hikespeak

Ever wonder what happened when settlers first set eyes on giant sequoia trees? Relive the excitement of that discovery and see the enormous trees for yourself at Calaveras Big Tree State Park. The 10-square mile park has two groves of sequoias, two campgrounds, picnic areas, and a number of hiking trails. You could easily spend a couple days exploring the park, but if you only have one... Read more.

Is it a competition? Like Sequoia National Park, Yosemite invites visitors to its own groves of giant sequoias, namely the Mariposa Grove near the park's south entrance. Every giant sequoia grove is specoal, but does Yosemite have a tree that compares to Sequoia's General Sherman Tree, the biggest tree in the world? The Grizzly Giant in Mariposa Grove is a massive tree to see. Trying to... Read more.

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 trail gives visitors an opportunity to revel beneath these enormous beauties. Enjoy a half-mile paved loop or extend things a bit on a... Read more.

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 1.5 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... Read more.

The Mineral King region of Sequoia National Park has two serene campgrounds, Atwell Mill Campground and Cold Springs Campground. RVs are not allowed at either of these tent-only campgrounds. 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. All sites are first-come first-serve,... Read more.

A visit to the front country of Sequoia National Park should include a stop at the Giant Forest Museum. Here you can learn a lot about 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... Read more.

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... Read more.

Sequoia National Park is a wonderful place to scroll through groves of giant Sequoias. If a visit to General Sherman Trail (the world's largest) leaves you eager for more, take a stroll around Congress Loop and enjoy a bit more privacy among the massive trees. Congress Trail heads away from General Sherman to visits several other named trees. In addition to the House Cluster and Senate... Read more.

The General Sherman Tree is the most giant giant sequoia in the world. It is the largest tree by volume, measuring 275 feet tall and 36.5 feet across at the base. General Sherman Tree is believed to be 2,200 years old and weigh 1,385 tons. But those are numbers – numbers that a brain familiar with standard-sized trees cannot process. The only way to appreciate the unfathomable, almost... Read more.