Among the Giants

Sequoia National Park is a beautiful place to drive through and spend the weekend. Depending on the time of year certain roads that veer off the main road of the park will be closed due to weather. Summer months are best time to go if you want as many things to do as possible. I usually enter through the Kings Canyon Visitor Center so I can drive top to bottom through the park since I live in a beach town.

The layout of the park is really easy to follow. The Trail of 100 Giants, also known as, the Giant Forest is in the middle of the park at the bottom. An easy way to break up the trip is making this your halfway point.

There are plenty of hiking trails within the park to check out. The two best options are Little Baldy and Big Baldy. They are miles apart but when you enter from the Kings Canyon Visitor Entrance you will come across Big Baldy Trail before Little Baldy.

Both offer panoramic views of the mountains and let you get above all the trees to see for miles. Both hikes are partly covered by trees and transition to open areas. The need for sun protection is still very much needed on these trails.

A backpack with water and snacks is also a good idea. The end point for both hikes open up into a large area where you can set up a picnic or have a snack. If you have more time in the park this is a fun place to set up a hammock and bring a book or relax for awhile. The trail doesn't stay too busy as these are moderate hikes and in the off months don't see too much traffic.

Trail of 100 Giants

The busiest place in the park is going to be the Giant Forest. The handful of times I have been here the lot was already full. The best course of action is to eat lunch at one of the nearby areas designated for picnics. There are tables and restrooms at the Wolverton Picnic area which is the last turnoff before the parking lot for the giant trees.

After an hour or so eating lunch I circled back around and was able to find a spot because of people leaving to go eat their own lunch or move on for the day.

Tip: Plan ahead if you want to be able to find parking. There is a shuttle you can take, leaving your car in a lot but remember you have to rely on the bus running and follow their schedule if that is what you want to do.

There is a ton to explore once you are in the giant forest. You can walk off path up into the forest to see the trees. I walked along to explore some of the fallen trees in the area. You get to see how massive they are the closer you get. Even fallen on their side, they are still taller than you.

There is a museum across from the parking lot where the trail begins for the giant trees. You can go inside and get more information and history on the trees themselves. The General Sherman Tree which is its own trail before the Giant Forest will allow you to see the largest of the Sequoias.

Next to the museum you will see a road that leads up to another one of my favorite places in Sequoia Park. Moro Rock is a must see. The road is only open in warmer months and is perfect for catching a sunrise or sunset.

This hiking path is a flight of stone stairs that wrap around the rock taking you all the way to the top for an incredible view. There are railings so if you have a fear of heights have no worry.

This stop was crowded at the top with people waiting for the sun to set. You can see the whole valley of Kings Canyon without an obstructive view even though you are at the bottom of the park.

Moro Rock

There are designated spots to park when you get to the end of the road for Moro Rock trail. I parked further back from where the pathway starts to get to the top. When looking out over the top of Moro Rock you will see rock formations over to the right. After climbing back down and realizing my car was in that area I went into the wooded area to explore.

You can climb up onto the rocks and have an equally beautiful view which also includes Moro Rock itself.

View of Moro Rock

This is where I decided to watch sunset instead. I had the space to myself and got to enjoy from a better vantage point in my opinion. In the picture above the giant rock with a flat wall is Moro Rock.

When it comes to camping in Sequoia there are a few options. I always prefer to find BLM land or side roads with big enough spots to pull off to the side of the road. Sequoia does have camping grounds where you can rent spaces, and cabins if you prefer the indoors.

This spot was near the entrance point for a cross country ski trail in the winter. There was one grill but no fire ring. I spent the night here and it had a bathroom and trash bin making it an ideal spot.

There are dozens of camping spots just outside of Kings Canyon Visitor Center entrance as well. Sequoia national park doesn't have as many free pull off areas, but because the park isn't that large you can ideally camp at the top before the entrance or at the bottom just outside of the Foothills Visitor Center entrance and just enter back in the next day.

There are a handful of longer trails within the park to explore. Overall the trails you're going to hit take less than a few hours. This park can be fully explored in a two or three weekends worth of time but it never disappoints. This park sits high enough that it receives snow, so next time you plan a visit think about driving through to see some giant trees in winter.