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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
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Categories: Parks, Campgrounds, Hiking [Edit]
47050 Generals Highway #35Three Rivers, CA 93271
(559) 565-3341
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
32 reviews for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
Big trees are sexy.
General Sherman, aka the biggest tree in the world, is the sexiest bitch on the planet.
You can meet him here in the Sequoia National Park - like a stripper, you can look but you can't touch. Such a tease. I was disappointed but I played by the rules because I didn't want to get kicked out by a bouncer of the trees, aka a green-clad forest ranger.
$20 gets a car filled with as many friends as you can fit into the park which is huge, filled with giant trees, big rocks, pretty waterfalls, mutant-sized pinecones, and all sorts of nature-y goodness.
Don't go without climbing up to the top of Moro Rock! Spectacular views, terrified cute little Korean kids (we saw several paralyzed by fear at the top, why are traumatized children so adorable?) and death-defying drops just inches away from the shoddy knee-length rail they provide for you. Narrow, dangerous, and totally awesome.
Also cheese it up as a tourist and line up to drive through the Tunnel Log. Plenty of cheesy photo ops here, when else will you have the chance to have a picture taken of yourself as you steer through the middle of a huge tree?
Only about 3 hours north of LA, this place is a great place to "get away from it all," hike, picnic, relax and take in the all-natural sights and sounds. I'll be back one day and may try to sneak past the fence to cop a feel of one of General Sherman's massive roots. Pure sex.
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We went to Sequoia/Kings Canyon NP Fri 8/14-Sun 8/16/09. This was my 3rd trip and every time I go I see new things. The parks are just too big to see & do everything.
Entrance to the park is $20 per vehicle. We went on the fee FREE weekend though Fri. 8/14 V. had his Senior Pass so it was FREE for me.
We stayed at Dorst campground (Need Reservations, $20 per night, w/ Sr. Pass 1/2 off). They have flushed toilets & drinking water. No lights in the bathroom & no showers. If you want to shower you have to go to Lodgepole visitor center area where showers are $3 for ten minutes.
Things to see in Sequoia NP:
Giant Forest Museum - It's not very big, maybe spend about 20 min in there.
General Sherman Tree - largest living tree in the world because of its volume. The 2-mile Congress trail is worth doing.
Moro Rock - awesome for views. Almost 400 stairs, but great views once you're at the top. Go before sunset & wait for the sun to go down.
Tunnel Log - You can drive under the fallen tree if you have an 8-ft clearance.
Crescent Meadow & Tharp's Log - We didn't do the full loop because it was closed, but Tharp's Log is worth checking out. Who can live inside a log? That's so weird. We saw a small black bear near the trail close to the parking lot - Aiya! Be careful out there.
Crystal Cave - we just did the Regular tour $11pp. I thought it was just ok. Stay in the back so you'll have more time to see everything and ppl will have to wait for you.
Kings Canyon NP:
About 1hr to get to this side of the park.
Grizzly Falls - easy 50 yards away to see this fall - nice.
Roaring River Falls - easy & short hike, some people swam in the pool there.
Mist Falls - long hike almost 10 miles RT. Nice waterfall.
Zumwalt Meadow - nice hike, if you do the full loop expect to climb on the granite.
Recommended.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/24/2006
This was my 2nd visit to Sequoia National Park and I really enjoy it. Went with 3 friends because… Read more »
Moro Rock is a must. The scary hike up the rock is worth the incredible views you will see. I believe I heard the ranger say that one can see both sides of the continental divide from the top.
As for General Sherman and General Grant, heh. They were huge but I thought they would be bigger.
Warning: the drive up and down the mountain is very windy, difficult, and taxing on the body. Nobody warned us of the difficult drive to get to the Giant Forest. The turns are tight and banked. If you are going to rent a car to get here, I suggest a higher performance car than our Yaris. Overall, I cannot say it was worth the drive.
I visited "Sequoia" in '06. I don't know if it's still the same owners these days. Back then this place was truly awe-inspiring. The rangers were very knowledgeable and the crowd wasn't very clique-ish. The cover was super cheap considering you can see earth's oldest living attractions. The Rolling Stones cost significantly more and are way younger. And blow.
The attire was pretty casual. Considering it was about 95 degrees, a tie wasn't really expected. Now the biggest selling point: the decor! 5,000 foot tall trees all around you, nestled in a very private nook in the mountains. It takes about 40 minutes up a windy road just to get there. Now that's exclusive.
