Sequoia National Park is home to giant sequoia trees which can tower over 300 feet high. As you stand at ground level and stare up, you feel small, but that’s one of the best reasons to come to this park. You can walk through the groves of sequoia trees, hike to viewpoints, stroll through meadows, and take a ride down a very windy highway.
In this guide, I’ll layout the best things to do at Sequoia National Park so you can plan your perfect visit.
Things to Do at Sequoia National Park
There’s more to do at Sequoia National Park than what’s on this list. However, I think this is the perfect list for people who are visiting Sequoia National Park for the first time. It has all the top, must see sights.
General Sherman Tree
I’m starting this list of the be things to do at Sequoia National Park with the General Sherman Tree. Really, Kristen? You’re starting this list with going to look at a tree? Yep! But there is a reason for it. Sequoia National Park is unsurprisingly known for its tall sequoia trees, so I think it makes sense that we include the largest tree on this list. And this isn’t just the largest tree at Sequoia National Park. General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world. Note, that when we walk about the largest tree, it’s not the tallest tree, it’s the largest tree by volume.
During the summer months, you’ll need to utilize the park shuttle to get to the tree, but in the off months, you can drive yourself. From the parking lot, you’ll walk downhill for about a quarter mile until you reach the crowds and General Sherman Tree. The tree is massive and it’s worth venturing out here for, but I think it’s also important to be aware that everyone else coming to Sequoia National Park has the same idea. This was the busiest area of the park when I visited.
If you want a picture of yourself with the tree (and the General Sherman Tree sign), be prepared to wait for it. If you can live without having the sign in your photo, you can walk the perimeter of the tree and easily find a spot with fewer people. The other suggestion is to get creative. I managed to snag my picture by waiting near the front of the line and snapping a quick picture while two groups swapped places. Not bad.
Viewpoints Along the Generals Highway
The Generals Highway is the main road winding through the park, so you’ll have to drive this road regardless. But don’t just use it as a means to an end. There are plenty of pullouts along the way that offer amazing views of the surrounding mountains. While I don’t think you can go wrong with any pullout, we stopped at Amphitheater Point, Vista Point, and The Four Guardsman and loved each one.
As a note, the Generals Highway is a windy mountain road. This is particularly true in the southern area of the park where it just feels like hairpin turn after hairpin turn after hairpin turn. Don’t believe me? Take a look at the road on Google Maps.
That said, I never found it difficult, but I did have to take the drive slow. Not that you have much of a choice. With the windy roads and hairpin turns, you’re forced to drive slow.
One final note, if you get motion sickness, I’d highly suggest some Dramamine. This road is without a doubt the windiest mountain road I’ve driven to date (and that includes a road that had a 360 loop in it at Custer State Park in South Dakota).
Hike to Moro Rock
I’m listing Moro Rock as a hike, but the word hike seems to be a bit of a stretch. You do have to work for the view point, but rather than a traditional trail, you’ll climb steps along Moro Rock to reach the viewpoint at the top. After 350 stairs, your reward is a view of the surrounding mountains and it is pretty amazing and a top thing to do at Sequoia National Park.
I logged 0.46 miles and 207 feet of elevation (that all came from the 350 stairs) over 23 minutes. This includes plenty of time to stop to breathe (the air is thinner up here) and to take photos.
I have two pieces of advice for people wanting to hike to Moro Rock. The first is that the parking lot is limited. If you’re here when the shuttle is not running, don’t be surprised if you are looking for a spot on the road, rather than in the lot itself. And since it’s a one way road, if you don’t find a spot, you’ll need to exit and come around again to get one of those spots on the road that you drove past on your way to the parking lot.
The second piece of advice is to hike early. Not only is the trail completely exposed (you may get a little bit of shade depending on where exactly the sun is in the sky), but the pathways are narrow. There are of course places where you can stop to let other people pass, but on many of the actual staircases, it was one person at a time. This is not a trail I’d want to do with a lot of people. We reached Moro Rock at about 10:00 am and while there were plenty of other hikers, it was much more noticeable on the way down.
Hike through Crescent Meadow
This park is known for its trees, so obviously one of the best things to do at Sequoia National Park is to visit these trees. We’ll get there, but I’m also going to add something on this list that I think is some variety. The Crescent Meadow Trail is an easy hike that takes you through the woods and to a meadow. Even better, it felt like there weren’t any other travelers here (there were of course, but compared to other areas of the park, Crescent Meadow was empty).
On this hike, I logged 1.46 miles and 150 feet of elevation gain. My mom and I took 35 minutes to hike this trail and that includes plenty of time to stop for pictures.
Hike the Congress Trail
The Congress Trail was my favorite thing to do at Sequoia National Park. The trail departs from the General Sherman Tree, but it seems like most people just focus on the General Sherman Tree and don’t venture off to the surrounding trails. On the one hand, that’s a shame because this trail lead us to some of our favorite scenery of the park. On the other hand, the trail would not have been as enjoyable if it had been as busy as the General Sherman Tree.
This trail weaves you through groves of sequoia trees. You’ll pass the McKinley Tree (even if you don’t see a sign, look for the tree with a “mustache”) as well as two groves known as “The House” and “The Senate”. Do you see where the name “Congress Trail” comes from? These two areas have a tight group of a few trees. These are ideal places to get that photo looking straight up. You’ll feel very short with so many of trees towering around you.
