though!
Next up are the main attractions of this park, the groves of sequoias, starting with the most famous one, the Giant Forest. You could spend an entire day just here, exploring the trails or venturing deeper in to the forest on a multi day adventure. If you came all the way here at least take the main trail which loops around the Giant Forest and Crescent Meadow and then stretches up north to General Sherman-the largest living tree in the world, estimated to be around 2200 years old! However if this trail is too much for you, you can also drive from the Giant Forest to the General Sherman Tree.
Here is the General Sherman ▼, it is difficult to get a good picture of it both because of its size and because their are tons of people around it wanting to take their picture in front of it.
More pics from the Giant Forest ▼
Here is Crescent Meadow ▼
As you walk among the trees you will notice that many of the sequoias have survived several fires and bear huge scars, yet they are exceptionally resilient. The biggest danger to sequoias these days is pollution and global warming which has been causing severe draught in California for the past few years. These phenomenal trees can only be found in the groves of Sequoia, Kings and Yosemite National Parks, they are extinct everywhere else in the world.
I don’t know if it is possible to explain the majesty and grandeur of the Sequoias’, or the feeling of smallness, wonderment and gratitude these resilient giants arouse when standing in their presence. This quote from John Muir describes them beautifully though : ”When I entered this sublime wilderness the day was nearly done, the trees with rosy, glowing countenances seemed to be hushed and thoughtful, as if waiting in conscious religious dependence on the sun, and one naturally walked softly and awe-stricken among them.”
That is so beautiful :)