The headliner is General Sherman. What a behemoth in the industry this guy is! He even let us take pictures(unlike some lame musicians I've seen). He was looking a little rough, though. A strong storm cost him a few branches that summer. Hopefully, he's still going strong. To keep the unearthly vibe going, that night we drove down to LA to see the Flaming Lips at the Hollywood Bowl. What an incredible day.
Now, my only complaint about the park. The drink service. I could not get a cocktail anywhere up in there. That's not a biggie. Over all this place is a must see for every American. And even Euro-trash.
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Solitude.
Perspective.
Serenity.
Just a few of things you can experience to the utmost in this amazing place, one of best national parks in California, the United States, and likely the entire planet Earth.
The crazy thing about this park is you can see perhaps the largest, oldest, most magnificent living things on the planet Earth and yet not feel you're being mobbed to death in a tourist trap frenzy. (remember your last trip to Yosemite or Yellowstone?) Even around the General Sherman, there weren't many people around when I was there 2 years ago - and this was in late spring w/ perfect sunny weather.
One word of caution - keep some extra dough on hand or your plastic close by as the gas prices inside the park are in some places close to double of what they are outside.
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I highly recommend visiting the Giant Forest, Crystal caves, Moro Rock, and the Crescent Meadow. We did the hike from Moro Rock to Crescent meadow, then around Crescent Meadow. Beautiful walk/hike. The Giant Forest was beautiful too. You are not suppose to wander off the trail... but it was fun taking a photos of all of us hugging one of the large sequoias.
We did the Discovery Tour of the Crystal Caves, which is the slightly longer tour. It was very informative and the guide allowed us to ask all sorts of questions. I think it's worth the extra couple dollars.
There is also a junior ranger program. Ask at the visitor centers. Kids can fill out their workbooks and get a junior ranger badge.
Sequoia National park is beautiful, but Potwisha campground was not. The people who stayed there were dirty, loud, and disrespectful to nature. There was trash left everywhere, food left out despite the frequent bear visits, and somehow they thought it was ok to bathe their numerous children in the sink everyday. The same sink that we washed our dishes in, got water for cooking, and washing our hands. Also, people were playing loud music and teenagers screaming way past midnight. I assume most of the people who stayed here were workers in the valley, who just wanted a cheap vacation. Most of them didn't even go see the rest of the park, they just went down to the river. Warning... don't let your kids swim freely in the river, especially Hospital Rock. Two children died swimming in the river the weekend we were there.... most likely because there parents weren't watching them.
Our best night there was Sunday night where almost everyone had left. Also, in July the weather is over 100 degrees in the foothills, which makes it almost unbearable unless you go to the river or drive up to the Giant Forest (about 45 minutes up a steep twisty road). If you are going to stay here, do so during the week.
I purchased an annual pass and will be going back to see the rest of the park (Kings canyon, Mineral King & Grant Grove). Great deal- it's $20 each time you go or $30 for a year pass. I will never stay at this campground again.
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Sequoia and Kings Canyon Nat'l Park is roughly and hour outside of Fresno if you drive on the 180 and about 90 minutes if you come through Visalia.
My favorite time to go is mid-summer, when it's just so darn hot in Fresno. Like several others already said, this park is much quieter and less crowded than Yosemite. To my way of thinking, the trails are just as nice, too.
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Do you know what it is like to stand at the trunk of the General Sherman Tree? I don't know about you, I feel humble and quickly realize how good stewardship, good preservation can lead to many others' enjoyment. I was not the only one who kept going back until I crashed against another tree. I was trying to find the best spot to take a good picture of some part of the giant. I can remember how I felt when I saw this tree for the first time. Souvenirs of almost treeless countries I have been came back to my mind. To survive the inhabitants of those countries resort to felling the few, scarce trees that survived hurricanes and other natural catastrophes.
This is an experience I make sure that my kids go through. I think you will want the same for your loved ones. Since I go up there very often to hike or just be one with mother nature in communion, I get to hear all the ohs, ohs, wows, wows..."This is awesome." The many tourists who come to this park from many countries in the world attest to the popularity of this tree. On a few occasions, you can run into school buses of children with their social sciences teachers. It is a great picnic area.
I have a friend who invited me to hike with him and his two dogs up there a few months ago. He is a cowboy type of a guy. If you can remember the old western movies, then you will picture what I am about to say here.
