In direct competition with Sequoia National Park, Yosemite invites visitors to their own grove of giant sequoias. What about the General Sherman Tree, the biggest tree in the world, can Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove match that? Well Grizzly Giant is pretty impressive, but there are better things to do in Yosemite than measure the waistline of every tree in the forest. In truth, every giant sequoia grove is remarkable. The experience of walking through a forest of freakishly large trees should not be missed, whichever park you visit. There are several trails within the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias as well as a dirt road used by a free tram that brings visitors directly to the Grizzly Giant and the Mariposa Grove Museum. Both the tram and museum close for the winter.

Grizzly Giant

There are numerous options for exploring the Mariposa Grove on foot. It is 1.6 miles out and back to the Grizzly Giant and California Tunnel Tree with 250 feet of elevation gain. To reach Wawona Point Vista at the top of the forest is a 6-mile hike with 1,200 feet of elevation gain. Another trail to consider is the Outer Loop Trail, which provides sequoia solitude at the edge of the forest.

This map of the Mariposa Grove illustrates of the hiking options and named trees in the grove:

A map of Mariposa Grove courtesy of the National Park Service

Head up the leisurely trail and revel beneath the enormous beauties. The trail crisscrosses the road passing a grouping of sequoias called the Bachelor and Three Graces to arrive at the Grizzly Giant after 0.8 miles. The 1,800-year-old Grizzly Tree is 209-foot tall with a 96-foot circumference and a diameter of 28 feet at the base.

California Tunnel Tree

A few paces from Grizzly Giant is California Tunnel Tree, a live Sequoia that was driven through in the old days and can be hiked through now. Both trees are sure to impress. Giant Sequoias are the largest species of trees in the world by volume. Regular trees look like saplings standing next to them. An average giant sequoia can grow to be a thousand years old and more than twenty feet across. These special trees grow only in California on the west side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, this makes every sequoia grove a very special place.

From California Tunnel Tree it is another mile (and 200 vertical feet) to the Faithful Couple. This entangled pair of giant sequoias, classified by botanists as a twin, represents a fun growth pattern among sequoias. While many sequoias are close, two trees rarely reach this level of intimacy. To stay so close after hundreds of years, through thick and thin, and more wildfires than they care to remember must be an inspiration to the surrounding forest.

Faithful Couple

About wildfires, reach out and touch at least one giant sequoia. They have a soft outer skin that is designed to burn off during a fire while keeping the vital bark below intact. This survival technique is key to the sequoias longevity. Giant sequoias also require fires for germination and to clear away smaller (i.e. regular sized) trees. For this reason, you will see evidence of controlled fires that are burned throughout the grove. Prescribed burns conducted by the National Park Service replace natural wildfires while keeping visitors safe.

From the Faithful Couple it is 1.25 miles back to the trailhead via a section of the Outer Loop Trail. Of course there are more great giants further up the grove, so carry on until you have had your fill. It’s impossible to get too much of Mariposa Grove. The grove is located near the south entrance of Yosemite National Park where an entrance fee is charged.

To get to the trailhead: From Yosemite Valley, drive 26 miles down Highway 41 to the south entrance. Just before the gate, turn left up Mariposa Grove Road. The parking area for the grove is 2 miles up at the end of the grove.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

                             

These photos were taken in May of 2011. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Chilnualna Falls Trail This 8-mile round trip hike ascends 2,200 feet past a raucous string of cascades to the top of a waterfall alongside Wawona Dome.
	Taft Point Trail This 4-mile round trip hike visits an overlook on the south wall of Yosemite Valley with fascinating rock fissures carved into the exposed granite.
	Bridalveil Fall Trail This easy paved half-mile trail visits the base of a 620-foot single-drop waterfall on the south side of Yosemite Valley.
	Lower Yosemite Fall Trail This 1.2-mile hike delivers visitors to the base of the tallest waterfall in North America. The experience is not to be missed.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Yosemite National Park and the rest of the range.

 

Similar Trails

 

	Trail of 100 Giants in Giant Sequoia National Monument This pave half-mile loop visits a grove of Giant Sequoias alongside Western Divide Highway.
	General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park This one-mile hike visits the world’s biggest tree, a 275-foot tall Giant Sequoia that is 36.5 feet across at the base.
	Congress Loop in Sequoia National Park This easy paved two mile loop visits the fourth and fifth tallest Sequoias in the world (among others).
	Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park This level 1.6-mile loop visits a Sequoia you can stand inside (Chimney Tree) and another that someone used to live in (Tharp’s Log).

