Best trails in Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park features huge groves of giant sequoias known as monarchs. These monarch trees are the largest trees on the planet. It also shares the tallest peak in the contiguous United States with Inyo National Forest. Covering an impressive 404,063 acres, there is so much to explore! The General Sherman Tree is a must-see. It is the largest tree in the world by volume and also one of the tallest. If you are up for an epic backpacking trip, you can take the High Sierra Trail all the way to the summit of Mount Whitney and back. Aside from beautiful giant forests, you can also explore caves, rivers, lakes, and alpine meadows. The park is popular for short day hikes and walks. There are endless multi-day backpacking options as well. Horseback riding, fishing, swimming, and nature photography are also great activities in Sequoia National Park.
Sequoia National Park requires a wilderness permit for overnight camping in the backcountry. For more information, please visit: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/wilderness_permits.htm
Top trails
Visitor info
This pass is valid for 1-7 days and includes everyone traveling on a motorcycle, scooter, or similar motorized vehicle for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
Non-commercial groups traveling in vehicles that have a capacity of up to 15 passengers pay a $35 vehicle entrance fee or use a park pass. Groups traveling in a bus or vehicle with a capacity of 16 persons or more are charged $20 per person, up to the maximums listed for commercial groups with comparable passenger capacity ($100 or $200). People 15 years old or younger, anyone with a pass that may be used for park entry, and drivers hired for transportation only are exempt from the per person fee.
This entry fee is for a single person traveling on foot or by bicycle. It is valid for 1-7 days in Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
This pass is valid for 1-7 days and includes everyone traveling in a single vehicle for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument.
This pass is valid for Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks and Hume Lake Ranger District of Sequoia National Forest/Giant Sequoia National Monument for one year from the month of purchase. The pass admits all passengers in a private vehicle and is non-transferable.
Join millions of people who enjoy our National Parks with the "America the Beautiful" National Park & Federal Recreational Lands Pass, otherwise known as the Interagency Annual Pass. The pass is valid for a year's worth of visits from the month of purchase at more than 2,000 federal recreation sites across the country.
No entrance pass required on these days:
Monday, January 20 — Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Saturday, April 19 — First day of National Park Week
Thursday, June 19 — Juneteenth National Independence Day
Monday, August 4 — Anniversary of the Great American Outdoors Act
Saturday, September 27 — National Public Lands Day
Tuesday, November 11 — Veterans Day
The Interagency Access Pass is accepted here.
The Foothills, Lodgepole, and Kings Canyon Visitor Centers, and the Giant Forest Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
Loaner wheelchairs are available at the Giant Forest Museum, Lodgepole Visitor Center, or Kings Canyon Visitor Center. Assistive listening devices, audio descriptions, tactile exhibits, and Braille and text materials are available.
Many ranger-led programs are wheelchair accessible, and assistive listening devices and ASL interpreters are available by reservation. Please call (559) 565-3729 or email seki_information@nps.gov at least 1-2 weeks in advance to make a reservation for interpretation services.
Additional information about accessibility at Sequoia National Park can be found on their website: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
The shuttle buses in the park's Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas are wheelchair accessible, and drivers announce each stop.
Temporary parking placards for those driving personal vehicles without DMV-issued parking placards are available at any visitor center. No documentation is required for a temporary parking placard.
For more information on shuttles, visit: https://www.nps.gov/seki/planyourvisit/parktransit.htm.
The Foothills, Lodgepole, and Kings Canyon Visitor Centers, and Giant Forest Museum are accessible to visitors using mobility equipment or strollers and have wheelchair accessible restrooms. Orientation films include closed captioning.
Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia National Park and John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon National Park have wheelchair accessible rooms.
Wheelchair accessible sites are available in most campgrounds, with extended picnic tables, raised grills, and generally packed, level ground.
Service animals must be on-leash throughout the park.
Trail reviews for Sequoia National Park
Congress Traik was a highlight in our visit to Sequoia National Park. It was an easy, well maintained trail and took you through spectacular and amazing areas of sequoias. We saw many deer and one bear. Most people visited the General Sherman Tree only, so the Congress Trail was practically left to ourselves. It was so worth the extra time and effort.