I met him early in the morning on a Saturday morning. He had his two-horse trailer. I was somewhat intrigued by the idea of riding a horse up there. So we headed up to the mountains. After about 1-hour drive, we parked our vehicles somewhere. He saddled up the horses while the dogs were anxious to get going. They are very familiar with the paths. My friend got all decked up. I am telling you that he had all the western attire. He told me that he is happy to recreate this cowboy/western look. He even spits tobacco when he gets interviewed by wide-eyed tourists who have seen some westerns. At lunch time, we sat under an oak tree to rest and let our horses graze around. We tell stories. I was mostly absorbing the milieu for some upcoming reviews and poems.
We rode all over the park until we got tired. By then, it was getting dark. You can imagine the pleasures of crossing brooks and breating a great air before we had to get back to town.
You can have the same experience if you decide to hike up there. I don't know about the attire and the horses and the dogs. Enjoy this park with your family and friends. Don't hesitate to take a foreigner up there if you want to impress him/her.
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I had been wanting to come to this place for a long time. This weekend I had off on Friday, so i hit the road. It was raining all day on Friday, so Saturday morning i made the trek from Three Rivers into the park. I figured i would just drive around the park to get my bearings and see what was there. What an adventure. It is very beautiful and the road is extremely treacherous. When they say 10 m.p.h. trust me, they mean it. I had to stop every 15 mins. or so cause i was roadsick, which has never happened to me every.
I got up high enough to see the Sherman tree, which was quite large ;)
I really enjoyed my day drive around the park, but next time i'll wait for the season to start and take the shuttle. It is totally different than Yosemite in that there is no central location. Since I didn't know my way around, I didn't get to go hiking. But I'm definitely going back
sherri went home happy, but a little carsick ;)
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Oh, how do I begin to sing the praises of Sequoia National park? Well, first, it is so much less crowded and much more laid back than Yosemite. But it is a very long drive from the city; Sequoia is a good place to go for a three day weekend.
If you're going for the first time, definitely go see the General Sherman Tree. And then, unlike 90% of the people who visit it, go on one of the nearby hikes that surround it. We went on the 2 mile Congress trail loop and saw maybe a dozen people on it. It's short, paved, easy, uncrowded, and you get to see more of those big, amazing trees.
There are many great day hikes in Sequoia. The first time I was there we hiked to Pear Lake. It's a bit long for a day hike - 12 miles roundtrip? - but worth it. The lake is so beautiful and serene that I just wanted to hang out there - I definitely want to try to backpack to it some day.
This time, we went on the 7-mile Panther Gap loop. The highlight of the hike is the gap - my jaw literally dropped, the view of the giant mountains was so gorgeous. We didn't see anyone else on the second half of the loop after this point - while this loop hike was in our trail book, it wasn't posted on the map at the trail head, so that may have been why.
We camped at Lodgepole, which was nice. As for food, there was a bbq buffet at Wolverton - uncrowded and you get to eat outdoors overlooking a meadow.
I hope to go back to Sequoia again and again - there's so much more to explore.
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How is that I'm only the 20th person reviewing Sequoia National Park?? It's as beautiful as Yosemite. Just quieter with fewer people. Maybe that's why it doesn't get the attention it deserves.
We spent a recent weekend enjoying great hiking, stellar views, good food, and amazing trees. We could probably go back a hundred times and not see everything this park has to offer. There's so much nature to explore.
Camping at Lodgepole was great. The sites are fairly well spread out. We made a nice fire. Close to bathrooms, but not too close. The showers were accessible down the road near the market. Neighbors were fantastic. Great to see people out with their kids.
The BBQ bufet at Wolverton was OK. All-you-can-eat is a good idea when the food is so-so. Somehow lots of something OK makes up for nothing anything incredible. Beautiful setting just the same.
Hike to Panther Gap and back was impressive. Awe-inspiring view.
What struck me the most was our short 2 mile walk on the Congress Trail near the General Sherman Tree. The paved path had a dozen people on it at the most. The trees were as impressive as anything I've ever seen. Huge. Not just tall but thick in the trunk. Very peaceful.
I can't wait to go back over and over again.
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What a wonderful escape from the heat and pollution of the Central Valley. It's less than 3 hours from Los Angeles yet feels worlds away. Step inside and realize that humans are one with nature: not higher, not lower. The sequoias will make you feel insignificant but you'll leave with a profound appreciation of what nature can do without man's interference.