 

Camping

 

Yosemite National Park Campgrounds There are 13 campgrounds with over 1,600 total sites spread throughout the parks to facilitate your visit.

 

More Info

 

The official webpage for Mariposa Grove

Mariposa Grove on wikipedia.org

Mariposa Grove on yosemitehikes.com

Yosemite Nature Notes video on Giant Sequoias in the park

The official website of Yosemite National Park

 

The Trail of 100 Giants offers a leisurely loop through a grove of Giant Sequoias. With easy access off the Western Divide Highway, this is practically a required stop on a trip to Giant Sequoia National Monument. Located within Long Meadow Grove, this half-mile paved trail gives visitors an opportunity to revel beneath these enormous beauties.

Update: Trail of 100 Giants closed when a large sequoia fell across the trail on 9/31/11. How to reopen the trail is being debated, as described in this LA Times article.

The elegant red bark gives off a warm glow

How big are the Giant Sequoias? In Latin they are called Sequoiadendron giganteum, but there is only one word in the English language that captures the grandeur of these arbors — ginormous. These trees are huge! Regular trees look like saplings standing next to them. Volume-wise, these are the largest species of trees in the world. Many of the Sequoias are a thousand years old and more than twenty feet across.

One of the “twin” Sequoias that are common in this grove

There is a five-dollar fee to park at the trailhead. For more information on this paved half-mile loop, view the official trail brochure.

To get to the trailhead: Parking for the Trail of 100 Giants is located on the east side of the Western Divide Highway, 2.6 miles north of Parker Pass Road. The trail starts opposite the parking lot. Redwood Meadow Campground also offers access to the grove.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

   
These photos were taken in August of 2008. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Needles Lookout This 5-mile hike visits a fire tower with unbeatable views of the region.
	Dome Rock This short hike just off Western Divide Highway provides a great view of the valley below.
	Natural Water Slide This one mile hike visits a refreshing natural water slide on the eastern side of the Great Western Divide.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in the Sierras including Sequoia National Park.

 

Similar Trails

 

	Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park This 1.6-mile hike (or longer) visits the biggest trees in Yosemite.
	General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park This one-mile hike visits the world’s biggest tree, a 275-foot tall Giant Sequoia that is 36.5 feet across at the base.
	Congress Loop in Sequoia National Park This easy paved two mile loop visits the fourth and fifth tallest Sequoias in the world (among others).
	Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park This level 1.6-mile loop visits a Sequoia you can stand inside (Chimney Tree) and another that someone used to live in (Tharp’s Log).

 

Camping

 

Giant Sequoia National Monument Campgrounds There are four campgrounds along Western Divide Highway to facilitate your visit, including the 30-site Quaking Aspen Campground.

 

More Info

 

The National Forest brochure for the Trail of 100 Giants

A map of Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument

The official website for Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument

 

Campers at Atwell Mill in the Mineral King region of Sequoia National Park are in a perfect position to take a stroll down Hockett Trail. This forest path descends southeast for 1.25 miles to a footbridge that crosses the East Fork of the Kaweah River. Along the way, the trail passes pines, firs, incense cedars, and the occasional Giant Sequoia.

Hockett Trail continues far beyond the bridge, passing through the East Fork Sequoia Grove after another mile. Here the Giant Sequoias remain well preserved, having the good fortune to avoid the nineteenth century lumberjacks who left behind all the stumps at Atwell Mill.

Hockett Trail

Those not staying at the Atwell Mill can park in the lot on the east side of the campground. The trailhead is located near campsite 16, where bear boxes are provided. The hike to the East Grove is 4.5 miles round trip. Backpackers can venture even further up the trail to more remote corners of Mineral King. A wilderness permit is required for all overnight treks, and subject to trail quotas, but no permit is needed for day hikes in Mineral King.

Humans aren’t the only creatures who enjoy Hockett Trail. Apparently, this is a also good place to see bear cubs in the early morning, which is why the photos stop halfway down the trail. Rather than get in between a mother and her young cub, I backtracked to Atwell Mill. The bridge and grove will have to wait for another trip to beautiful Mineral King.

