Giant Escape

Hiking to the General Sherman tree and beyond to Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park

Sequoia’s main tourist attraction is the General Sherman tree, literally the largest living thing on earth. Hordes of visitors make the easy 0.4-mile mini-pilgrimage to see the General, but a funny thing happens if you hike just a few minutes beyond: The people disappear! By continuing on the Congress Trail and hooking up with the Trail of the Sequoias, you’ll be hiking through the heart of Giant Forest, where mule deer and chipmunks may be your only companions.

The forest is filled with Sequoia trees, big red beauties rising toward the sky like ancient columns. In a few miles you’ll reach the northern edge of Sequoia’s number two attraction, Crescent Meadow. Take a peek at Tharp’s Log—a fallen, hollow giant Sequoia that was once the home of an old, resourceful pioneer. Make a loop back to General Sherman, passing more impressive groves with names like “The House” and “The Senate.” These big trees always get the people’s vote.

STAY: With vaulted wood-beam ceilings, grand stone fireplaces, panoramic windows, and jagged mountain peaks all around it, Wuksachi Lodge makes an ideal base camp for exploring the park.

wuksachilodge-image-jpeg

A map is a must. Pick up a “Giant Forest” map from any of the park’s visitor centers. Look for the “Trail of the Sequoias/Circle Meadow Loop” description on the back. From the General Sherman Tree, take the Congress Trail. Just past the “President Tree, ” take the Trail of the Sequoias. Follow this for about 2 miles; make a right down to Log Meadow at the first trail intersection. Continue to Tharp’s Log and Chimney Tree. Head north via Circle Meadow until the trail links back up with the Congress Trail, which takes you back to the start. No dogs. 

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. Picnic and a Pedal

    West Marin has all the right stuff for an afternoon getaway: bike paths, babbling brooks, canopy forests, and secluded picnic spots. Combine a picnic and a pedal at Samuel P. Taylor State Park by biking the easygoing Cross Marin Trail.

    View
  2. Hike the Oursan Trail alongside Briones Reservoir in the East Bay

    Opt for Oursan

    Hike the trail less traveled in the East Bay's Briones Regional Park. The Oursan Trail is pure serenity on a wide hiking path skirting the northern shores of Briones Reservoir.

    View
  3. Most Peaceful Hike of All

    Is this the most peaceful one-hour hike in the Bay Area? It's got our vote! Lake Lagunitas is the smallest lake in a series of five found on the north side of Mount Tam, so it’s got that tiny but mighty charm. Do a 1.5-mile loop around the lake's shore-hugging trail.

    View
  4. Sebastopol Food & Wine Roll

    One apple farm, three charming towns, multiple wineries, and infinite natural beauty. Savor a perfect autumn day in Sonoma County by biking the West County Regional Trail from Sebastopol to Forestville via Graton. It’s a 17-mile (round-trip) adventure. 

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Wine Down, Dine Out in Lake Chelan

    The fertile soil around Washington State's Lake Chelan is ripe for more than just the amazing apples. Vineyards here yield high quality grapes, and some of the country’s best less-discovered wineries. Locals know it, and you will too when you start choosing from the more than 30 wineries in the region.

    View
  2. Lace Up for Lacy

    Lacy Park in San Marino is a hidden gem that may very well be the most pristine green space in greater Los Angeles, and a concealed pair of nearby stairways makes it all the more appealing.

    View
  3. Hiker amid trees at Oak Glen Preserve in Yucaipa Southern California

    Apple of Your Eye

    That fall feeling is definitely in the air and on display at the Oak Glen Preserve. Apple orchards and colorful leaves are a bonus, as are the apple cider donuts and slushies you can enjoy post-hike.

    View
  4. Hike San Diego Volcan Mountain Wilderness

    Planet of the Oaks

    Let us count the number of oak tree species in the Volcan Mountain Wilderness Preserve near Julian: coast, scrub, canyon, black, and Engelmann. Five! The preserve’s Five Oaks Trail is a 3.2-mile hike that boasts all five.

    View