Definitely check out Moro Rock, Auto Tunnel, Crescent Meadow, Crystal Cave, General Sherman, Big Trees Meadow, Tokopah Falls, and many other sights if you have the time!
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Like many other people here, I went to Yosemite prior to Sequoia, and first go-round, I thought, "eh."
My first trip to Sequoia was spent driving around the valley, stopping at all the usual spots: General Sherman Tree, Drive-through log, etc. It was nice and all, but I thought, it's no Yosemite. I've done the major Yosemite hikes--Half Dome, Glacier Point, Upper Yosemite Falls, etc--and I thought nothing in any park could come close...and then...
My second time, I serendipitously ventured into the backcountry: Crescent Meadow to Bearpaw Meadow, Bearpaw to Hamilton Lake, and then back...and it was amazing. I had no idea that Sequoia could be...dare I say...even more magnificent than Yosemite. We were so awe-struck that we stopped every 10 seconds on the 11.5 mile hike to take pictures. It truly seemed as if we were leaving the world behind and venturing into some untouched, pristine, lost world.
Better than Yosemite? Yes, I said it. Sequoia doesn't seem to advertise that it has more than great big old trees, so a lot of people drive through and go home. But, if you are willing to hike into the backcountry, or at the very least, hike the short distance from Crescent Meadow to Eagle View, (if you find this lookout point breathtaking, keep going), you won't be disappointed.
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This park totally rocks for a million reasons. First off, it is a really easy drive up from LA - only about 3 hours to the front gate if you pick the right time to leave town. Another hour will get you up to the big trees (plus time to stop and check out all the awesome stuff along the way.) Every time we've been here it has not been crowded at all - that's twice in October and once in Feb/March. Less crowded that Yosemite but still plenty to do and see and lots of great photo ops. The upper elevations (up where the big trees are) get snow in the winter, which is precisely why we went up this past weekend. We had been wanting to go up in the winter for several years now.
This park has it all - clear air, stunning views, giant trees, cool wildlife, and great hiking at every level of difficulty including easy. The roads that run through the park only encompass a small portion of the park - the rest is serious backcountry. That being said, you can still have a marvelous visit by driving if you are not the backpacking type. We saw three bears along the road up just above 4000 feet elev. so when you are driving KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED because you might see something awesome! Like three bears lumbering along for instance! Another plus is that Sequoia connects to Kings Canyon NP so if you are going to one might as well go to the other - check road conditions in winter because sometimes the road through closes...best to check with the ranger station before making the drive. And please remember not to leave food or any smelly cosmetics in your car so the bears don't break in!
We arrived on 2/27 and found 4-5 feet of snow still on the ground at the lodge. However the roads were clear and for the most part dry (watch out for slick spots where snow melt runs across the road.) You can call ahead for road conditions because chains might be required if the snow is falling or fresh. You can always return those chains if you don't open them! Were able to go snowshoeing which was about the coolest thing ever. Snowshoeing may become a regular activity for me because I suck at all forms of skiing and snowboarding. Daytime temps were well above freezing, so we didn't freeze out butts off but nights were cold! Perfect for snuggling! This made for wet snow that was a little hard to build with but the kids managed to eke out a snowman. Friday night the sky was RIDICULOUSLY clear. You could see a million stars and there was this pretty awesome moon/venus convergence thing happening. Saturday night was overcast and you could still see more stars than you can on a clear night in L.A. Both nights we missed the 7:30 pm naturalist presentation which was about the night sky...were hoping to see the comet that's out now, but I think it might have been too low in the sky that the mountains would have been in the way, plus the overcast sky Sat night.
We stayed at the Wuksachi Lodge (separate review) this time but in the past we have stayed outside the park at B&Bs, and tent camped at the Potwisha campground (still plenty warm down at the low elevs in October for camping) and stayed one night at a motel right outside the park entrance because it was pouring rain and we weren't in the mood to camp in the rain. So plenty of options there. Wuksachi is nice but a little expensive...room rates are lower in the snowy months though!
If you live in Southern Cal stop making excuses and go to this park now!
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Not quite Yosemite, but a fun place to go nonetheless. Less crowded on the weekends, too. But I definitely didn't think there were as many photo opportunities as Yosemite...
I've been here twice, once camping, once staying in Visalia (just this past weekend). I'd recommend visiting the General Sherman (the largest tree in the world by volume) and Moro Rock. My group and I also attempted Tokopah Falls, but due to time constraints, never actually made it to the falls. Oh well, waterfalls are not as fun to see in August since they're not rushing as they are in the spring.
