Top Visitor Attractions
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK
TOP VISITOR ATTRACTIONS
Giant Forest
Named in 1875 by explorer and conservationist John Muir, the Giant Forest is the Park's most famous attraction - a prolific giant sequoia grove also celebrated for its beautiful meadows. The two-mile looping Congress Trail provides access to the General Sherman Tree, as well as the 246.1-foot tall Washington Tree, the world’s second largest.
General Sherman Tree
While neither the tallest nor the widest tree, the General Sherman is considered to be the largest living tree in the world because of its volume. Weighing approximately 2.7 million pounds and believed to be around 2,100 years old, its height is 274.9 feet, and its circumference at ground level is 102.6 feet. The diameter of its largest branch is 6.8 feet.
Giant Forest Museum and Big Trees Trail
Ideal for all ages, the museum is full of fascinating exhibits, plus interactive, hands-on displays that celebrate the life of a Giant Sequoia tree. The Museum, located on Highway 198 in the Giant Forest, is open year-round, seven days a week and admission is free. From the Museum, the 2/3-mile paved and fully-accessible Big Trees trail circles Round Meadow. Trailside panels describe Sequoia ecology.
Moro Rock
Also found in the Giant Forest area is Moro Rock, a large granite dome that offers an unparalleled view (especially at sunset) of the Great Western Divide and its rugged canyons. Common in the Sierra Nevada, the dome was formed by exfoliation and is accessed by a quarter-mile trail, climbing nearly 400 steep steps to the top of the barren rock (6,725-foot elevation). Moro Rock parking area is 3.5 miles south of the General Sherman Tree on General's Highway.
Crescent Meadow
Situated 1.5 miles east of the Moro Rock parking area lies Crescent Meadow, a pristine high-mountain meadow called the "gem of the Sierra" by John Muir. The one-hour trail around the meadow also acts as trailhead to several hiking routes including the one-mile route to Tharp's Log and the High Sierra Trail, which runs 71 miles to Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 U.S. states (14,494 feet). Crescent Meadow has picnic tables and public restrooms.
Crystal Cave
One of more than 200 caves in the Park, Crystal Cave is made of marble and decorated with curtains of stalactites and mounds of stalagmites. It is accessed by a winding seven-mile road (no RV's, trailers or buses allowed) two miles south of the Moro Rock turnoff, followed by a 15-minute hike down a steep path. Crystal Cave is open in the summer months, and 45-minute guided tours are offered daily by the Sequoia Natural History Association. Tour tickets must be purchased beforehand at one of the Park's Visitor Centers.
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Media Contact: The Fontayne Group, 1-800-841-0850
Public Information: (866) 807-3598 or (559) 565-4070 or www.VisitSequoia.com
