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Sequoia National Park at 135: History, Giants, and Legacy

Here are a few things you might not know about the largest trees on the planet

This year marks a milestone for one of America’s most iconic landscapes—Sequoia National Park is celebrating its 135th anniversary. Established on September 25, 1890, it became the nation’s second-oldest national park created to protect the awe-inspiring giant sequoia trees that tower over the Sierra Nevada. For more than a century, the park has welcomed generations of visitors to marvel at its ancient forests, rugged mountains, and pristine wilderness, standing as both a natural wonder and a testament to the enduring importance of conservation.

Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Early roots

The park’s establishment marked a significant conservation milestone

Most people know Yellowstone was the first national park. Ask what the second was and you may get shrugs but it was Sequoia National Park and it celebrated its 135th year on September 25, 2025.

The story of Sequoia National Park began long before its official designation in 1890. In the mid-19th century, Euro-American settlers and explorers entering the Sierra Nevada encountered the awe-inspiring giant sequoias—trees that had stood for thousands of years. Logging interests soon targeted these massive trees with several groves cut down in the 1870s and 1880s despite their little commercial value; the wood often shattered upon impact.

At the same time, writers, naturalists, and conservation advocates such as John Muir raised public awareness of the need to protect these natural wonders. Their efforts combined with mounting public concern helped push Congress to establish Sequoia National Park on September 25, 1890. This act marked one of the earliest victories of the conservation movement and ensured that the majestic sequoia groves would be preserved for generations to come.

Here’s a look at the trees it was named for—the largest on the planet—and how the national park system has grown.

A real-life Jurassic park

Stepping back in time

Step into Sequoia National Park and you’re stepping into a living remnant of the Jurassic world. The towering giant sequoias some over 3,000 years old belong to a tree lineage that first appeared during the age of dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago. These “living fossils” have survived dramatic climate shifts, ice ages, and countless wildfires standing today as silent witnesses to Earth’s deep history.

While you won’t find dinosaurs roaming the Giant Forest the sheer scale and primeval atmosphere of the groves make it easy to imagine a Jurassic landscape—one where the trees themselves are the ancient giants.

The last giant sequoias are in about 73 groves scattered over 48,000 acres along the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada. The northernmost sequoias grow in Tahoe National Forest and the southernmost groves are in Sequoia National Forest northeast of Bakersfield.

Giant sequoias live a very long time and grow quickly. They require a lot of water which is mostly from the Sierra snowpack that soaks into the ground.

Fire: From fear to understanding

Sequoias depend on fires to survive and regenerate

As Sequoia National Park celebrates its 135th anniversary one of the biggest lessons in its history is the role of fire. In the park’s early decades, fire was seen strictly as a destructive force to be eliminated at all costs. Aggressive suppression policies throughout the 20th century, however, led to overcrowded forests and thicker undergrowth setting the stage for larger, hotter, and more damaging wildfires.

Over time, science revealed that giant sequoias actually depend on fire for their survival. Heat opens their cones, releasing seeds while flames clear competing vegetation and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Recognizing this the National Park Service shifted strategies—embracing prescribed burns and allowing natural fires to play their ecological role when conditions are safe.

This evolution in fire management highlights the park’s growing wisdom: protecting a living landscape sometimes means letting nature take its course. Just as the park has stood the test of 135 years, its giant sequoias endure thanks in part to the very flames once thought to threaten them.

Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The giants’ heavy load

The heaviest living organisms on Earth

Giant sequoias are some of the largest living organisms on Earth carrying truly impressive mass. The General Sherman Tree the largest tree by volume weighs an estimated over 2.7 million pounds Even their branches are massive—some weighing several tons supporting dense clusters of needles and cones.

Despite this incredible load their sturdy, tapering trunks and extensive root systems keep them upright for thousands of years. This remarkable combination of height, girth, and weight makes every walk among the sequoias a humbling encounter with nature’s engineering at its grandest scale.

The threat of logging

Logging posed a significant threat to giant sequoia groves historically

In 1892, the Kings River Lumber Co. began logging the Converse Basin, home to giant sequoias with trunk diameters of 15 to 20 feet. The wood was sent down the 54-mile Sanger flume to get to a railroad. The wood of sequoias is considered brittle and few logs made it to the mill. Logging stopped in the 1920s.

Big growth

Sequoias grow impressively fast compared to many other trees

Giant sequoias are true champions of growth combining incredible height, girth, and longevity. They can grow over 250 feet tall and reach diameters of 30 feet or more at the base. Remarkably, these trees continue to grow slowly but steadily even after reaching centuries of age.

Their thick, fibrous bark protects them from pests, disease, and fire allowing them to live for 2,000 to 3,000 years. This impressive growth is fueled by deep roots, abundant rainfall in the Sierra Nevada, and centuries of adaptation to their environment. Every new branch, cone, and ring of growth is a testament to the giants’ resilience and the enduring legacy of Sequoia National Park.

Rooting them on

Unique and fascinating root system

Beneath their massive trunks, giant sequoias have surprisingly shallow root systems often stretching only 6 to 12 feet deep. Instead of going down, the roots spread wide—extending up to 200 feet outward—and interlock with the roots of neighboring sequoias. This web of support anchors the trees against storms, snow, and time itself.

It’s a fitting metaphor: just as the sequoias lean on one another for strength, generations of visitors and conservationists have “rooted them on” working to protect and preserve these giants. From the earliest advocates who fought logging to modern scientists battling climate threats and wildfires, people continue to stand alongside the trees—ensuring they remain rooted in the Sierra Nevada for centuries to come.