Weather in August is pleasant, as long as you stay under the trees. The Tokopah Falls trail was somewhat in the open, so it was a little warmer, but nothing miserable. The stream is pretty cold.
Many of the trails are pretty easy, so it's a great place to take kids.
For a great money-saving and green deal, I'd recommend taking the Visalia Sequoia Shuttle. Book your tickets here: http://www.sequoiashut.../ It's only $15 roundtrip and includes your park entrance fee!
They have pickups throughout Visalia (we used the Holiday Inn one) and drive you 2 hours to the park museum. It's nice not to have to worry about driving that windy road yourself. The driver often gives a little spiel on interesting factoids too.
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Spent just a day at this park over the July 4th weekend with family, and it was great. The giant sequoias are so big it's mind boggling. It would have been better to have stayed for at least 2 or 3 days, but we just didn't have the time. Still, in one day, we were able to see Crystal Cave (always about 50 degrees so it's a nice place to stop in the heat of summer), climb Morro Rock for a fantastic view of the Great Western Divide, see General Sherman (biggest tree by volume in the world), and visit Crescent Meadow (to look for bears). All these things are in or around the Giant Forest area of the park, so if you have limited time, it's a good place to visit if you haven't been to the park before.
Also, I should mention that I really wanted to see a bear and I was told by a coworker that of all the parks he's visited, he's seen the most bears at Sequoia. I was hoping to see a bear at Crescent Meadow, which is supposed to be a bear hot spot where the bears come to relax and get some sun while they munch on meadow grasses, but no bears were there when I stopped by. It was getting late, so we left the meadow, got in our car, and drove off to the exit. After a mile or two on the road, my cousin spotted a mama bear with her cub about 50 feet from the road! It was really cool and a perfect ending to a great day at the park. I highly recommend visiting this park to see the giant sequoias and the wild bears!
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Sequoia NP is great place for hiking for anyone. They have simple trails for less fit people and people in wheelchairs, and also tough trails for the more athletic and adventurous. We weren't really impressed by the General Sherman tree, because it was just a tree, even though it is the largest sequoia tree. But we really enjoyed the cave tour at the Crystal Caves. It was a nice hike down to the cool caves, where it stayed at near refrigerator temperatures. Interesting to explore, and even more fun with flashlights.
Yosemite gets all the hoopla. Yosemite is a beautiful place and has a lot of really well known famous specific places to see. But Sequoia is right there with it overall, with half the crowds. It is stunning just how beautiful it is. It is hard to put into words and harder to put into a web form...
Must see in your lifetime :
* General Sherman Tree - largest living thing. Really there are a bunch of these massive trees, its hard to tell which ones are bigger.
* Fire look out tower - even as a Berkeley native I never felt so high.
* little nooks and cranny hiking spots. We hiked up a series of small water falls until we figured we only had the energy to just get back. It was magical.
I LOVE SEQUOIA
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What a beautiful serene place. The majestic trees, the endless views, the greatness of nature.
We came during winter time and the park looked almost deserted. Many roads were closed and not many people around but still much to see and do. We hiked around, we sipped some big trees pristine view and had a blessing. We will definitely come back again in the summer to see the rest.
Unlike Yosemite the Sequoia is lacking with tourist services. You must bring your own food because there is no place to buy food once inside the park except of the lodge's restaurant (pricey). We were lucky to have a cooler full of cheese, meats, wine and crackers which enabled us a great picnic in this perfect scenery and was just enough to hold us 'till evening when we dined at the lodge.
I've camped in Sequoia several times for both work (I'm an archaeologist) and pleasure. My favorite spot in the park to camp at is in Mineral King, but I will never be going back there unless I'm heavily sedated. Why?
Mineral King is by far one of the most beautiful and quiet campsites in Sequoia, but there's a really good reason for this. To get there, you have to drive on supposedly the windiest and steepest road in California. It's a one-way road with two-way traffic. Quoting NPS' website, "Mineral King is accessible only by a long, slow road which branches off of Highway 198 east of the town of Three Rivers. This 25-mile long road contains 698 curves. Allow 2 hours to reach Mineral King from Highway 198. This road is not recommended for trailers and RVs." There is an entire webpage devoted to "how to drive" on this road: http://www.nps.gov/arc...
