One Day in Sequoia National Park

A focused route through the Giant Forest when you've only got one day.

By Chris Hayworth, Nestward

One day in Sequoia is enough to stand under the largest trees on Earth and climb a granite dome for a Sierra view, but only if you stay in one corner of the park and don't try to do it all. The Giant Forest area has nearly everything most first-timers come for, packed within a few miles of road. Here's a route that works without rushing.

Get there early, and come up Highway 198

Most visitors enter from Visalia on Highway 198, through the town of Three Rivers and the Ash Mountain entrance. From there the road becomes the Generals Highway, a steep, twisting climb of about 40 minutes from the gate up to the Giant Forest. It's a beautiful drive and a slow one; budget the time. If your vehicle is over 22 feet long, the park recommends entering via Highway 180 instead.

• Entrance fee is $35 per private vehicle, good for 7 days (an America the Beautiful pass also works).
• The park is open 24 hours a day, year-round, but the Generals Highway between Sequoia and Kings Canyon often closes in winter, and chains may be required on park roads.
• Arrive before 9 a.m. in summer. Parking at the marquee stops fills fast, and the free in-park shuttle (summer only) saves you the worst of it.

Start at the Giant Forest Museum and General Sherman

Make the Giant Forest Museum your first stop. It's a free orientation point with exhibits, a bookstore, and rangers who can tell you what's open and where the shuttle is running. From there it's a short drive to the General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth by volume. The main trail down to its base is paved but drops about 200 feet, which means a real uphill walk back. Take it slow; the elevation here is around 6,800 feet and the climb sneaks up on people who flew in from sea level.

If you have kids, grab a Junior Ranger booklet at the museum. It turns the whole day into a scavenger hunt and gives them a reason to slow down and actually look at the trees.

Climb Moro Rock, then breathe at Crescent Meadow

Mid-day, head out the Moro Rock–Crescent Meadow Road (closed to cars in peak summer, when you take the shuttle). Moro Rock is the day's high point, literally. A historic stairway of roughly 350 steps climbs the granite dome to a panorama stretching from the foothills to the high peaks. It's exposed, with railings but real drop-offs, so keep small kids close and skip it in a thunderstorm.

Then drive or ride to Crescent Meadow, a green clearing ringed by sequoias that John Muir reportedly called the "gem of the Sierra." The loop trail is flat, shaded, and easy, the right reward after the stairs and a good place to eat a packed lunch.

If you have time and a reservation: Crystal Cave

Crystal Cave is a marble cavern open only on guided tours, and tickets are not sold at the cave. You buy them in advance, online. It's a half-day commitment by the time you factor in the narrow access road and the walk down to the entrance, so it's an either/or with the Moro Rock loop, not an add-on. Worth it on a hot day, when the cave's steady cool is a genuine relief, but plan for it before you arrive rather than hoping for a walk-up.

A word on dogs

Leave the dog at home or in the car-friendly campgrounds. Like most national parks, Sequoia keeps pets off all trails and out of the sequoia groves. They're allowed only in campgrounds, picnic areas, and on paved roads, always leashed. That rules out General Sherman, Moro Rock, Crescent Meadow, and essentially everything on this list. A national forest just outside the park is a better bet for a hike with your dog.