Old mill equipment and a Sequoia stump

To get to the trailhead: From the city of Three Rivers, head southwest on Mineral King Road to Atwell Mill Campground. Mineral King Road is steep, narrow, and twisty, with blind curves that demand patient driving. The 19-mile climb to Atwell Mill can easily take an hour, so factor this into your drive time. The trail starts from the campground.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

    
     
These photos were taken in September of 2009. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Monarch Lakes Trail This 9.4-mile hike visits a spectacular pair of lakes high above Mineral King Valley.
	Eagle Lake Trail The robust 7.2-mile hike climbs 2,200 feet to an alpine lake overlooking Mineral King.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

 

Camping

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Campgrounds There are 14 campgrounds with over 1,000 total sites spread throughout the parks to facilitate your visit (including Atwell Mill Campground and Cold Springs Campground in Mineral King).

 

More Info

 

Hockett Trail in HIKING SEQUOIA AND KING CANYON NATIONAL PARKS by Laurel Scheidt

Hockett Trail in SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK: A COMPLETE HIKER’S GUIDE by Mike White

The official NPS visitor page for Mineral King

Mineral King on wikipedia.org

The official website for Sequoia National Park

 

There are two serene campgrounds in the Mineral King region of Sequoia National Park, Atwell Mill Campground and Cold Springs Campground.

Atwell Mill Campground:
This campground is located nineteen miles up the twisty Mineral King Road from the city of Three Rivers. At 6,600 feet, Atwell Mill offers comfortable camping in a forest of sky-scraping conifers. Giant Sequoia stumps are spread throughout the sylvan retreat, left behind by lumberjacks who operated a mill on these grounds at the end of the 19th century. The mill closed when the operators realized that the soft sequoia supplied a not very useful wood, which made it impossible to justify the expense of delivery from this remote location. The remaining trees have since been protected.

Atwell Mill Campground

Modern visitors have access to 21 tent-only campsites. Bear boxes, picnic tables, fire rings with grills, two vaulted toilets, and potable water are provided.

There is plenty of hiking around the campground, including Paradise Ridge Trail and Hockett Trail. These excursions are very pleasant and more suitable for children than the tougher trails in Mineral King.

Map of Atwell Mill Campground

Cold Springs Campground:
Four miles past Atwell Mill is a larger campground with identical amenities. Cold Springs Campground lies at 7,500 feet and offers 40 sites for tent campers. Nine of these are walk-in sites and the other 31 are drive-up plots. The bulk of the trails in the Mineral King region make their start near Cold Springs Campground.

RVs are not allowed at either of these tent-only campgrounds. All sites are first-come first-serve. At $12 per night, Atwell Mill and Cold Springs offer splendid camping in the Sequoias. Both campgrounds are open from late May through the end of October. Outside of holiday weekends, finding a campsite at these remote havens is hardly a challenge.

Sequoia National Park’s Mineral King visitor page provides a lot of useful information to help plan your visit (including an important warning about marmots who get inside vehicle engines and chew wires). There are twelve other campgrounds in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, including the relatively nearby Potwisha and Buckeye Flats Campgrounds.

To get to Mineral King: From Southern California, take the 5 North to the 99 North. After 96 miles, exit on the 198 East toward Visalia and go 39 miles to the city of Three Rivers. Turn right on Mineral King Road and take it all the way to the campgrounds. Mineral King Road is steep, narrow, and twisty, with blind curves that demand patient driving. The 19-mile climb to Atwell Mill can easily take an hour, so factor this into your drive time.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

   
These photos were taken in September of 2009. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Hockett Trail This 2.5-mile round-trip hike descends a gradual trail to a bridge over the East Fork Kaweah River. From here hikers can continue on to East Fork Sequoia Grove and further into the backcountry of Mineral King.
	Monarch Lakes Trail This 9.4-mile hike visits a spectacular pair of lakes high above Mineral King Valley.
	Eagle Lake Trail The robust 7.2-mile hike climbs 2,200 feet to an alpine lake overlooking Mineral King.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

 

More Info

 

The official webpage for Sequoia National Park Campgrounds

The official NPS visitor page for Mineral King

Mineral King on wikipedia.org

Cold Springs Camground in THE BEST IN TENT CAMPING by Bill Mai & Jane Huber

The official website for Sequoia National Park

 

A visit to the front country of Sequoia National Park, should include a stop at the Giant Forest Museum. Here you can learn a little something about the Sequoiadendron Giganteum and ask the ranger stationed inside for advise on what to see during your visit to the park. The rustic building that houses the museum was built in 1928 on a design by architect Gilbert Stanley Underwood. Through great visual displays, the museum provides a wealth of information on the world’s largest trees.