My husband thought it would be "cool" to do this road. Like a good spouse, he apparently forgot that I am terrified of heights. Needless to say, I spent the whole entire car ride crying and nearly peeing my pants. Yes, it's that bad.
Once we got to the campsite, we had great fun. We saw a ton of deer and hiked so many amazing trails. If you are an adventurer, you should check Mineral King out. If you're chicken like me, stay at a lodge or at one of the busier campsites down in the valley below.
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My 100th review, for a national park. It feels a little wierd reviewing a national park, but this one deserves it.
We went here on the weekend before christmas, and they had their first snow storm of the season. Whilst driving up there, we had to put on snow chains in the night. The drive up under full moon light looked excellent. We got a glimpse of the huge redwood trees, and snow all over.
We stayed at Wuksachi Lodge for the night.
In the morning, we were amazed by the fresh, clean and pristine snow that lay outside.
The National Park also had ranger led snow shoe walks, and that was fun too. Putting on huge tennis racket like things on your feet and walking over fresh and soft snow.
We also did a few hikes to General Sherman tree and Big Trees trail, and that was really great as well.
It was an excellent start to our vacation, and the snow walks, made us fall in love with snow again.
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If you are planning summer get away - consider the alternatives. South of Yosemite and much less crowded, reasonable and well supplied is Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon. We loved our week of camping because you can camp high above - I am so glad I learned this beautiful invisible thing - The Bug Line. At higher altitudes, in CA at least, there are no mosquitoes or flying bugs to ruin your night by the fire or that day long hike with itching.
I guess this idea of telling everyone is counter productive to the next time I want to go; fears such as 'all the good sites will be taken", "it'll be too crowded" do pass...but that is the point of this yelp idea right. To share that which we find great or awesome. So I hope you do not take my camping spot but I hope you find the quiet spot in the picture i included where we camped for 4 wonderful days. My your fire burn as bright and warm as ours did those night. In my experience the fellow campers were of a different stock then the typical national park. They were nice and cool and gave good ideas and tips which were not on the maps. I felt good knowing some of our fellow campers... as we slept after a prayer for no bears, like a silent group chant as we put out our fires and laid down for recuperation.
It was such a fantastic trip to stand in awe of a 2,000 year old tree whose beauty makes one of the most unique sites. As you look in the direction of the tree all you can see is this tree like a skyscraper filling your line of vision, not blocking it but letting you know that you now stand in front of the largest oldest living thing on our planet.
Only draw back: Wow the water is cold up there, we spent a day at a lake that was "wake you up FAST" cold. Next time something shallow that has a chance of warming up.
Thing that we still talk about: How bright the stars are, even without the moon, the moon is enough to keep you awake, consider that when setting up tent. Bright stars can guide adjusted eyes easily and plentiful enough to taunt the folly of even considering the impossible task of trying to count them... 430 something over the mountain ridge to the Northwest but then we stopped and just sat in awe.
http://www.nps.gov/seki/
Funny, I didn't know we could review parks...don't know why I would have thought that...
Anyway, we went up here in December to go sledding and build snowmen before going back home for Christmas. There weren't very many people out, but I don't know if that was due to it being the 24th and everyone was at home eating - which we should have been doing becaused I was starving. Ha.
My parents are both from the Central Valley so I've been out here about a dozen times, usually during the summer when we got ditch with grandma for a week or two in Visalia. The best part for me was always the huge candy shop right before you get there. It's almost like a little Willie Wonka's - or at least it was - with little glass jars with little lids and shelves of sweets...
In the summer it is super crowded and if you are anything like me, will have to start doing your meditation breathing within 30minutes to be able to restrain yourself and not tell the foreign tourists to just get out of the way and that their 4 year old shouldn't be kicking people. Oh, I loathe crowds, however, I still venture into them because it gets ridiculously, murderously hot in the summer and the trees and elevation gives you a little break from it.
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Huge vistas with knife edge black mountains that look like they've been painted in the background. The Sequoias are huge. When the General Sherman last dropped a branch, it weighed as much as a VW beetle, according to the ranger.
Check out the "Buttress Tree" example, estimated at 2,300 years of age, and wish it happy birthday - bring a few packs of candles, eh? You can also drive through one Sequoia which fell across the road. They simply cut an arch into it.
