Sequoia National Park
Land of the Giants
Review by Adam Schomer
“Such is the power and humility that one feels when stepping foot into the home of thousand-year-old trees.”
Giant Sequoia trees can grow to over 3,000 years old.
I’ve traveled all over the world and Sequoia National Park is one of my favorite places of all time. Pure and simple, it is magic. Imagine standing in a field of trees, their bark a reddish brown. The branches begin way above head height and the trees extend majestically to the sky, towering above. The trunks are impossible to hug, even with two or even three people linked arm and arm. But linked and connected is how you feel, like these trees are talking to each other and have been waiting for you to stop to listen to their codified story. They are looking at you, and have been looking at us for ages. Such is the power and humility that one feels when stepping foot into the home of thousand year old trees in Sequoia National Park.
So first realize that Sequoia is not a place to simply tick off the box, the bucket list, or snap a photo at the oldest tree on earth. I will of course outline some adventures, hikes, drives and trails “to do”, but this national park demands that you simply pause, reflect, and “feel.” This feeling is the real gem of this national park. Much like a movie that reminds you of your innocence, The Sequoias brings you somewhere in yourself… but you need to stop and you need to listen.
So let’s get to some specifics so you can feel excited and have a plan to experience what I feel are some of the best parts of this very large national park. Sequoia, along with its neighboring Kings Canyon National Park, comprise over 808,000 acres, so it’s nice to know a great place to begin and connect amidst this vast expanse of nature. Normally I don’t stay to start at the Entrance Centers or Museums, but the redwood forest right behind the Giant Forest Museum/Center is simply stunning and super accessible. The museum is accessible coming up via Hwy 198 through the town of Three Rivers (more on a great funky lunch spot at the end of this article.) Now, most tourists will stop at the center, then drive onward to get to the more well known paths that lead to General Sherman, the biggest tree on earth, but I recommend exploring the trails here first. The trails are smaller footpaths and the trees are NOT stamped with names or wooden platforms for photos…but this is called the Giant Forest for a reason. These paths form an intertwining array of walks and with just a little bit of adventurous attitude, you can explore here with ease, immersed in a serene fantasy forest that feels plucked from the Lord of the Rings novels. It’s a perfect place to take in that old tree magic, to connect to the earth, and feel humbly taken away. But don’t worry, you’re never too lost here and always know that going downhill will get you back to the Entrance Center.
If you want more exploration, then continue on the paths uphill and you’ll eventually get to a massive granite outcropping called Moro Rock (Elevation 6725 ft.). You can actually drive here too, but I tend to visit closer to wintertime, thus avoiding the crowds, when the road is closed. Note, winter hits early at this elevation so there is snow in October. Ok, so at Moro Rock there is a moderate path onto this “rock”, where you use rails and hand chains to help you to the eventual top where you tower above the forest and valley thousands of feet below. Cue the eagle and the sunset, aaaaah. On my first visit to Sequoia, I came and did this giant forest/more rock combo and was so blown away that I returned the following weekend. Bear in mind that it’s a 4.5-hour one-way trip from Los Angeles where I live, so you can imagine the instant love affair was real.
What about that largest tree on earth? Yes, go see General Sherman. It/She is amazing. And honestly, the wide laid out tourist friendly paths lead you to groupings of redwoods that make you feel like they really are a family. This Nat’l park will continually hit you over the head with this “Oh my lord they are so huge and old.” It’s hard to wrap your head around it. So go deep on these trails, give yourself time to go far and to read how the trees are what they are.
Spoiler alert: The Redwoods have a natural imperviousness to forest fires through their porous bark. And thus they grow and grow and tower above us when other trees were wiped out. And even though the Redwoods have shallow roots, their root systems reach out for great distances and are intertwined with one another. They literally hold each up other up!
The park is not all redwoods and you can get out to some super high altitude lakes that remind you that you are in the Sierra’s, amidst the largest unbroken stretch of wilderness in the whole United States. Yes, the largest! Backcountry hiking and camping (hike in with a backpack and tent and spend a night or two) will be needed to get you far and amidst some really stunning rock and mountain landscape. However, you can get some real good experiences of this by parking at LodgePole parking lot/campground and doing the 6-hour (round trip) hike on the Lakes Trail towards Pear Lake.
I haven’t delved much into the other part of the park in this review, because ultimately I think I’ve laid out the best areas. I’ll say that the campgrounds are very nice, rustic in that they are right amidst the trees and park. The altitude at the park is 5000 ft. and above so I actually encountered some cold weather for camping. You’d think California would be warm in October, but as mentioned it was for real cold and on that following weekend that I returned the roads and paths were full of snow. So beautiful with the white and red mix, but finding the trails are more an adventure.
Coming up on Hwy. 198 from the south takes you through the town of Three Rivers. There are some hotels there that do the job, but what I found most endearing was a wonderful little riverside cafe. The Ol Buckaroo has that hipster vibe to it that I love because it means it’s healthy food, artistic, and flavorful. It delivers on that, which is so fun to have just outside of the oldest trees on earth, i.e. the first real hipsters. So stop here for food and coffee on the way in and out. Know that it’s about 30-45 minutes from here to the Redwood Museum/Center I mentioned above. It is a beautiful drive that climbs in elevation from 1000-5000ft. So watch the change in flora and fauna.
Not only are the redwoods the oldest trees, Sequoia National Park is one of the oldest national parks. It is actually the 2nd National Park, founded in 1890. And beyond the magic I talk of, it is full of magnificent glacial canyons, broad lake basins, lush meadows, and sheer granite peaks–hallmarks of the most rugged portion of the High Sierra– which form the core of the largest expanse of contiguous wilderness in California. This unforgettable National Park is visited and valued by people from around the world. Enjoy.
