This past week I had family that came up to visit. One of the things that they wanted to do while in the area was visit Sequoia National Park and see the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree in the world. The park is about a 2.5 hour drive from my house so this would be a day trip to see the park and do a little hiking (more like walking). I chose to enter the park through the south west entrance by way of Visalia.
This would have us drive to the General Sherman Tree via CA-198. As we entered the park we were warned by a park ranger that there were significant road construction delays about half an hour into the park and that we could expect a delay for up to an hour. This is exactly what happened. The work on CA-198 in the park has been on going for the past two years and the crewman that I spoke to estimated that the construction should be done in the next few months although any significant weather could change that timeline by a large amount. If you go to the park by this route with in the next year, I would be prepared for traffic delays. That being said, the drive into the park affords plenty of magnificent views
and a chance to see some of the local wildlife.
On our drive we even saw a young black bear that was in a tree!
After arriving at the General Sherman parking area, we began our walk down to the tree.
The trail down to the tree is fully paved and well marked with plenty of other visitors on the path. From the parking lot to the actual tree itself there is a fairly steep decent. This can become an issue when returning to the parking area with older or out of shape family members as the General Sherman Tree is located at about 6,000′ elevation. There are plenty of rest benches along the route. On the route down to the tree there are a few observation points that really highlight just how massive the tree actually is.
Once arriving at the base of the tree the size of it really impresses you. This thing is huge! Compare the lady at the bottom left of the photo with the base of the tree.
After spending some time gaping at the General Sherman Tree, we decided to hike (once again more like walk) the Congress Trail. The Congress Trail is another paved path through the Giant Forest where the General Sherman Tree is located. The trail starts near the base of the General Sherman Tree and consists of a roughly 2 mile loop that brings you back to the base of the General Sherman Tree. The Congress Trail is considered “easy” by the National Park Service and there is little elevation change during the hike.
The Congress Trail winds through the Giant Forest and affords sights of several other Giant Sequoias. Some of the trees on the trail are named but many are not. A few notable trees and collections of trees on the path are:
The President
Chief Sequoyah
The Senate
The House
Walking through the Giant Forest makes you think that this must be how a mouse feels walking through a normal forest. It is truly an impressive trek. Even though the Congress Trail seemed to be one of the more heavily traveled paths in the park, it still presented an opportunity to see some of the park wildlife up close
All in all, a day trip into Sequoia National Park and to the General Sherman Tree is a great experience if you are in the area. If you drive into the park to see the General Sherman Tree, take the time to walk the Congress Trail and get away from the main area. This is a great way to see the Giant Forest and the path is well maintained and an easy hike.