You can also see bears on your walks, hopefully not up close. You'll be warned about food storage. Numerous photos show these guys ripping open cars. When good bears go bad, they get destroyed, so be sure to use the food lockers provided. The ranger says that if you get bitten by a rattle snake, these days they just get you to sit and relax, and take the pain, as it's usually not lethal.
One of the walks we did went past stunning alpine lakes.
Marvel at the water falls, and say hi to the cute squirrels.
Driving along just outside the park, what's on the road sunning itself? Taratulas! Here, there and everywhere. Brave people live in this area.
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This is a beautiful park. We stayed here over the Christmas holidays and it couldn't have been any more relaxing and gorgeous. There was snow on the trees and everywhere you looked, you had a postcard perfect view.
We stayed in a "deluxe" room at Wuksachi Lodge (elevation 6700 ft - http://www.visitsequoi...). Our room was large and very comfortable. The view from our room was stellar; snow covered mountains and giant trees. As far as amenities in the room go, we had a T.V. that got plenty of channels (I mean who wants to watch T.V. when the view from the window is so amazing?) and a very comfortable king-sized bed. There was a dorm sized refrigerator, a coffee maker, a makeup vanity, a couch and easy chair.
We had central heat, thankfully. There was a spot by the door to store wet skis. The bathroom was large but the lighting was a little dim. My #1 (and nearly only) complaint is that the towels felt like dried-out brillo pads. Ever tried drying yourself off with a brillo pad? Yeah, I didn't think so. There's a reason for that. It hurts. Next time, I'm bringing my own towels.
The Lodge houses the registration desk, a gift shop/convenience store, a bar, a restaurant, a ski shop, and meeting rooms. The Lodge has wireless internet which we did make use of once to look up directions.
We ate in the restaurant 3 times, once for breakfast and twice for dinner. It wasn't GREAT but it was good. A bit pricey, but we actually were surprised that it was as good as it was considering the fact that we were sequestered on top of this mountain in the center of the park. The times we didn't eat in the restaurant, we made our own food and ate in our room. Sandwiches, cereal, fruit, etc. Having a fridge in there helped a lot.
Service was so-so. Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Never outstanding and never horrendous. Good communication skills do not seem to be in abundance but I can't say anyone was downright rude.
I'll stay here again without hesitation except, I'm bringing my own towels.
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How can you go to a national park and not give it five stars? My wife and I spent the New Year's weekend at Sequoia and had a great time. We stayed just outside the park in Three Rivers. Each morning we made the approximately one hour drive up to the giant sequoia groves, which was nice for taking photos and wildlife viewing due to the weather and light being different each day. We saw bears, deer, and coyotes, and since it was the low season it wasn't crowded which made for a quiet and peaceful experience.
The drive in and out is certainly windy, so if you are prone to motion sickness you may want to consider staying at the Wuksachi Lodge which is already at elevation inside the park. Staying inside the park in winter is probably also a good choice if you don't want to deal with installing and removing snow chains from your car each day, there was over three feet of snow on the ground in the sequoia groves! The road was plowed but very icy. This was my first experience with chains since I am from San Diego -- my advice is to get cables instead and figure out how to install them at home before you are on a wet muddy turnout on the side of a mountain! My experience was that even the right size chains will have some excess links after you tension them, and this excess will whack against your wheel well with every revolution of the tire which is not a pleasant sound. Chains also take longer to install and remove than cables, which means you get more dirty. Rangers are usually present at the chain installation area but you are pretty much on your own, so be prepared. We saw more than one big 4WD SUV or truck spinning its tires on a bad part of the road full of kids without proper winter clothes, so I can't emphasize enough that you need to respect the environment you are heading into.
As for where to go inside the park, obviously you have to see the world's largest tree, the General Sherman! The Sentinel tree outside of the museum is also very impressive, as is the museum itself. I found it interesting to see just how selective sequoia trees are as to where they will grow, needless to say you won't be planting one in your backyard anytime soon!
Anyway, I highly recommend Sequoia for anyone who is a fan of the outdoors, and think it makes a great trip for couples and families alike.
I'm not an outdoors person, but I think I've been converted!!! This is the coolest place that I have EVER been to on the entire planet. There are so many nooks of interesting places, native rock drawings, ancient caves, the biggest trees in the world, bears, deer, and birds at every turn.
There is a lot of construction on the roads at the moment, so if you go, make sure you stay for a few days, because getting in and out is insane.
My one and ONLY gripe is that offseason during the weekdays there is pretty much NO place to eat. If you go outside of the summer and will be there on a weekday, either bring your own food, or plan on camping and barbecuing.