Tiny beginnings

Tiny, grass-like seeds

Giant sequoia seeds are surprisingly tiny measuring only about 1/4 inch long—roughly the size of a poppy seed. Each sequoia cone can contain 200–400 seeds but only a small fraction ever germinate successfully. The seeds are winged which allows them to be carried short distances by the wind.

Successful germination depends on very specific conditions: the forest floor must be sunlit and free of thick undergrowth and the soil must retain moisture while being well-drained. Interestingly, fire plays a crucial role in this process. Low-intensity fires clear away competing vegetation, open cones, and create nutrient-rich ash beds providing the perfect environment for seeds to sprout.

Once germinated, seedlings grow slowly at first often taking decades to reach a substantial size. But over centuries, these tiny beginnings become towering giants—some of the largest and oldest living things on Earth capable of living 2,000–3,000 years.

Fun fact: The giant sequoia begins with tiny seeds: 91,000 make up a pound.

The largest giant sequoias by trunk volume in cubic feet:

General Sherman: 52,508
General Grant: 46,608
President: 45,148
Lincoln: 44,471
Stagg: 42,557

Historic timeline

First national park established specifically to protect a living organism

1870s–1880s: Growing awareness of logging threats to giant sequoias sparks conservation efforts.
September 25, 1890: Sequoia National Park is established, becoming the second-oldest national park in the U.S. (after Yellowstone).
1890: Just a week later, General Grant National Park (now part of Kings Canyon) is created nearby.
1926: The National Park Service assumes full management improving protection and access.
1940: Kings Canyon National Park is created eventually administered jointly with Sequoia.
1976: Sequoia & Kings Canyon are designated as part of the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
1980s–1990s: Expansion of wilderness areas strengthens ecological protection.
2000: The two parks are jointly managed as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks (SEKI).
2021: The KNP Complex Fire severely impacts giant sequoia groves, prompting new conservation and recovery efforts.
2025: Sequoia National Park celebrates its 135th anniversary.

The park

Over 400,000 acres of forested terrain

Sequoia National Park has 52 developed campgrounds, hiking on more than 1,147 miles of trails including 47 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, over 314,448 acres of wilderness, 222 miles of wild and scenic rivers, world-class whitewater rapids, 158 ponds and lakes, boating, fishing, biking and horseback riding.

The tallest peak in the contiguous U.S. is in the park, Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet.

There is little cellphone reception in the park.

As Sequoia National Park celebrates 135 years, it stands as a testament to the resilience and majesty of nature. From tiny seeds that sprout in sunlit, fire-cleared soil to towering giants carrying immense weight and living for millennia, these trees embody both patience and strength.

The park has weathered threats—from early logging to catastrophic fires—and learned to embrace fire as a vital part of the ecosystem. Visitors today walk among ancient sequoias that link us to the Jurassic era, reminding us of the deep history rooted in every trunk, branch, and seed. Over more than a century, generations of conservationists and nature lovers have “rooted them on,” ensuring these living monuments continue to inspire awe and wonder for centuries to come.

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Eleven Range Overlook, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

National parks timeline

Key milestones in the history of U. S. National Parks

Here’s a timeline of major milestones in the history of U.S. national parks—from the earliest preservation efforts to the system we know today:

1800s: Early conservation efforts

1832: Artist George Catlin calls for preserving America’s wilderness for future generations.
1864: President Abraham Lincoln signs the Yosemite Grant Act, giving Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove to California for preservation—considered the first federal act to protect scenic lands.
1872: Yellowstone National Park is established by President Ulysses S. Grant—the first national park in the world.
1890: Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks are created (Yosemite transferred back from state to federal management).
1899: Mount Rainier National Park established.

Early 1900s: Expansion of the idea

1906: Antiquities Act signed by President Theodore Roosevelt allowing presidents to designate national monuments.
1906: Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower, Wyoming as the first national monument.
1910: Glacier National Park created.
1916: The National Park Service (NPS) is established by the Organic Act, signed by President Woodrow Wilson, to manage parks and monuments.

1920s–1940s: Growing the system

1920s–30s: Dozens of historic sites, battlefields, and monuments added to the system.
1933: President Franklin D. Roosevelt consolidates national parks, monuments, and historic sites under the National Park Service.
1944: Big Bend National Park established in Texas.

1950s–1970s: Preservation movement

1956: The Mission 66 program launches, improving visitor services and infrastructure ahead of NPS’s 50th anniversary.
1964: The Wilderness Act passes protecting millions of acres within national parks.
1966: The National Historic Preservation Act expands NPS’s role in safeguarding cultural heritage.
1971: Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act sets the stage for vast park expansions.
1978: President Jimmy Carter designates 17 national monuments in Alaska adding 56 million acres to protection.

Forest Center, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

1980s–1990s: Modern protection

1980: The Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA) creates or enlarges many Alaska parks doubling NPS lands.
1994: Death Valley and Joshua Tree are upgraded from national monuments to national parks.

2000s–Today: Continued growth

2019: Indiana Dunes and Gateway Arch become national parks.
2020: White Sands National Park established in New Mexico.
2022: New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (West Virginia) officially redesignated.

Today, the National Park System includes over 400 sites (national parks, monuments, historic sites, preserves, seashores, and more) with 63 official “national parks” carrying the title.

Please note: This article was first published October 2025. Articles apply to the date they were written. Please refer to current information for quickly changing subjects.

Worth Pondering…

The sequoias belong to the silences of the millenniums. Many of them have seen a hundred human generations rise, give off their little clamors and perish. They seem indeed to be forms of immortality standing here among the transitory shapes of time.