The Giant Forest is the most famous Giant Sequoia Groves in Sequoia National Park. it covers three square miles and is the second largest grove of Sequoias in the world. Of the 75 existing Sequoia groves, only the Redwood Mountain Grove along the border of Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon is larger. These special trees grow only in California on the west side of the Sierra Nevadas between 5,000 and 7,000 feet, making this a very special place. No matter how many times you see a Giant Sequoia, you cannot help but be impressed by their elegant enormity.

Sentinal Tree

Outside the museum, the Sentinel Tree provides an example of an “average” Sequoia. Amazingly, this seven hundred ton giant is about half the size of the General Sherman Tree. According to the National Park Service, there are forty miles of trail to choose from in the Giant Forest, so if you are looking for a pleasant stroll among the Sequoias, you are in luck.

Giant Forest Museum

Across from the Giant Forest Museum is a large parking lot and trails to Sunset Rock and Beetle Rock, two great granite overlooks. East of the Museum, a road leads to Moro Rock, which offers a stone carved climb to panoramic views of the Kaweah River Valley. Just past Moro Rock is Crescent Meadow where you can hike to Tharp’s Log, where Hale Tharp, the parks first inhabitant other than the Yokuts, built a cabin out of a fallen Sequoia.

To get to the Giant Forest Museum: From Los Angeles, the Giant Forest Museum is 240 miles away. Take the 5 North to the 99 North. After 96 miles, take the 198 East toward Visalia. The 198 leads right to the park, where it becomes the Generals Highway. An entrance fee is charged to access the park. Once inside, drive another 16.5 to get to the Giant Forest Museum.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Hikes in the Giant Forest

	General Sherman Tree This one-mile hike visits the world’s biggest tree, a 275-foot tall Giant Sequoia that is 36.5 feet across at the base.
	Congress Loop This easy paved two mile loop visits the fourth and fifth tallest Sequoias in the world (among others).
	Sunset Rock This 2-mile hike visits a large granite dome with great views to the west, possibly the best place to end your day in the Giant Forest.
	Beetle Rock This short walk from the Giant Forest Museum to Beetle Rock visits a granite dome with great views and stunning sunsets.
	Crescent Meadow This level 1.6-mile loop visits a Sequoia you can stand inside (Chimney Tree) and another that someone used to live in (Tharp’s Log).
	Moro Rock This 0.6 mile hike sports panoramic views and should be considered a mandatory hike for first time visitors to Sequoia National Park.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

For those traveling to the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, Crescent Meadow offers a gentle hike that is great for children and adults. The trail features a variety of scenery, a tree to climb inside, and another that was made into a house. The basic distance of the hike to see Tharp’s Log and the Chimney Tree is 1.6 miles, but that can be extended in several ways to see more of the area.

Head east from the south end of the parking lot at the end of Crescent Meadow Road. For 0.1 miles the paved path is shared with hikers setting out on the High Sierra Trail. They may be going just one mile to Eagle View or 71 miles to Mt. Whitney. For Crescent Meadow, take the trail to the left that passes along the southern edge of the meadow.

Crescent Meadow

The trail will come to a junction with a dirt track heading to the left toward Chimney Tree. The paved trail continues to Tharp’s Log to the right. Either direction is viable, depending on which attraction you would like to see first.

Following the trail to the right, it will pass beneath several Giant Sequoias before arriving at another meadow, Log Meadow, and the one time habitation of Hale Tharp.

Tharp’s Log

Tharp was first lead to the meadow by Yukut guides in 1858. By 1861, he had built a home into the fallen Sequoia where he resided every summer, ranching his livestock in the Giant Forest meadows until 1890 when the land became a national park.The home, built into a hollow horizontal Sequoia, is well preserved and a fascinating sight. Take a peak inside at Tharp’s rustic tree house, which still contains his old bed, table, and bench.

Beyond Tharp’s log, one could turn right to loop back to the start around Log Meadow (for a 1.8-mile hike), or turn left toward Chimney Tree and Crescent Meadow. Turning left, takes hikers deeper into a Sequoia forest where woodland creatures may be visible along the trail. The Chimney Tree is just off the trail on a well-marked path. Step inside this standing burnt out Sequoia for a unique perspective on these enormous trees.

Sitting inside Chimney Tree

The soft protective bark of the Sequoias allow them to survive a hundred wildfires over the course of their lifespan 2,000 year or more. Contemplate this longevity and return to the trailhead by taking the dirt trail back along the east side of the meadow to rejoin the original trail, or take a longer stroll up and around Crescent Meadow back to the parking lot.

