Sequoia National Park
Summer Weekend in Sequoia National Park
Looking for things to do in Sequoia National Park? Check out this two-day adventure filled itinerary to discover ways to see the Giant Sequoias and enjoy local eats!
Sequoia National Park is one of the most famous national parks in the United States. A hiking mecca, there are so many trails, lakes, and mountains to explore. This itinerary will cover everything from a completely paved, famous walk to a ~12-mile hike into the Sierra Nevadas.
During our trip, we stayed at the Brown Thorn Cottage and Ranch in Three Rivers, a 15-minute drive to the entrance of Sequoia National Park. We did spot a few bears in town so make sure to stay alert during your entire visit. It’s quite special to see a mama bear and her cubs – just take caution and respect the wildlife.
We visited Sequoia National Park at the end of August. Depending on the time of year, there may be road closures and/or dangerous conditions. Always check the weather forecast and National Park Service for the latest updates and information about hiking and camping conditions.
Day 1 – Marvel at the biggest tree in the world
We drove from San Diego (about a 5-hour drive) and arrived around 3:00pm on a Friday afternoon. For those of you making the drive North, make a pit stop in downtown Bakersfield to enjoy a local, tasty lunch at Café Smitten.
Once we arrived and settled in at the cottage, we drove to Sequoia National Park. Our first stop was the most famous Giant Sequoia tree – the General Sherman Tree. The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world by trunk volume and is really a sight to see! Coming on a Friday afternoon, it wasn’t very crowded, and we had a great time shooting the tree from all different angles.
From here, we started on the Congress Trail, a 3-mile, easy loop among the giant Sequoia trees. Coming here around dusk was absolutely breathtaking (and we had the trail to ourselves at times). The scattered light from the sun hitting the trees (in Japanese, they have a word for this – Komorebi) made for a moody, memorable hike. We took our time enjoying every bit of the dense amount of giant Sequoia trees. This hike is perfect for kids, couples, families – really everyone (except dogs). Even though you are close to a populated area, our friends who came the next day, saw a bear on this trail. Always have your wits about you!
For dinner, we stopped for a quick bite at Pizza Factory to carb-up for the half marathon hike in our future.
Sequoia national park
General Sherman Tree
General Sherman Tree
Congress Trail
Congress Trail
Congress Trail at dusk
View of Watchtower
Watchtower
Heather Lake
Aster Lake
Emerald Lake
Pear Lake
Big Trees Trail
Day 2 - Lakes Trail Sequoia
Although we were in Sequoia National Park for the Giant Sequoia trees of course, we wanted to get a long hike in too. We chose Lakes Trail, a ~12-mile round trip hike that covers alpine lakes, granite peaks, pine forests, elevation, and a more – a hiker’s dream! It took us about 7 hours – starting around 9:00am and ending around 4:00pm. You can camp here in some areas, but we opted for a day hike. There was plenty of parking when we arrived.
Tip: If you hike Lakes Trail in the summer, pack a bathing suit and a towel so you can enjoy the natural lakes you will encounter on this hike.
On our way to the trailhead, you better believe we stopped for coffee. Check out Sequoia Coffee Company to enjoy a cup of joe from a local joint. Lakes Trail starts at the Wolverton trailhead. Hiking among the trees, we ascended through the High Sierra backcountry. Within just a few minutes, we saw deer on the trail (no bears through) so watch out for wildlife and of course respect mother nature.
We opted for the Watch Tower trail, and we are so glad we did! The views of the vast granite walls were magnificent. Four miles in, we stumbled upon the first lake - Heather Lake. Heather Lake was a bit swampy and definitely the most populated, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. We kept cruising to Emerald Lake, where we stopped for a refreshing summer swim in the basin waters. After cooling off and passing Aster Lake from above, we finally reached Pear Lake.
After hiking over 12 miles, our legs were quite wobbly, but we couldn’t visit Sequoia National Park without passing through the Big Trees Trail. So, we ventured to the trail and did a nice cool down walk. Big Trees Trail is a leisurely ~1 mile trail winding through Giant Sequoia Trees rooted in the meadows, accessible to everyone (except pups).
For dinner, we scooped up our dog and met some friends at Three Rivers Brewing Company for drinks and food from their Mexican food truck. We enjoyed their relaxed, dog-friendly outdoor space situated above the Kaweah River.
Day 3 – After clocking over 15+ miles in total the day before and with the long drive ahead of us, we opted to drive back to San Diego without revisiting the park. For those driving south, it’s worth the stop at Porto’s Bakery in Burbank to fill your belly with delicious baked goods and pastries.
Giant Sequoias in Sequoia National Park
Copyright © 2024 Trail 2 chaise - All Rights Reserved.
Powered by GoDaddy
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.