—Edwin Markham, American poet of the 19th and 20th centuries

Sequoia National Park: A First Timer’s Guide

Home to some of the world’s largest trees, a visit to Sequoia National Park will leave you in awe of the natural world

There’s no mistaking the main attraction of Sequoia National Park—giant Sequoia trees as tall as they are ancient. But even beyond the famous, towering sequoias, this park in California’s Sierra Nevada has mind-boggling dimensions.

The peaks of the Great Western Divide soar higher than 12,000 feet creating a skyscraping backdrop to the park’s 631 sq miles of woodlands, meadows, and granite domes. It’s a grand setting for every level of adventure—easy strolls through sequoia groves, whitewater rafting, and going off-grid in remote glacier-carved valleys.

Despite its proximity to A-list national park Yosemite, more than 1.2 million people come to this rugged realm of the Sierra annually. If you’re one of them, well done on your excellent choice; you even have the option of Kings Canyon National Park right next door. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Sequoia’s huge peaks and titanic trees for the first time.

When should I go to Sequoia National Park?

The best time to go to Sequoia National Park is between June and September especially if you plan to hike. July and August are the busiest months of the peak summer season—book lodges and campsites well in advance and seek shade in the middle of the day as the mercury can soar to 105°F. June or September are fine choices for mellower temperatures and quieter hiking trails.

Springtime is a roll of the dice—stubborn snow hangs around in April and May making higher-elevation trails impassable. Stick to lowland areas like the Sequoia Foothills and the Giant Forest which is even more enchanting with a dusting of snow. But for river rafting just outside the park spring is paradise; crystalline snowmelt fills the Kaweah River from late March and waterways are at their swift-running best in late May and June.

Many areas of Sequoia National Park are shuttered from October until the end of winter which can be any time between late March and early June. Park lodges, campgrounds, and shuttles don’t operate. Still, the Giant Forest Museum stays open and it’s a great time to visit with kids—check out the Wolverton Snowplay Area (or, in neighboring Kings Canyon National Park, toss snowballs around the Big Stump Grove picnic ground). Ensure your car has winter tires or carry chains (and know how to put them on!) and note that snow generally closes the Generals Highway which connects Sequoia and Kings Canyon from late December through March.

How much time should I spend in Sequoia National Park?

A day for a taste, a weekend to cover big forests and a couple of hikes, but ideally a week for some longer trails.

Some visitors alight in Sequoia National Park purely to see the Giant Forest; it only takes half a day to see goliaths like the General Sherman Tree (276 feet), contemplate the beheaded Washington Tree (now 115 feet) while pootling along paths like the 2.7-mile Congress Trail. With a full day, you can hike up the 350 steps to the top of Moro Rock. Do this first if you’re visiting in the heat of midsummer—even hardened hikers break a sweat on this exposed climb!

If you have a whole weekend, book a tour of the 100,000-year-old Crystal Cave (summer only) before heading on a hike around Crescent Meadow (1.5 miles or more as this loop is easily extendable) or small but lovely Marble Falls (6.2 miles return).

Got more time? Unfold a map of Sequoia National Park and you’ll see a huge realm extending east from the Generals Highway where far fewer tourists tread. With backcountry knowledge and a can of bear spray you can head to the most remote area of the park, Mineral King (summer only). The expansive views en route to Monarch Lakes (8.4 miles return) are a fine introduction to this high-altitude realm. Bring plenty of water and mosquito spray.

General Sherman Tree, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Is it easy to get in and around Sequoia National Park?

Public transit options work nicely if you’re flexible and visiting during peak hiking season (July to September). If you’re staying in the attractive gateway town of Visalia, 35 miles southwest, you can book a spot on the Sequoia Shuttle to visit the park car-free. Within Sequoia National Park, trailheads and major destinations are connected by free park shuttles which typically operate between late May and the beginning of September.

The network of free shuttles doesn’t extend across the park border into Kings Canyon so self-driving is the best way to see both parks. It’s also essential to have your own wheels ideally a 4WD to reach the Mineral King area.

The downsides of driving are the slow crawl into the park on popular midsummer days and the scuffle for parking spots especially on holidays. Even with a car you might find yourself using park shuttles when your chosen parking lot is full and you’re directed to an overflow usually just a short park-and-ride away. Avoid the hassle by setting your alarm early or staying overnight in the park.

Top things to see and do in Sequoia National Park

One of the most beautiful short hikes is the Tokopah Falls Trail (3.4 miles return). It’s a showcase of Sequoia National Park’s best features—towering walls of granite, forests filled with birdsong, and the foaming waters of the Marble Fork Kaweah River. Begin at Lodgepole Campground and follow the Marble Fork until the trail climbs uphill crisscrossing creeks and snaking up to 1200 foot-tall Tokopah Falls. It’s spectacular in spring when the force of the waterfall hurls clouds of mist into the air.

For the best possible experience (and to enjoy the space and peace after the day trippers leave), stay overnight and star gaze amidst the stillness of the forest. Wuksachi Lodge organizes regular night-sky tours where a park ranger points out the stars while you gaze into the twinkly darkness, your imagination running riot.

Or how about driving through a gigantic log? Tunnel Log, a fallen sequoia more than two millennia old, lies flat across Crescent Meadow Rd in the Giant Forest. A tunnel was carved through it in 1938 and regular-sized cars can still pass through (it’s 17 feet wide and 8 feet high…know your vehicle’s measurements and steer with care!)

My favorite thing to do in Sequoia National Park

Visiting the Giant Forest sequoia grove and and standing in awe of the General Sherman Tree, the world’s largest tree by volume. This awe-inspiring natural wonder is magnificent and humbling.