To get to the Trailhead: From the Generals Highway turn east on Crescent Meadow Road which is just south of the Giant Forest Museum. Drive past the turnoff for Moro Rock (A short and amazing hike). After three miles, the road ends at the trailhead. Along the way, travelers can drive beneath Tunnel Log, a carved out Sequoia that fell over the road.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

                                  

These photos were taken in April of 2009. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Moro Rock This 0.6 mile hike sports panoramic views and should be considered a mandatory hike for first time visitors to Sequoia National Park.
	General Sherman Tree This one-mile hike visits the world’s biggest tree, a 275-foot tall Giant Sequoia that is 36.5 feet across at the base.
	Congress Loop This easy paved two mile loop visits the fourth and fifth tallest Sequoias in the world (among others).
	Sunset Rock This 2-mile hike visits a large granite dome with great views to the west, possibly the best place to end your day in the Giant Forest.
	Tokopah Falls This gradual 3.4-mile hike visits the base of the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park.
	Marble Falls This 8-mile hike takes a flower-lined path up a mountain canyon to a powerful waterfall.
	Paradise Creek This short stroll leaves Buckeye Flats Campground to visit the perfect swimming hole for a hot summer day in the Sierras.
	Panther Creek This 6-mile hike follows the Middle Fork Trail to a 100 foot waterfall that drops into the Middle Fork of Kaweah River.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

 

Similar Trails

 

	Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park This 1.6-mile hike (or longer) visits the biggest trees in Yosemite.
	Trail of 100 Giants in Giant Sequoia National Monument This pave half-mile loop visits a grove of Giant Sequoias alongside Western Divide Highway.

 

Camping

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Campgrounds There are 14 campgrounds with over 1,000 total sites spread throughout the parks to facilitate your visit.

 

More Info

 

Crescent Meadow in HIKING SEQUOIA AND KING CANYON NATIONAL PARKS by Laurel Scheidt

Crescent Meadow on summitpost.org

Tharp’s Log on wikipedia.org

The official website for Sequoia National Park

 

If General Sherman leaves you eager for more Giant Sequoias, take a stroll around Congress Loop. Here you may enjoy a bit more privacy among the massive trees. Congress Trail head away from General Sherman to visits several other named trees. In addition to the House and Senate Clusters, the trail passes the President Tree (the fourth largest), and the Lincoln Tree (the fifth).

Congress Loop is two miles long and can be reached from several short trails. Seen in conjunction with the hike to the Sherman Tree, this is a 3-mile venture.

Sequoias along Congress Loop

Start out along this easy paved trail through the giant grove at the heart of Sequoia National Park. The largest trees along the trail are named after important US historical figures. While none of them holds the distinction of being the world’s largest, they are all in their own way incredible and it is possible to look at each with a sense of renewed awe.

The Giant Forest is home of a great network of trails, so seeing even more Sequoias is easy. To visit the world’s second largest tree, the Washington Tree, hike an additional 0.9 miles down Huckleberry Meadow Trail. Another option is to hike Circle Meadow Trail to Crescent Meadow and Tharp’s Log. Crescent Meadow Loop is one of the most enjoyable hikes in the Giant Forest and can be visited separately from Crescent Meadow Trailhead. Ask a ranger at the Giant Forest Museum what they think the best trail is during the time of your visit.

A slice of a Sequoia across from the General Sherman Tree

To get to the trailhead: From the Giant Forest Museum, head north on the Generals Highway. After two miles you will pass the handicapped parking for the General Sherman Tree. One mile further, turn right (east) on Wolverton Road. Make the next right toward the Sherman Tree Trail. The road ends at the parking lot.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

     
     
These photos were taken in April of 2009. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	General Sherman Tree This one-mile hike visits the world’s biggest tree, a 275-foot tall Giant Sequoia that is 36.5 feet across at the base.
	Crescent Meadow This level 1.6-mile loop visits a Sequoia you can stand inside (Chimney Tree) and another that someone used to live in (Tharp’s Log).
	Moro Rock This 0.6 mile hike sports panoramic views and should be considered a mandatory hike for first time visitors to Sequoia National Park.
	Sunset Rock This 2-mile hike visits a large granite dome with great views to the west, possibly the best place to end your day in the Giant Forest.
	Beetle Rock This short walk from the Giant Forest Museum to Beetle Rock visits a granite dome with great views and stunning sunsets.
	Tokopah Falls This gradual 3.4-mile hike visits the base of the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park.
	Marble Falls This 8-mile hike takes a flower-lined path up a mountain canyon to a powerful waterfall.
	Paradise Creek This short stroll leaves Buckeye Flats Campground to visit the perfect swimming hole for a hot summer day in the Sierras.
	Panther Creek This 6-mile hike follows the Middle Fork Trail to a 100 foot waterfall that drops into the Middle Fork of Kaweah River.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

 

Similar Trails

 

	Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park This 1.6-mile hike (or longer) visits the biggest trees in Yosemite.
	Trail of 100 Giants in Giant Sequoia National Monument This pave half-mile loop visits a grove of Giant Sequoias alongside Western Divide Highway.

