Walking with Giants in Sequoia National Park

After hiking Sentinel Dome, we said our goodbyes to Yosemite National Park and headed south to Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Driving into Kings Canyon we stopped at an overlook to see a prescribed burn. We learned that forest fires are key to maintaining healthy ecosystems in the national parks, particularly for the health of the Sequoias. It was pretty interesting–there was a ranger there explaining the process. Fires allow the Sequoia seeds to regenerate!

We didn’t spend any more time in Kings Canyon (I guess I’ll just have to go back!) but headed right into Sequoia National Park. It was incredible.

The Giant Redwoods are so big that photos cannot do it justice.

It was late afternoon, so we decided to check out the short and easy Big Tree Trails, a beautiful loop through a Sequoia Grove.

Most of the trail was like this-nice!

The trail circles the beautiful Round Meadow. It was so peaceful.

We saw a Sequoia growing around a giant boulder and Jordan couldn’t resist climbing up.

There is nothing like seeing the Giant Sequoias in person. They are so big. Most are as tall as a 26-story building. Their bark is also strange–it is almost like paper mache. It felt fake.

The mid-sierra zone (5,000-8,000 ft) creates ideal conditions for giant sequoia growth. Mild winter and summer temperatures, deep winter snowpack, and a rich fire history have made it possible for the world’s largest tree to get its biggest in these parks. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks boast many of the world’s largest trees by volume.–NPS.gov

Big Trees Trail, Giant Forest Section
Distance 2/3 mile loop
Total time ~1 hour

We only had one night in Sequoia, so we had to make the most of it. Stay tuned.