How much money do I need for Sequoia National Park?

The cost of visiting Sequoia is on par with other national parks in the U.S. For dining and sleeping within the park, you’re very much paying for the location but there are simple ways to trim the costs like camping or staying in towns outside the park such as Three Rivers or Visalia.

An added bonus is day-trippers can grab breakfast from Sequoia Coffee Company in Three Rivers on the way into the park or pause for a bite to eat and something cold and hoppy at Three Rivers Brewing Co. on the way out.

Park entry fee (includes Kings Canyon) per private vehicle: $35
Breakfast burrito in Three Rivers: $6
Sandwich: $10
Campground fee in Sequoia National Park: $32
Camping fee at a USDA Forest Service campground: $18
Double room in a park lodge: $300
One-hour stargazing tour: $10

11 Range Overlook, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

FAQs

Are Sequoia and Kings Canyon the same park?

Think of these two national parks as lookalike siblings each with their own individual talents. Both parks have monumental peaks, tall trees, and excellent hiking but Sequoia (naturally) has the bigger sequoia groves while its neighbor boasts the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway, a road trip linking waterfalls, panoramic lookouts, and the glorious Zumwalt Meadow. Kings Canyon and Sequoia are jointly administered which means the entry ticket grants access to their combined 1353 sq miles.

What is the best entrance to Sequoia National Park?

Enter Sequoia National Park from the southwest through the Ash Mountain entrance passing through the town of Three Rivers (State Route 198). Alternatively, you can start in Kings Canyon National Park which is accessed through the Big Stump entrance. Continue north along State Route 180 for General Grant Grove, the starting point for Kings Canyon’s main attractions (including General Grant, the world’s second-largest tree) or take the Generals Highway southeast into Sequoia National Park.

Potwisha Campground, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

What are the best places to stay in Sequoia National Park?

There are fourteen campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks including two that are open during all four seasons. Each has a picnic table, fire ring with grill, and a metal food-storage box. Nearly all campgrounds require advance reservations; sites fill quickly. Make reservations at recreation.gov.

Campgrounds like Potwisha and Buckeye Flat are an ideal balance between easy road access and proximity to hiking trails or you can stump for comfort at the Wuksachi Lodge.

Potwisha Campground sits at 2,100 feet elevation along the Middle Fork of the Kaweah River under an open stand of oaks. Hot and dry weather in the foothills often require fire restrictions in the summer. In the winter, the campground is usually snow-free. 42 sites are available.

Buckeye Flat Campground is closed through the 2024 season for necessary repairs from extensive damage from winter storms during the 2022-2023 winter.

When the national park campgrounds are full, the US Forest Service campsites expand your menu of options.

For tips on camping in National Parks read How to Go Camping in National Parks: Tips and Tricks for the Best Experience.

Morro Rock, Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Are dogs allowed in Sequoia National Park?

Like in most national parks, dogs are not allowed on any trails in Sequoia National Park (other than service animals). Dogs on leashes are technically permitted in parking lots and campgrounds but pet owners are encouraged to leave furry friends at home for the benefit of local wildlife. The surrounding lands operated by the US Forest Service do allow canine companions provided you keep them leashed.

When is the best time of year to visit Sequoia National Park?

Don’t make me choose! By sheer accessibility, summer (June to August) is prime time. Trails are open, shuttles are operational, and campgrounds and lodges alike welcome visitors. This is also the hottest time in the park when high-altitude hikes are best attempted early in the day. If you’re sensitive to heat, May or September are superior choices with seasonal perks like spring flowers and fall colors.

Are there bears in Sequoia National Park?

Yes, black bears are very much at home in Sequoia National Park. Keep your distance if you’re lucky enough to see these curious foragers in the wild. Secure your food and under no circumstances approach or attempt to feed them. Not only does it disrupt the bears’ natural habits but you’re practically training them to seek out human company and food (something to contemplate as you zip your flimsy canvas closed each night…).

What should I wear and pack in Sequoia National Park?

Weather in lofty terrain like Sequoia can change in a flash so cover your bases by packing a medley of light cotton and moisture-wicking shirts along with warming fleece layers. Make sure your hiking boots are fully broken in.

To help you plan your trip to Sequoia and Kings Canyon, here are a guides:

Worth Pondering…

—Edwin Markham, American poet of the 19th and 20th centuries

The Complete Guide to Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Spend a lot of time looking up—way up—at some of the largest living organisms on the planet

Start training your neck muscles now: When you visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks you’ll spend a lot of time looking up—way up—at some of the largest living organisms in the history of the planet.

If the name wasn’t a dead giveaway, the main attractions in these twin parks in Central California are approximately 40 different sequoia groves. These behemoth trees only grow on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada from 4,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation and the parks are home to seven of the 10 largest trees in the world.

Amazingly these trees which stretch up to nearly 300 feet high aren’t even the tallest things in the parks. In fact, they’re positively dwarfed by geological formations like the namesake Kings Canyon, a glacial valley hemmed in by 4,000-foot-high granite walls and Sequoia’s Mount Whitney the highest point in the Lower 48 at 14,494 feet.

Located in the Southern Sierra Nevada about equidistant from San Francisco and Los Angeles, Kings Canyon and Sequoia are actually two national parks for the price of one. They share a border and a long history dating back to the early days of the conservation movement in America.

On September 25, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison established the country’s second national park, Sequoia, to protect the area’s namesake giants from the encroaching logging industry. Just a week later he added General Grant National Park to the roster.

