Sequoia National Park
Geology
Located in the Sierra Nevada mountain range, Sequoia National Park covers over 631 square miles in southern California. This park is famously known for, being the habitat of the giant sequoia, renowned as the world largest tree by volume, towering up to 315 feet, taller than the Statue of Liberty! Sequoia trees also has massive lifespan, sometimes exceeding 3,000+ years in a lifetime, the most famous tree in the park, General Sherman predates the Roman Empire by 700 years!
Location and Lodging
Me and my family landed in LAX and drove to Portersville, where we went the next day to the park. It is about a 1 hour drive through the mountains to the park and about 2 hours from a neighboring town Bakersfield. It is not recommended to visit the park in the winter, because many of the trails could be closed due to heavy snow. If you will visit the park in the winter, it is recommended to chain your tires.
Family Friendly Trails
One of the most popular trails is the General Sherman Trailhead which is about a 1 mile round trip that leads to the General Sherman tree; the largest sequoia in the park. This is a trail that is recommended for kids because of its amazing scenery and easy calm hike
An easy and popular trail, the Big Trees trail, takes about 1 hr through a forest of tall sequoias. It is a very accessible paved trail that is open year round, even in snowy conditions (as long as the park is open).
Another good trail is the Congress trail which is a moderate hike of about 3 miles round trip with a 500ft elevation gain. This trail goes past many other famous trees like chief Sequoyah and General Lee trees. My family was not able to experience this trail due to snow, but it is a must do in the park (it is in my Itenerary for when I come back !)
General Sherman Trailhead
Big Trees Trail
Fun Facts / Tips
Before going to Sequoia, we landed and spent the day in LA visiting Hollywood, Santa Monica Pier and the Griffith Observatory. Traffic can be intense, check ahead of time.
