Explore Sequoia and Kings Canyon

On our recent trip to California, my oldest and I set off for a little day trip to Sequoia National Forest.  Both Sequoia and Kings Canyon are next to one another but we knew our time was limited and set out to fill the hours we had with some sightseeing and hiking.  We both agreed upon seeing our first tree this is definitely a must see and pictures will not fully capture the beauty or uniqueness of our visit but we really tried!

We passed by this little gem initially but after finding out about Big Stump we made it our second stop so I’ll start here.  The biggest tip if you have limited time is to be as efficient as possible and make a plan to drive one way instead of a lot of back and forth.  We entered the park on highway 180 so this makes a great first stop.

The area around Big Stump use to be home to the Smith Comstock Lumber Mill. From 1883 to 1889, the mill provided timber to the burgeoning grape industry in the valley below. It would often take weeks to fell a single Sequoia. The great irony was that Sequoia wood is so brittle that when the giants hit the ground after being felled, the tree would often severely splinter, resulting in a loss of much of the timber.

Seeing these huge trees splintered on the ground was incredible.  The two mile hike led past the Shattered Giant shown below as well as many other stumps and fascinating remnants.  All while tucked in to beautiful scenery along the way.  

We stopped at a parks visitor center to use the restrooms and grab a map as we headed to the General Grant tree.  It gave us a good laugh when a fellow tourist asked the park ranger “is it worth it” in reference to heading to see the General Grant tree and the ranger responded “if you want to see some big trees it is”.  I mean did the guy research his adventure at all?  Definitely a “here’s your sign” kind of moment!

The tree below was hollowed out and we were actually able to walk straight through to the other side.  We saw a baby deer with it’s momma after emerging on the other side and they were not the least bit skittish.  

Everywhere we saw trees which definitely mimick what I knew as a Christmas tree as a child.  Very hard to believe this will turn into a giant sequoia in years.  

I’m really not sure how we managed to head to see the General Grant tree but not have a picture with the tree!  I am 100% positive we took one but have not been able to locate it.  So trust me….we came, explored and we saw the General Grant tree.  

We headed towards Sequoia National Park but pulled off near Redwood Mountain Grove and explored this group of trees.  We had to take so many pictures next to them to be able to fully grasp the scale of these trees.

As we pulled back onto the road and rounded a curve another car was stopped.  We read there could be bears but I seriously didn’t dream (or maybe I was just in denial) I would actually see one. Well here is bear #1 about 10 feet off the road and headed our way.  It’s so funny because at the time I thought he was just a baby bear but looking at the picture I’m thinking not. 

Next stop was the General Sherman tree which is the world’s largest tree, measured by volume. It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain wide high up. Sixty feet above the base, the Sherman Tree is 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter.  It was quite impressive and tons of tourist stop for this one.

We headed on up the road and paused for a brief hike up Hanging Rock.  The views were totally worth the climb even if I practically had to drag Jordan out for a picture!  We were completely safe the entire time!  There is a burned out stump at the head of the trail and I actually found a website noting you can climb in and out of the base through two holes.  Note…after seeing two other hikers do this I attempted it and…um… they would have needed to burn out just a wee bit more for me to fit!

This is a backside view of Moro Rock which was next on our list.  Jordan is just a tad afraid of heights so walking up 350 stairs, very narrow stairs, to reach the top had her a little anxious.  Again, the view was 100% worth it and she was sure glad to see those guard rails at the top!

You can tell things are a bit hazy as the smoke from up north were affecting the air.

Our last hike took us several miles through Crescent Meadow and revealed even more spectacular scenery.  Seeing the lush landscape and meadows amongst the Sequoia trees was very calming.  

And look, we found another hollow tree we were actually able to stand inside of!  

\

We ended our hike in front of this massive trunk a little hungry, a lot dirty and truly inspired by nature!  

According to my fitbit we hiked 8.36 miles and climbed 159 floors!  My favorite adventure is an active adventure and this was so much more fun having my sweet girl along.  

Additional notes, be sure if you have someone with car sickness you have some meds.  The drive back down was a winding road for so many miles at 10-20 miles per hour.  Literally 90 degree turns in some places.  Also be sure to take plenty of water and snacks.  I was so thankful to be able to quickly grab water and a snack in between hikes.

I wish we had seen even more and included some waterfalls on our hike but this itinerary allowed us to see as much as possible and still make it back to Fresno in time for some baseball!  If you ever have the chance to plan a day trip, I high suggest checking out this itinerary from another blogger we were just a tad short on time.

This was my first national park if you can believe that!  If you are a park goer, what are some others I need to add to my list of places to see?