In those early days, America’s first Black national park superintendent (and the only African American commissioned officer in the U.S. Army), Col. Charles Young, led efforts to build a road into Sequoia’s Giant Forest and by 1903 the landscape had opened to tourists coming in by wagon. In 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress established Kings Canyon National Park which absorbed the former General Grant Park.

Today Sequoia comprises 631 square miles which include the famed Generals Highway which cuts through dense sequoia groves; Moro Rock, a climbable granite dome; the pristine Mineral King glacial valley; and Crystal Cave, a marble cavern.

The bifurcated 722-square-mile Kings Canyon meanwhile sits atop Sequoia like two lopsided bunny ears: To the west, a squiggly sliver of parkland surrounds the General Grant Tree and the neighboring village and visitor center; to the east, a much larger swath of wilderness is centered around Kings Canyon proper, dotted with iconic vistas like Zumwalt Meadow, Roaring River Falls and Muir Rock. The meandering ribbon of the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway connects the two sections as it cuts through the adjacent Sequoia National Forest.

Despite their world-famous supertall attractions, Kings Canyon and Sequoia remain blissfully crowd-free much of the year.

Tuning in to the soundscape is one of the best ways to enjoy the wilderness. Find a secluded spot, take a few steps off the trail, maybe sit down, maybe close your eyes, and just be silent and listen to the sounds of the park for a couple of minutes.

Forest Center, Sequoia National Park © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Plan your trip

The parks are relatively centrally located within the state and a bit of a trek to reach from major cities: You can expect about a five-hour drive from San Francisco or a four-and-a-half-hour drive from Los Angeles.

When planning your trip, note that it’s hard to generalize about the weather in these parts. There’s an enormous elevation shift from the foothills in Sequoia (as low as 1,370 feet) to the big tree groves in both parks to Sequoia’s towering Mount Whitney. As a result, temperatures can regularly drop to 30 degrees as you ascend higher through the parks. Fortunately, the NPS maintains a helpful website with forecasts for specific areas.

The foothills tend to have milder winters and hot, dry summers with average highs in July and August reaching into the upper 90s and average winter lows dropping to the mid-30s. In Sequoia’s Giant Forest and Kings Canyon’s Grant Grove summer temperatures are significantly milder usually in the mid-70s in the daytime and the 50s at night. Even if it’s scorchingly hot when you enter the parks (it has been known to hit 114 degrees) you may still need a light sweater by the time you’re surrounded by sequoias. Plan and pack accordingly—layers are your friend.

Castle Rock, Sequoia National Park © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

While the winter can be peaceful and the parks look gorgeous under a blanket of fresh snow, things slow down during those months. Several roads, including 180 from Grant Grove to Cedar Grove, Mineral King Road, and Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow Road close due to treacherous, icy driving conditions and many of the parks’ lodging options shutter. Currently, Highway 180 to Cedar Grove is closed at the Hume gate until spring 2023.

In general, you’ll want a car in these parks. From late May through mid-September there’s also a shuttle bus system with free routes covering such areas as the Giant Forest, Moro Rock, the General Sherman Tree Trails, and Wuksachi Lodge. Meanwhile, the $20 Sequoia Shuttle (reservation required) transports guests in from the gateway town of Visalia.

Overcrowding isn’t much of a concern even during the summer high season in July and August. Avoiding crowds has a lot to do with timing. Weekdays are always more forgiving than weekends. If you can get to the entrance station before 9 a.m. you’re likely to be rewarded with ample parking at your destination

Where to stay

The jewel in the crown of lodging options in these parts is Sequoia’s 102-room Wuksachi Lodge which features an architectural style that screams national parks lodge thanks to its native granite and oak, hickory, and cedar touches. Located 2 miles from Lodgepole Village the hotel is a perfect jumping-off point for hiking trails that lead out into Cahoon Meadow and Twin Lakes. It’s now open year-round but things can get a little dicey in the winter if you’re not used to driving in snow because it sits at an elevation of 7,200 feet; remember to pack those snow chains! Amenities in mobility- and hearing-accessible rooms include widened doorways, visual fire alarms, and phones with flashing lights.

In Kings Canyon, Grant Grove Village is home to two seasonal lodging options in the park’s western section: The 36-room John Muir Lodge (open late March to late October) includes a stone fireplace in the lobby that’s an inviting spot to cozy up next to as you plan tomorrow’s adventures.

Grant Grove Cabins, a collection of timber and tent-style cabins are open from April through October. Book early and request Cabin No. 9, one of the few with an en suite bathroom instead of a shared bathhouse, a particular luxury on those cold Sierra nights. The lodge does not have an elevator so anyone with mobility issues will want to request a room on the first floor.

For a slightly more off-the-beaten-path option, the 21-room Cedar Grove Lodge is remotely located in Kings Canyon’s eastern wilderness. It’s only open late May through late October after the snow has melted but it rewards the intrepid with access to scenic Zumwalt Meadow, Roaring Falls, and Muir Rock.

The parks also play host to more than a dozen campsites, four open year-round: Azalea Campground, under a stand of evergreen trees near King Canyon’s Grant Grove; Potwisha Campground, set among a hot and dry oak woodland in Sequoia; Lodgepole and South Fork Campgrounds, in a remote area of the Sequoia foothills.

Park campgrounds differ wildly in terms of amenities, locations, and crowds so study the options before you go. Reservations are made available one month in advance though you can often snag a spot on the day of your visit. Most offer a few accessible campsites with amenities like paved paths to restrooms and raised fire pits for people with impaired mobility.

