Walking Among The Gigantic Trees at Sequoia National Park
Sequoia National Park is home to some of the world’s largest trees. Walking among these towering trees made us feel tiny and it was an experience like no other. Their trunks were so massive that the four of us, extending our arms together, were still unable to fully encircle even a single tree. We took a lot of pictures but none could truly capture the scale of these colossal giants.
We visited this park in early April and therefore the grounds were still icy. Although our hike would have been easier without the slippery surface, the white snow contrasted beautifully with the brown color of the tree trunks. It looked like a winter wonderland straight out of a fairytale.
Largest Tree In The World
Despite the ice on the ground, the Sherman Tree Trail was easy to follow. The trail was only about 0.5 mi long and well-paved. Not far from the trailhead, we found the Tough Twins, a pair of giant sequoias standing side by side. Finally, we reached the superstar of this national park, the General Sherman. It stands about 275 feet (83.8 meters) tall and has a trunk volume of approximately 52,500 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters), making it the largest tree by volume in the world.
We continued onto the Congress Trail, a 2-mi loop that began near the Sherman Tree Trail. Some parts of this trail were slippery even though we were wearing hiking boots, but still manageable. The loop was much quieter and less crowded than the Sherman Tree Trail. Finding the President Tree, the Senate Group, and the House Group was easy due to the clear signs in front of each. It was hard not to take too many photos in this park, especially while walking in between the group of trees.
We had originally planned to drive along Crescent Meadow Road to see the Tunnel Log and the Fallen Buttress Tree. Other things in our plan was to visiting the Giant Tree Museum and hiking the Rock Trail. Unfortunately the weather was starting to look concerning and we still had to drive down the mountain to our hotel in Fresno. Sadly we had to leave and save those itineraries for our next California trip. We would love to go back and check out Kings Canyon National Park too.
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I'm a happily-married mom of two. Our family enjoys an active lifestyle and spending quality time together. We love creating memories through travel, learning about different cultures around the world.