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Heaven!
What I love about California--there is always a new place to explore.
Moved from MN in Oct and have yet to hit the big parks, so last weekend was the first foray.
Went with a friend to Sequoia on Sat. We stopped at Lake Kaweah briefly because it looked cool with people having fun on the lake. When we walked down to the shore I was horrified--trash EVERYWHERE from fisherslobs and pignickers. Even a dead, white, fluffy dog decomposing on the rocks right off 198 (did someone throw this poor thing out of their car window? did it get hit by a car and knocked to the rocks?). It looked like a small flokati rug. We quickly left there and headed up to the park.
My friend had never been in a mountain river/creek before, so we were anxious to find water access. The Park Ranger recommended Potwisha with the footbridge, so that's where we headed. Fun curvy road to drive. Squished rattle snake on the road. And then the wonderful path and suspension bridge across the river. We waded some, then hiked up a hill and found something super cool--a concrete flume, elevated, that ran for miles! The water in this was cool, clear and fast. What a great ride that would be! Until you reached the end and the Mt Whitney Power Co where they use the water for electricity.
We followed the flume up, occasionally walking on a wooden gangplank above the flume itself. Stopped to watch some kayakers take the rapids.
I loved it. Can't wait to go back.
I LOVE this park and I had gone every year since I was 1 years old but i haven't been there since I was 16 :(. I have camped, stayed in cabins and a hotel. I am going back this September and can't wait. You can go on so many hikes, up to Morro rock ( even though I get the dizzies cause it is so high up), see huge trees and meadows, and much much more. I have not been to other national parks but I feel like this one is more low key. I noticed they have changed a lot of stuff and it has actually gotten less populated, with them taking out a whole town and planting trees again. YOu gotta go if you have a chance. I will update my post after I go again since its been a few years.
I am a little biased in writing this review because I had gone to Yosemite shortly before visiting Sequoia. It's less impressive without El Capitan or Half Dome, but Sequoia definitely has some truly amazingly HUGE trees! I really love big trees, and these sequoias make me feel so small and insignificant in comparison. It's kind of humbling, really! It's really disturbing that you can see all the white pollution haze in the Central Valley from the park. It should really be an incredible view, but it's hard to see through all that dirty air! Still, if you look in the opposite direction, you get beautiful, clear views of the Sierras, which are pretty breathtaking. It's great to visit in the winter when the park isn't as crowded. We wore waterproof boots and just trekked around, but snowshoeing would've been fun too! Just make sure that if you plan to stay in the park during the winter that you either bring plenty of food in with you, or plan on eating way over-priced (and not so great) food at the lodge restaurant. There's no grocery store in the park.
This is my favorite park in the entire world, and it is always with me wherever I go. In some ways I hesitate to list it on Yelp because I'd rather not spoil it by having too many people visit, but then that would be greedy of me. I first discovered this sacred place during a summer camping trip with my local YMCA when I was in elementary school about 20 years ago, and I am so glad that I did. Here you will find what I feel to be some of the most beautiful scenery anywhere: that of the southern Sierras, which consists of tall forests interspersed with vast swaths of smooth granite and low-lying manzanita growth. Here you will also find the world's largest living beings - the Giant Sequoia trees, including the biggest of them all, the General Sherman Tree. I've been very happy with how Sequoia has been managed by the Park Service over the years, particularly with regard to the scaling back of activities within the Giant Forest, and the relocation of the lodge. Unlike in Yosemite, here you won't find what I like to call "Disneyland in the valley". As with any National Park, if you take the time to get away from the main roads and go hiking into the wilderness, even if only for an hour, you will be richly rewarded with a humbling and beautiful personal experience. Those hardy enough to drive up the Mineral King Highway out of Three Rivers (a 25-mile long one-lane part pavement/part dirt road that includes almost 700 curves and a gain in elevation of almost 5,000 feet - it is NOT for the weary) can enjoy the experience of car camping in a sub-alpine valley, with the option of many strenuous day hikes to elevations topping 10,000 feet. For a slightly more mild experience, visit Crystal Cave or hike Moro Rock in the main part of the park. A popular beginner's day hike is the 3.4 mile round trip hike to Tokopah Falls, which starts at the bridge in the Lodgepole Campground. A visit in the snowy winter will offer you an almost mystic experience. http://www.nps.gov/seki
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