Where to eat

At the Peaks Restaurant at Wuksachi Lodge tuck into hearty fare like pan-seared ruby-red trout and braised short ribs while taking in the Sierra views. The restaurant also serves a daily breakfast buffet. Nearby, head to the seasonal Lodgepole Café for grab-and-go picnic goodies like breakfast burritos and hot dogs.

In Kings Canyon, the seasonal Grant Grove Restaurant serves dishes like beef chili and a trout sandwich. In the park’s other section, Cedar Grove Grill is open May through mid-October and serves hearty burgers and sandwiches on the drive out to Zumwalt Meadow and Roaring River Falls.

Giant Forest, Sequoia National Park © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Things to do

Visit the parks’ enormous trees

We know what you’re here for—very big trees! And, yes, you’ll see giant sequoias everywhere but there are a few not-to-miss standouts. In Sequoia, the General Sherman Tree ranks as the world’s largest by volume and stands 275 feet tall with a base width of 36 feet. You can access it by two trails. One runs a half-mile downhill from a parking area; it’s paved and includes a few stairs but the climb back uphill can be tiring. If you have a disability parking placard you’ll have access to a small lot on Generals Highway with a wheelchair-accessible trail.

About a five-minute drive down the road in the Giant Forest Grove you’ll reach the free Giant Forest Museum with informative exhibits about this unique landscape and the 1.2-mile Big Trees Trail which is a great option for people with limited mobility. It’s flat, paved, and easy to navigate with benches for rest stops.

In the Grant Grove area in Kings Canyon just 1.5 miles from the visitor center you’ll meet the General Grant Tree—aka the nation’s Christmas tree—the world’s second-largest tree with a height of 268.1 feet and a base circumference of 107.5 feet. The one-third-mile paved loop trail passes through a dense collection of sequoias with other highlights including the Fallen Monarch, a hollow sequoia log wide enough to walk through, and the historic Gamlin Cabin, which dates to 1872. The trail has tactile informational signs with Braille and raised illustrations.

Although these generals are popular especially in the summer don’t stop there: They’re a great jumping-off point for exploration. People visiting the parks will find a lot of opportunities for solitude if they’re willing to hike for even 15 minutes. The Giant Forest and Grant Grove both have miles and miles of wonderful trails that see surprisingly few hikers. On these trails, you’ll have time and space to linger, take in the evergreens’ woodsy scent, and listen for the chirps of squirrels and the calls of acorn woodpeckers, Steller’s jays, and other birds.

Moro Rock, *Sequoia National Park* © *Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Climb Moro Rock

Yosemite has Half Dome, Sequoia has Moro Rock—and much like its more famous cousin to the north this granite dome beckons visitors to summit its dramatic topography. While the climb up Half Dome isn’t for the faint of heart, Moro Rock can be doable for relatively in-shape visitors who can handle steep stairs. A concrete and stone path leads up more than 350 steps to postcard-perfect views out over the foothills and the San Joaquin Valley.

There are handrails much of the way so while you might not fear falling over the rather prodigious cliffs lining the trail this is still a strenuous climb made more challenging by the high elevations which top out above 6,700 feet. The climb can take as little as a half-hour but pace yourself and enjoy the experience to protect those lungs in the thinner air. In summer, keep your eyes and ears peeled for peregrine falcons nesting on the rock.

Go for a guided horseback ride

Two stables operate within Kings Canyon. Grove Stables offers one-hour guided trail rides that loop past the General Grant tree and through a grove of giant sequoias; for an additional fee tack on a second hour through a second sequoia grove to a Sequoia Lake overlook.

The Cedar Grove Pack Station located outside Cedar Grove Village also has one- and two-hour guided trail rides but experienced riders can opt for a half-day or full-day itinerary.

Enjoy the stars

The parks are amazing after dark, once you get used to the idea. Find a wide-open space to stargaze or take long-exposure photographs of the Milky Way. During a full moon take a night hike. Just be careful out there. The parks have a 24-hour dispatch center but help is definitely less readily available if you get into trouble late at night.

If you’d rather not go it alone, the parks occasionally schedule ranger-led moonlight walks (check the events calendar). This is also a great time to listen for the distinctive hooting of great horned owls and the squeaks of bats flying overhead.

Fun fact: While 17 species of bats call these parks home only three emit sounds the human ear can hear.

Gateway towns

If you want to spend time in the communities outside the parks’ boundaries stick to the stretch along State Route 198 that leads into Sequoia’s Ash Mountain Entrance Station. About 35 miles west of the park is Visalia, a small agricultural city in the San Joaquin Valley with handsome architecture (including an art deco post office), a boutique-filled downtown, and plenty of microbreweries.

Even closer to the entrance station is Three Rivers Village with a surprising array of businesses dotting the foothills including local shops like Reimer’s Candies and Gifts (don’t miss the California walnut turtles), art galleries and artist studios, a nine-hole golf course, and even a jazz club.

En route

If you’re driving from San Francisco slow down to enjoy the underrated Central Valley. The state’s agricultural heart boasts some surprising hot spots. Merced’s recently revitalized downtown includes the chic new Hotel El Capitan and its tasting-menu restaurant Rainbird where you can sample innovative dishes like green garlic chawanmushi (egg custard) with coal-roasted kombu. The area is also home to excellent farm stands and a rustic-chic vineyard.

From Los Angeles, Bakersfield is a worthwhile pit stop thanks to the numerous RV parks and the country’s largest collection of Basque restaurants. Established in 1893 as a boardinghouse, the Noriega Hotel was honored with a James Beard Foundation America’s Classic Award and it’s beloved for dishes like pickled tongue.