That’s not to say that there aren’t other places to find tall trees. Tall sequoia trees are all over Sequoia National Park, but rather there’s are two places where you can find trees nestled together. In most places, the trees are a decent distance apart.
Starting from the parking lot and including time at General Sherman Tree, we logged 3.2 miles and 479 feet of elevation gain over 1 hour and 25 minutes while on the Congress Trail.
Bonus
I’m including two bonus items on this list of things to do at Sequoia National Park. Are they cool? In a way, but I would rate the other five items on this list higher than these two. Still, if you’re in the area, stop over.
Tunnel Rock
Tunnel Rock is just like what it sounds like. It’s a rock that has a tunnel cut through it. Well, that’s a bit of a stretch. It’s rocks stacked in such a way that it makes a tunnel for cars on the south end of the Generals Highway. We entered from the south so for us, this was our first stop of the day. Everything was new and exciting, but by the end, this ended up much lower in my list of favorites at Sequoia National Park.
Tunnel Log
Similar to Tunnel Rock is Tunnel Log. The difference here is that the tunnel is actually cut into the tree. Again, it’s cool for what it is, but it’s not much more than a photo opportunity.
As a note, only one car can go through the tunnel at a time, so either wait your turn or drive around the tunnel (if you have a tall vehicle, you’ll have to choice but to drive around anyway).
How Long Do You Need at Sequoia National Park
I recommend giving yourself one full day to cover all of the best things to do at Sequoia National Park. That allows you do to everything on this list without feeling rushed and it accounts for your driving time to get to and from your hotel.
If you have more than one day, I recommend spending your second day exploring Kings Canyon National Park.
When to Visit Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park can be visited all year round, but some months are better than others.
Summer is peak travel season where you can expect the highest prices and the highest visitor numbers. During these months, a free shuttle is operated by the National Park Service to help ease the parking and driving problems.
Winter is low season. Yes you’ll have fewer tourists, but you’ll need to be prepared for winter driving conditions (snow and ice). While you won’t be too far from Fresno, many of the sights you’ll want to see at Sequoia National Park sit above 6,000 feet of elevation. At this elevation, don’t be surprised to see snow and ice.
Spring and fall are shoulder season which can offer a nice balance of crowds and weather. Keep in mind that during early fall, you may need to watch out for wildfires.
My mom and I visited Sequoia National Park in mid September. We had excellent weather despite reports of haze from nearby wildfires (there was a bit of haze, but honestly, the wildfire haze I had up in Glacier National Park earlier that summer was worse). While there were plenty of people at General Sherman Tree and Moro Rock, I wouldn’t say it felt overwhelmingly busy. Wildfires closed one area of the park, but it was not an area we had planned to visit.
Current Conditions at Sequoia National Park
Whether you’re traveling during wildfire season or just want an idea of what to expect weather wise, check out the Current Conditions on the NPS website. This is especially great because weather can vary throughout the park. Additionally since many of the top sights are at higher elevations, you’ll likely have different weather than at your hotel.
Where to Stay on Your Visit to Sequoia National Park
You have several options for accommodations for your visit to Sequoia National Park. My advice is to first consider your itinerary. Are you just spending one day doing both Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park? If so, then I recommend staying close to park, ideally near where you’ll exit the park. If you start at Kings Canyon and finish at Sequoia, the towns of Three Rivers and Visalia would be good options.
We chose to stay in Dinuba which was about an hour drive from both the Sequoia National Park entrance and the Kings Canyon National Park entrance. Since we had plans to enter through both entrances, it made sense to find somewhere that was more “in the middle”. Plus, Dinuba was a bit more of a budget option than Three Rivers or Visalia.
Entrance Fees for Sequoia National Park
Entrance into Sequoia National Park is $35 per vehicle. Your pass will be good for seven consecutive days and will also include entrance into Kings Canyon National Park.
Annual passes, such as the America the Beautiful pass, are also accepted.
Kings Canyon National Park
Sequoia National Park is managed with Kings Canyon National Park. The lines can feel a little blurry between the two parks, especially since you could reasonably visit both parks in one day. If you’re short on time, go ahead and visit both parks, but note that you won’t be able to do everything on this list, or on my top 5 of Kings Canyon National Park.
Final Thoughts
Sequoia National Park was nice and I loved walking along the Congress Trail and seeing the trees towering around me. The park was fun, but I do have to admit that Sequoia National Park is not one of my favorites. It’s definitely better than others and it’s 100% worth a visit, but if you’re combining a trip to Sequoia National Park with other parks in the area (like Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks), don’t be surprised if Sequoia falls to the bottom of your ranking (based on these three parks).
Because of that, I recommend visiting Sequoia National Park first. That way, your park visits just get better and better.
Continue Your Adventure
Sequoia & Kings Canyon: Sequoia is great, but don’t miss the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park. Plus, plan your one day at Sequoia and one day at Kings Canyon. If you’re short on time, combine Sequoia and Kings Canyon into one day.
Yosemite National Park: Take your pick of hikes at Yosemite National Park, including Columbia Rock. If you’re not a hiker, check out my guide for how to enjoy the park without hiking.
California National Park Itineraries: Loop Sequoia National Park in with Kings Canyon and Yosemite National Parks for one awesome week long road trip. Alternatively you could fly into Las Vegas and visit Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks on a week long road trip.
US National Parks: Start planning your national park vacation with my US National Park Travel Guide. You’ll find information about each park, photos, itineraries, and everything you need to start planning your trip. And don’t forget to book your timed entry reservations in advance!