Sequoia National Park
Visiting the General Sherman tree and seeing forest fire haze over the valley
USA
Sequoia National Park is known for its giant sequoia trees, some of which are thousands of years old. We found that this park offers breathtaking vistas, with towering trees that reach up to the sky. There are numerous hiking trails that wind through the lush forests, providing ample opportunities to spot wildlife such as black bears.
The park is also home to the General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth. We started our day by heading to the General Sherman tree to see this wonder of nature up close. Be sure to arrive early as the General Sherman tree is the main feature of the park and the crowds will build quick. We started our day heading to the General Sherman tree with first stopping to take a picture with the park sign. On our way into the park we also spotted a bear crossing the road. Janet was able to capture a quick photo before he hid back into the roadside.
Just a little further back down the road was the trailhead to the Hanging Rock Trail. This was a short 10 minutes up a trail and over exposed bedrock that had a boulder that was balancing on the rim of a canyon. This rock looked like it might fall at anytime but sits firmly in place.
We had been incredibly lucky with sunny blue sky thus far on this trip, but unfortunately there were some wildfires nearby. We could see a thick layer of smoke from wildfires below us.
When you arrive you head to the large parking lot just north of the tree. The hike down is about 1/2 a mile and is about a 10 minute walk. Below is a map at the start of the Trail.
We then went down past the Giant Forest Museum to Crescent meadow road. This leads to Tunnel log where you can drive your vehicle through the giant sequoia that fell across the Crescent Meadow Road in late 1937.
When it fell, the tree stood 275 feet high and was 21 feet in diameter at the base. The tree's age when it fell has not been determined, but probably exceeded 2,000 years.
Our last stop on this Crescent Meadow road was Moro Rock. We spent most of our day looking up at the giant sequoias, Moro Rock was where we went above the tree line and enjoyed a panoramic view of the surrounding area. With Aliya in the hiking backpack, we climbed the 350 steps of stairs and got to the top of Moro Rock. Even with the layer of smoke from the wildfires, the view was well worth the effort!
After the strenuous Moro Rock Hike we drove back to the Giant Forest Museum grabbed the stroller out of the van and started the Big Trees Trail. Right in-front of the Museum is the Sentinel tree estimated to be about the 43rd largest sequoia. The Big Trees Trail is a stroller-friendly walkway that allows you to loop around a meadow and admire groups of giant sequoias.
The General Sherman is one of the most popular attractions in Sequoia National Park. Lots of families young and old walked down the steep slope to see this giant Sequoia. It’s so big, it’s hard to capture the whole tree in pictures. Standing at a towering height of over 275 feet, with a circumference of over 100 feet, the sheer size of the General Sherman Tree is awe-inspiring.
It is estimated to be 2,200 years old and the trail leads around the circumference to appreciate its magnificence from different angles. Surrounded by other ancient sequoias in the Giant Forest, a visit to the General Sherman Tree offers a truly humbling experience in the presence of one of nature's marvels.
Just down the Crescent Meadow road from Tunnel Log is the Parker Group of Sequoias. Aliya had fun running around and playing hide and seek amongst these giants.
After this full day at the park we then made our way back to Three Rivers where we were staying and stopped at Vista Point and Tunnel Rock. Be aware that the road from Sequoia Nation Park to Three Rivers has many switchbacks and turns so it is a slow drive. Sequoia is such an amazing park to visit and I feel that there are many backcountry trails worth hiking in the park as well. We'll have to do that on the next trip! Happy exploring!
