Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Giant Forest
Named by John Muir in 1875, this area is the top destination in the park, and about 2 miles
south of Lodgepole Village. By volume the largest living tree on earth, the massive
Gen-
a short descent from the Wolverton Rd parking lot, or join the
Congress Trail
, a paved
2-mile pathway that takes in General Sherman and other notable named trees, including
the
Washington Tree
, the world's second-biggest sequoia, and the see-through
Telescope
Tree
. To lose the crowds, set off on the 5-mile
Trail of the Sequoias
, which puts you into
the heart of the forest.
Open in the warmer months, Crescent Meadow Rd heads east from the Giant Forest
especially in spring when it's ablaze with wildflowers. Several short hikes start from here,
including the 1-mile trail to
Tharp's Log
, where the area's first settler spent summers in a
dome whose top can be reached via a quarter-mile carved staircase for breathtaking views
of the Great Western Divide, a chain of mountains running north to south through the cen-
ter of Sequoia National Park.
Giant Forest Museum
MUSEUM
559-565-4480; Generals Hwy;
9am-4:30pm or 6pm mid-May-mid-Oct;
)
For a primer on the intriguing ecology, fire cycle and history of the 'big trees,' drop in at
this excellent museum, then follow up your visit with a spin around the paved (and
wheelchair-accessible) 1.2-mile interpretive
Big Trees Trail
, which starts from the mu-
seum parking lot.
