Visiting Sequoia National Park with Kids
Yosemite National Park is one of California’s most popular parks and during the summer, the valley is crowded with hikers, campers, climbers and other travelers who come to soak in the stunning beauty of the landscape. If you are looking for a great national park nearby that gets less visitors but has plenty of natural beauty in it’s own right (including the world’s largest tree), head to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon, located around 3 hours driving distance from Yosemite and a little less than four hours from Los Angeles.
Once at Sequoia National Park, head to the Giant Forest, home of General Sherman, the world’s largest tree at over 274 feet tall (83.8 meters). After some awe-inspiring moments at the tree (including some attempts to capture it in photo), follow the paved, two mile congress trail, an easy stroll where you can catch a glimpse of other popular sequoias including the General Lee and McKinley Trees.
To get an idea of what you can expect during your visit, read one family’s account of visit this part of the park - Bates’ big trip visited at the start of their around the world adventure with their kids:
“Bright and early the next morning we took a 2 mile circuit of the Giant Forest, just a few miles from the lodge. The sign at the top proclaims General Sherman to be the largest tree on earth but having seen what we had the previous day we were prepared to find little different here. Such an incredible sight it was though, that as soon as I saw it I had to stifle a laugh. It was magnificently ridiculous. The pictures we took don’t nearly do it justice, standing at the bottom, staring up at it branches, was almost a religious experience. 40ft wide, 275ft tall and 2,200 years old it made yesterday’s ‘sapling’ pale into insignificance. And it was just the beginning, over the next two miles there must have been fifty such beasts some standing alone some in tight groups, all beyond the powers of my small vocabulary to describe. Just go there, I promise you will thank me if you do. For me, the highlight of our trip so far.” (more…)
Also visit nps.gov for more information on trails, history of the park and more.