The city’s also the birthplace of the so-called Bakersfield Sound, made popular by country artists like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. Learn more about Nashville West at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace, a museum and music venue and the Kern County Museum.

By the way, I have a series of posts on Bakersfield and the Bakersfield Sound:

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park offers a unique and unforgettable experience. I hope this guide helps you plan your adventure and that you’ll soon discover the magic of this park.

Here are a few more articles to help you do just that:

Facts box

Location: Central California about 260 miles from San Francisco and 220 miles from Los Angeles
Size: 865,964 acres or 1,353 square miles
Highest point: Mount Whitney, 14,494 feet
Lowest point: The foothills entrance, 1,370 feet
Miles of trails: 866
Main attraction: Sequoia groves with record-breaking trees
Entry fee: $35 per private vehicle for up to seven days; $30 for motorcycles; $20 for bicycles or walk-in entry; $70 for annual passes
Best way to see: By car or by the free park shuttle (between May and September)
When to go to avoid the crowds: September, after the summer crowds leave and before the snow falls

Worth Pondering…

No other tree in the world, as far as I know, has looked down on so many centuries as the Sequoia, or opens such impressive and suggestive views into history.

—John Muir, The Big Trees, Chapter 7 of The Yosemite (1912)

The Science behind the Oldest Trees on Earth

How experts have determined that bristlecone pines, sequoias, and baobabs have stood for thousands of years

What and where are the oldest known trees on the planet?

If you include plants that can regenerate, the upper age limit could be ten thousand years or more. Such superorganisms including the famous quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) grove nicknamed Pando are made up of genetically identical trunks connected through a single root system that sends up new shoots over time. These clonal colonies are impossible to date with precision because the oldest decomposed long ago.

Aspen clove in Fishlake National Forest *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Known as the Trembling Giant, Pando is located about 40 miles southeast of Richfield, Utah, the nearest town. Widely considered the world’s largest tree with one vast root system, the aspen clone is also one of the largest living organisms on the planet. Spanning roughly 106 acres within Fishlake National Forest, a sprawling patch of greenery situated in the High Plateaus of south-central Utah, Pando weighs more than 6,600 tons and contains approximately 47,000 genetically identical stems (or branches), experts say.

Pando which in Latin translates to I spread is so massive that satellite imagery shows the outline of the clone in stark contrast with the rest of the surrounding national forest; its complex network of roots is so vast that it tunnels beneath Utah State Route 25, a winding two-lane highway that slices through Pando’s center.

No one knows Pando’s exact age with some estimates dating it to the end of the last ice age or about 25,000 years ago and others going as far back as 80,000 years.

The Big Tree *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

The Big Tree, as it’s usually known, is one of the best known live oak trees in the United States. In its more than 1,000 years, the Big Tree has survived hurricanes, fires, and even an 1864 Civil War battle that razed the rest of the town, Lamar, Texas, to the ground. With a height of 44 feet, trunk circumference of 35 feet, and crown spanning roughly 90 feet, the massive coastal live oak has survived Mother Nature’s fiercest storms including Hurricane Harvey (August 25, 2017).

Many lists of oldest trees stick to single-trunked plants that produce annual growth rings. These kinds of trees are easier to date. Scientists called dendrochronologists focus on assigning calendar years to tree rings and interpreting data within those rings. By using a hand-cranked tool called an increment borer they extract core samples without depriving the tree of strength and vigor.

Giant cypress in Congaree National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

As a rule, gymnosperms—flowerless plants with naked seeds—grow slower and live longer than angiosperms, flowering plants with fruits. Gymnosperms include ginkgo and every kind of conifer—including yews, pines, firs, spruces, cedars, redwoods, podocarps, araucarias and cypresses. Roughly 25 gymnosperm species can live 1,000 years or longer. The cypress family contains the most millennials but the longest-lived species is a pine with an effective age limit of five millennia. By contrast, eight centuries is extremely old for an oak, an angiosperm. And only one kind of flowering plant, a baobab, has been positively dated beyond one millennium.

During research for his book Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees, Jared Farmer learned a lot about the world’s oldest growers. Here are some of the most exceptional specimens.

The longest-lived gymnosperms

Bristlecone pine at Grand Canyon National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Great Basin bristlecone pine, Pinus longaeva, ≥4,900 years

Until 1964, the oldest tree ever known grew in a cirque on Wheeler Peak in Nevada’s Snake Range in what is now Great Basin National Park. After a graduate student researcher tried and failed to extract a complete core sample, he decided to produce a stump. This scientific desecration haunted him the rest of his career even though he cut it down with permission of a forest ranger. Originally labeled WPN-114 this pine was posthumously renamed Prometheus.

The oldest survivor with a name is Methuselah which grows in the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains of eastern California. This pine was originally cored by tree-ring scientist Edmund Schulman who made bristlecones famous through his 1958 article in National Geographic. The innermost rings on Schulman’s core samples are extremely suppressed and partly eroded making dating difficult. The oldest extracted ring from Methuselah might be from 2490 or 2555 BC. In any case this tree is well over 4,500 years old today.

Methuselah’s location is no longer marked by the U.S. Forest Service but anyone who hikes the trail will be close to it and many other living beings as old as the pyramids of Giza. In the same population an unnamed bristlecone even older than Methuselah grows and it is known only to an inner circle of dendrochronologists. Secrecy provides protection from vandals who would carve names on it, relic hunters who would take cones from it, and photographers who would inadvertently damage the fragile soil.