 

Camping

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Campgrounds There are 14 campgrounds with over 1,000 total sites spread throughout the parks to facilitate your visit.

 

More Info

 

Congress Trail in HIKING SEQUOIA AND KING CANYON NATIONAL PARKS by Laurel Scheidt

Congress Trail on localhikes.com

The official website for Sequoia National Park

 

The General Sherman Tree is the most giant Giant Sequoia in the world. The largest tree by volume, it is 275 feet tall and 36.5 feet across at the base. The tree is believed to be 2,200 years old and weigh 1,385 tons. But those are numbers — numbers that a brain familiarized with normal trees cannot process. The only way to appreciate the unfathomable, seemingly unearthly size of the Giant Sequoias is the see one for yourself.

Named after Civil War General William Tecumseh Sherman, the star of the Giant Forest can be reached a few different ways. For the handicapped, there is parking adjacent to the tree just off the Generals Highway. For others, there are several trails to chose from, including the General Sherman Trail. This paved trail is half a mile each way and descends some 200 feet (which is less than the height of the Sherman Tree). The trail is wide with a few staircases. There are benches and informative panels throughout. Did you know the Sherman Tree has a volume of 52,500 cubic feet?

General Sherman Tree

Halfway down, the trail crosses a brick “footprint” matching the base of the General Sherman. The footprint, like the tree has a circumference of 103 feet and offers a distinct visual of the enormity of Sherman.

If for some reason you can’t make it up to see General Sherman this year, worry not. It will be even bigger next year. The General Sherman is still growing, adding about 0.4 inches in diameter each year. According to the park brochure, this is enough to equal the mass of a typical sixty foot tree.

For an easy opportunity to see more Giant Sequoias, continue on the Congress Loop, which starts at the Sherman Tree.

To get to the trailhead: From the Giant Forest Museum, head north on the Generals Highway. One mile past the handicapped parking area across from the General Sherman Tree, turn right (east) on Wolverton Road. Make the next right toward the Sherman Tree Trail. The road ends at the parking lot.

Use the map below to create your own directions:

Photos

 

     
     
These photos were taken in April of 2009. Click to enlarge.

 

Nearby Trails

 

	Congress Loop This easy paved two mile loop visits the fourth and fifth tallest Sequoias in the world (among others).
	Sunset Rock This 2-mile hike visits a large granite dome with great views to the west, possibly the best place to end your day in the Giant Forest.
	Beetle Rock This short walk from the Giant Forest Museum to Beetle Rock visits a granite dome with great views and stunning sunsets.
	Tokopah Falls This gradual 3.4-mile hike visits the base of the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park.
	Crescent Meadow This level 1.6-mile loop visits a Sequoia you can stand inside (Chimney Tree) and another that someone used to live in (Tharp’s Log).
	Moro Rock This 0.6 mile hike sports panoramic views and should be considered a mandatory hike for first time visitors to Sequoia National Park.
	Marble Falls This 8-mile hike takes a flower-lined path up a mountain canyon to a powerful waterfall.
	Paradise Creek This short stroll leaves Buckeye Flats Campground to visit the perfect swimming hole for a hot summer day in the Sierras.
	Panther Creek This 6-mile hike follows the Middle Fork Trail to a 100 foot waterfall that drops into the Middle Fork of Kaweah River.
	More trails in the Sierra Nevada Mountains Explore other destinations in Sequoia National Park and the rest of the range.

 

Similar Trails

 

	Mariposa Grove in Yosemite National Park This 1.6-mile hike (or longer) visits the biggest trees in Yosemite.
	Trail of 100 Giants in Giant Sequoia National Monument This pave half-mile loop visits a grove of Giant Sequoias alongside Western Divide Highway.

 

Camping

 

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Campgrounds There are 14 campgrounds with over 1,000 total sites spread throughout the parks to facilitate your visit.

 

More Info

 

General Sherman Tree on wikipedia.org

General Sherman Tree on socalhikes.com

The official NPS webpage for General Sherman Tree