Beautiful scenic drive to Sequoia National Forest. Photo by: Nichole McDaniel
For some reason I love trees! Growing up I used to voluntarily rake the leaves in my front yard, just to lie on them and look up at the trees and sky above. Still having my fascination with trees seeing General Sherman has been on my bucket list.
Tunnel Rock located off the side of the road on the way up. Photo by: Nichole McDaniel
After spending the day before in Death Valley, I drove over 6 hours to get just outside of Sequoia National Park. Honestly this was the scariest part of my trip, there were road closures throughout and the rain was so heavy on some of the mountain roads making it hard to see. I didn’t have a hotel booked ahead of time, my goal was to get as close to the park as I could until I was exhausted. I actually made it to my goal which was an adorable little town called Three Rivers. If you aren’t camping in the park it is a picturesque town and has plenty of lodging.
Already having looked at the map, I knew the road up with mountain was going to be windy. Everyone goes slow and if you want someone to pass there are plenty of stunning vistas to pull over on to let traffic go by. With beautiful views around every turn I was kind of speechless, getting more excited as we slowly drove up the mountain. By the way, snow chains were required in your vehicle due to the recent storm, but luckily weren’t needed. It would have been interesting seeing me trying to put them on since I only helped put them on someone else’s truck once several years prior. Check the conditions of the park ahead of time :)
Miss Reagan enjoying the overlook at Sequoia National Park. Photo by: Nichole McDaniel
I skipped the visitor center and the first stop or so and ended up at the Big Trees Trail. At this elevation the storm from the last few days produced quite a bit of snow. I loved wearing my snow boots and exploring the trail in the snow. Big Trees Trail is a 2/3 mile trail and is a very level, paved path. It was covered in snow but it’s good to know if you need a paved trail. it is handicap accessible.
There are tons of hikes and trails, this was probably one of the easiest but it was still beautiful and the Giant Trees are impressive. The path went around a beautiful meadow and creek, but neither were really visible in the snow. The groups of sequoia trees make you feel so small and looking up one can barely see the tops of the trees. Reading about the Sequoia trees was interesting and informational signs were positioned throughout the hike.
Capturing the beauty of these Large Giants in the Winter, Sequoia National Park, Big Trees Trail. Photo by: Nichole McDaniel
The one hike that I really wanted to do was Moro Rock but due to the snow, the road was closed to that trail. Moro Rock is a granite dome and has a 1/4 mile staircase leading to stunning views of the Sierras. This is still on my bucket list!
Posing in front of Moro Rock.
After a short drive down the road I found my self at the parking lot for General Sherman and also Congress Trail. The parking lot isn’t large and I had to wait until someone left. A 1/2 mile on the trail you come up to the General Sherman. The General Sherman is considered the largest tree on Earth by volume. It is not the tallest or widest, but it weighs approximately 2.7 million pounds. Still growing, it’s growth produces enough added volume to create a 60 ft / 1 ft diameter tree every year!
To the left if the largest tree in the world, The General Sherman! Photo by: Nichole McDaniel
Fun Fact: General Sherman received it’s name by cattleman, James Wolverton, in 1879. He had served under General Sherman in the Civil War.
The guided trail has other features to see such as, a tunnel carved out in a tree, a tree trunk you can stand in, and a cross-section of a Sequoia showing the scaring of 80 different fires that tree survived. Forest fires play a crucial part in the survival of Sequoias and the park does scheduled burns of the forest grounds.
The General Sherman is actually the largest living organism on Earth. Around the tree, just up the hill is another area to view the tree. I was the only one up there! Just off that path is the Congress Trail, which I decided to go explore for a bit.
Bright green moss on trees along the Congress Trail, Sequoia National Park. Photo By: Nichole McDaniel
Congress Trail was a beautiful hike in the snow. It is an easy 2 mile hike. The walk through the woods in the snow was amazing. There were only a couple people on the trail, which made for an enjoyable walk.
Throughout the trail you come across several large trees or groups of trees that have been named, President, Chief Sequoyah, General Lee, and the McKinley trees to name a few. I highly recommend this walk if you aren’t looking for something too challenging.
For other interesting fun facts about these unique giants, check out treehugger.