Great Western Road Trip: Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park doesn't immediately present itself as anything more than a nice bit of forest and rolling hills. But hidden within are thousands of the largest living things on earth: the Giant Sequoias. Nothing else even comes close.

Sequoia National Park is located in Central California just west of Death Valley National Park. However, it can't be accessed from the east, as the Sierra Nevada mountain range is impassible in that direction.

Sequoia National Park can be reached from the southwest by Highway 198 or from the northwest by Highway 180. Both of these roads join in the center of the park and together they make a loop known as "General's Highway."

Sequoia National Park is actually joined with King's Canyon National Park (to the north) and one entrance fee will give you access to both. Though we didn't have time to check out King's Canyon National Park, we learned that in addition to its scenic canyon, it also has its own groves of Giant Sequoia Trees, including the second largest tree in the world.

The main attraction at Sequoia National Park is definitely the Giant Sequoia Trees. Unfortunately, they don't cover the whole park. They're apparently very fickle plants and only find very small patches of land with just the right elevation, humidity, and acidity of soil to be suitable for growth. This is one of the main reasons they need to be protected: small changes in their environment could lead to the distinction of the largest living things on earth.

There are several groves of Sequoia trees that exist outside the National Park, but even most of those are located in National Forests. But within the Sequoia National Park are the largest Sequoia groves in the world and the largest is the Giant Forest, right in the middle of the park.

Right at the edge of the Giant Forest is General Sherman, the largest (and one of the fastest growing) living thing in the entire world. It can be found at the end of a ½ mile paved trail or even by a shuttle bus to a short trail for any physically disabled people. The General Sherman is surrounded by other redwoods, some taller and some thicker. If it weren't for the sign, you wouldn't guess that the General Sherman is the largest.

What sets it apart is not its height (at just over 270 feet) or its width (at 36 feet), but its overall trunk mass. Since Giant Sequoias barely taper off as they increase in height, they're often almost as thick near the top as they are at their base. This presents an optical illusion for those accustomed to looking at regular trees and it prevents the General Sherman from appearing as tall and massive as it really is. It's also what allows for it to be the largest living thing on earth.

Each year, the General Sherman grows enough extra wood to account for 30 to 40 adult-sized maples or oaks, so it likely won't be overtaken anytime soon. And it's probably been the largest tree for a while, since it is estimated to be well over 2,000 years old. But it's not the prettiest. Centuries of forest fires and strong winds have left huge scars all over its trunk and have lopped off the top of the main trunk, leaving a somewhat ugly "snag" look.

Although the General Sherman is certainly impressive, you won't want to end your Sequoia experience there. Throughout the park are networks of trails that take you by plenty of other Sequoias that are at least as impressive as the General Sherman, if not more. Some of the longer trails are so crooked (and often poorly marked) that you won't want to take them without a trail map (which can be purchased at the visitor center) and good directional skills.

However, the Congress Trail is still just several miles long, but it takes you back through some of the more impressive parts of the Giant Forest. If you think this is still too long, there are several shortcuts that allow you to walk just a portion of the Congress trail. Here, you'll see such sights as the House and Senate Sequoia clusters as well as plenty of fallen trees and more solitary giants. The atmosphere is great and on a regular day you'll have the chance to enjoy the forest in peace, only occasionally passing other hikers.

If you can't stand any form of plants, you'll be better off sticking to Death Valley. But if you have any appreciation at all for nature and history, you can't help but be impressed at these massive trees that have withstood fires, famines, industrialization and many of which are older than Jesus!

As I said earlier though, the Giant Sequoias are in a precarious balance. Even ignoring previous logging attempts, early park operations actually damaged them quite a bit. They cut down many to protect park buildings, roads destroyed root systems, and run-off polluted their water sources. Even the prevention of forest fires also prevented new trees from growing.

Thankfully, the ecology of the forest and the needs of the trees are better understood and much of the damage has been reversed. It is now known that periodic forest fires actually benefit the trees by clearing the underbrush, replenishing the soil's nutrients, and providing the necessary heat for the pine cones to open and disperse mature seeds. The fire rarely causes serious damage to the mature monarchs (as the largest and oldest of the Sequoias are called) although it does leave somewhat ugly fire scars near the base.

Sequoia National Park provides the standard array of lodging, with an official lodge and several campgrounds for tents and RV's. Although many of the campsites are within a mile or two of the Giant Sequoias, there are unfortunately no campsites directly among them. But, this is an understandable way for the park service to make up for previous policies that hurt the forest.

Even if you're just driving through Sequoia National Park, the southern half of the "General's Highway" loop takes you right through the Giant Forest and right by many great examples of Sequoia Trees. There is a turn-off for Crescent Meadow that will take you a few miles to "Tunnel Log". This is where a Sequoia Tree fell across the road and rather than moving the tree, it was easier for the park service to just tunnel through it. So, "Tunnel Log" is a place where you can actually drive your whole vehicle through a Sequoia Tree.

The Giant Forest Museum is one of the better museums located within a National Park. The exhibits are great for adults or children and there are many great displays that compare the size of Giant Sequoia trees to other well-known things like: The Statue of Liberty, Blue Whales, and other types of tree. This really helps you achieve a good grasp of exactly what it is you're experience here. For gardeners or just for really cool souvenirs, sequoia seeds and seedlings are available for purchase to be grown at home.

Although the Sequoia trees are the main attraction of Sequoia National Park, there are also areas where the High Sierra and the Foothills can each be accessed. Though these parts of the park don't contain Giant Sequoias, they do have their own spectacular scenery and wildlife and are worth the time if you've got more than a day or two.

Sequoia National Park is a place you don't want to miss. You won't have to fight crowds like you would at some of the more popular parks (Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Yellowstone, etc.), but you'll see equally amazing things. You may just want to check it out if you're worried about the climate changing, because if it does just a little, these trees will either die off or have to find a new habitat. You won't want to miss seeing them.