In a deeper sense, the identity of the true oldest living bristlecone is simply unknowable. That’s not just because no one has the time—or the funding or the imperative—to do an exhaustive search throughout the Great Basin. The effort would be futile. On most ancient bristlecones, the oldest wood has long ago been ablated, speck by speck, by desert winds.

Giant sequoia in Sequoia National Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Giant sequoia, Sequoiadendron giganteum, ≥3,266 years

As soon as Anglo-Americans encountered giant sequoia in the midst of the California gold rush, they acted in paradoxical ways: protecting them while also cutting down trophy specimens for traveling exhibits. By counting rings on stumps, people knew in the 1850s that sequoias can live for thousands of years.

After the Civil War, two of the largest protected sequoias became known as the General Grant and the General Sherman. A rivalry ensued between Fresno County, home of the Grant and Tulare County, home of the Sherman. In 1931, the California Chamber of Commerce announced an unscientific verdict: Although Sherman was—and still is—the world’s largest tree, Grant would count as the world’s oldest. Confusingly, tourists routinely referred to another monumental tree, Yosemite National Park’s Grizzly Giant as the age champion based on its incomparably gnarled appearance.

Sherman Tree *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

In the 1990s, a forest ecologist created a mathematical formula for estimating a sequoia’s age based on the volume of its bole or the trunk below the crown. He tested his formula on hundreds of stumps in Converse Basin, the one large grove of big trees that had been devastated by industrial logging. Here, many trimillennials including the oldest ever known at 3,266 years or more had been leveled to make grape stakes and shingles. The ecologist disproved for good the old assumption that biggest means oldest. By his estimation, the General Sherman was only 2,150 years old and the Grizzly Giant was a shocking 1,790 years young.

The most senior of these trees probably lacks a name because of its relative smallness. And it may be newly dead. In 2020 and 2021, megafires devastated the southern Sierra, killing up to 20 percent of all mature sequoias.

Worth Pondering…

In their highest boughs the world rustles, their roots rest in infinity; but they do not lose themselves there, they struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws… to represent themselves. Nothing is holier nothing is more exemplary than a beautiful, strong tree.

—Hermann Hesse (1877–1962)

Explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks create a recreational wonderland covered by ancient forests, soaring domes, stone canyons, and rivers that roar or ripple, depending on the season

The giant trees of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks will fill you with awe—and give you a crick in your neck from staring up at them. But who cares about a little pain when the payoff is so grand? And the high season is over for these two incredible parks meaning the time is right for a leisurely visit minus the crowds. And the campgrounds that are always full during the summer now have vacancies.

Shoulder-season visitors (September-November) avoid the hustle and bustle of peak times. Traffic lessens, autumn leaves appear, and it becomes easy to find a parking spot.

Forest Center in Sequoia National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

The weather also cools off, a big plus. Many days here top 100 degrees during the summer. Weather like that is brutal if you’re hiking—or even just taking a quarter-mile nature walk. Skip the sizzling July and August weather and visit in October when average highs are in the 60s.

November is a little chancier: We was here in mid-November and encountered some snow in the High Country. But, to be honest, not enough to alter our plans!

A couple of other problems also arise if you visit too late in the year. The road to Kings Canyon’s Cedar Grove area closes November 11. And you don’t want to miss that spectacular area of the park. Many campgrounds also close. But I’m getting a little ahead of myself.

Let’s start when naturalist John Muir wrote about the area that eventually became Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. “In the vast Sierra wilderness south of the famous Yosemite Valley, there is a yet grander valley of the same kind,” Muir wrote in 1891.

Grander than Yosemite? Those are strong words. But many park fans agree. Sequoia has the largest trees on the planet and Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48. Kings Canyon is by some measures considered the deepest canyon in the country.

It’s a place that can make visitors feel very small. It also can bring a sense of tranquility.

The adjacent parks, which are administered together, offer beautiful rivers and waterfalls, lush valleys, vast caverns, snow-capped peaks, and terrain ranging from 1,300 to 14,500 feet. And it’s all in the southern Sierra Nevada.

Nowhere else in the national park system can you experience the diversity of landscapes within a day’s hike, from blue oak woodlands to red fir forests to alpine tundra. Plus, the stunning ancient giant sequoia groves!

The colossal trees can grow as tall as a 26-story building and live more than 3,000 years, thanks to a chemical in their bark that protects against rot, boring insects, and even fire.

It’s hard to comprehend the size of a sequoia until you stare up at one, especially the General Sherman Tree, a giant among giants—275 feet tall and more than 36 feet in diameter. It’s the largest tree in the world by volume and is a favorite stop for visitors. Yes, you’ll have to walk half a mile to see it, but it’s a pilgrimage you’ll remember the rest of your life.

Even better: Take the 2-mile Congress Trail, which begins at the General Sherman Tree and loops through the heart of the green and beautiful Giant Forest, home to more than 2,000 sequoias with trunk diameters greater than 10 feet. It’s an easy trail and like the Sherman Trail is both wheelchair- and kid-friendly. Like no other place on Earth, the Giant Forest is alive with mystery and wonder.

Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Another highlight of Sequoia National Park is Moro Rock, which isn’t an easy trail. If the walk to General Sherman fazes, Moro Rock will stop you in your tracks. The bald granite dome looms thousands of feet above the park highway, protruding from a forested ridge 6,725 feet above sea level.

Kings Canyon is a rugged landscape of granite, water, and sky. Like Sequoia, Kings Canyon National Park is more than 95 percent wilderness and few roads disturb the peace. But, that’s the topic of another post.

Worth Pondering…

Between Kings River and the Kaweah, we enter the colossal forests of the main continuous portion of the sequoia belt.

—John Muir, 1876