HST Aug 7-15! Incredible experience!! Day 1: Crescent Meadow to Nine Mile Camp. Our plan was to camp at Bearpaw but the Ranger at Sequoia National Park told us it was hazardous due to falling trees. We were trying to make it to Buck creek but carrying 9 days worth of food our packs were so heavy that by the time we got to Nine Mile we decided to call it quits. It was a good campsite with a nice creek and swimming hole. Day 2: Nine Mile to Hamilton Lake. Got a late start. Plan was to head to Precipice to camp but we ended up camping at Hamilton Lake which was absolutely stunning. The climb to from Bearpaw to Hamilton was brutal in the mid day heat. Day 3: Hamilton Lake to Moraine Lake. Woke up at 3am to beat the heat. Today we’re going to Moraine lake so it was long and hard. The climb from Hamilton to Precipice was tolerable in the dark and the sunrise was epic. We stopped at Precipice for breakfast OMG absolutely breathtaking. Some of my group wanted to stop at Big Arroyo but I was determined to make it to Moraine so I begged them to keep moving. It took us about 12 hours to finally get to Moraine but it was definitely worth it. Campsite was extremely busy but we met some cool people there. Day 4: Moraine Lake to Kern River Hot Spring. We intentionally got a late start so that we could enjoy our morning @ Moraine. The hike to Kern was hot but mostly downhill and it wasn’t too long. when we arrived at Kern at 3pm we had the place to ourselves so we had first dibs on campsites! We relaxed in the VERY HOT hot spring and soaked our feet in the very cold river. Day 5: ZERO DAY at Kern! We stayed here for a much needed 0 day. Relaxed by the river, did trail laundry, and just fully recharged. More people started showing up late afternoon and by night it was very busy. Highly recommended spending more time here. Day 6: Kern River to Wallace Creek. Today we woke up super early to once again beat the heat. Our plan was to camp at Junction Meadow but when we got there, it was so buggy that we quickly decided to keep it moving Junction Meadow to Wallace Creek was about 5 miles and a pretty good climb. It was pretty hot by that time, but we pushed through. Just when we arrived at Wallace Creek, it started to thunderstorm. Luckily it was our only wet time of the trip! Day 7: Wallace creek to Crabtree Meadow. Packing up a wet tent in the cold is not fun, but hey, it’s a right of passage I guess. The hike to Crabtree was pretty enjoyable to be honest. We woke up at a reasonable time to get out not at the crack of dawn, but early enough to beat some sun. Crabtree Meadow is probably one of my favorite campgrounds of the entire trip. MASSIVE! When we arrived there was a group leaving and we took their campsite. It was absolutely stunning with a front row view of the creek and Mount Whitney. We stopped by the Ranger station and chatted for a while. We met so many cool people from all over the country/world. A lot of folks doing the JMT and PCT were camping here. We thought we were gonna get rained on again but the afternoon storms went right around us. Day 8: Crabtree Meadow to Guitar Lake. We decided to spend half the day at Crabtree since we loved the campsite so much and it was a short hike to Guitar lake. Once we arrived at Guitar lake we pretty much set up our tents, made dinner and went to bed by 7. Very very beautiful site but above the tree line which means zero shade. Apart of the reason we arrived so late. Day 9: Guitar Lake to Whitney summit to Whitney portal. Woke up at 11:30pm and started hiking by 1am. Our goal was to summit by first light. We were the first people up and on the trail and I have to say it was nice hiking in the dark I swear theres something that just feels easier. Whitney summit by 5am for first light! I N C R E D I B L E !!!!!! The descent to Whitney portal was BRUTAL. It felt like forever. The burger and beer from Portal store was amazing. Life changing experience. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
This is definitely one of those attractions worth seeing in Sequoia National Park. The hike itself is very short and all on a paved trail. Perfect for all ages. Just make sure you make a reservation before going. For as short as the hike is, there is a waterfall along the way and great views. The cave itself is incredible and very much worth the entire reservation you need to make.
Paved trail. Mostly flat. A lot of Sequoias around a meadow. Good if you’re wanting a quick easy hike.
This took me 10.5 hours. The final 2-mile accent took me 2.5 hours but only 55 minutes in the way down. Throughout there were a few places where I wondered, "Where did the trail go?" but I took a look around and quickly found it. I loved the Giant Sequoias at the beginning. It was quite cloudy-misty so I missed the view across the valley (I saw it two weeks ago, it was *amazing*). Bring water and snacks and start in the morning! Enjoy!