With its giant mountains and deep canyons, Sequoia National Park is one of the absolute
most gorgeous wilderness destinations in the state of California.
Whether you’re a California resident or visiting from out of state, there’s plenty
to enjoy about the beautiful national park.
From journeying into Boyden Cavern to checking out the manmade shelter of Tharp’s Log,
join ViewCation as we explore the best things to do in Sequoia National Park.
Journey Into Boyden Cavern Boyden Cavern is a privately owned cavern
located within Sequoia National Park, and it features some incredibly impressive crystal
structures within!
Visitors will take a short and steep hike into the cavern and then be treated to some
of the most bewildering sights in the region.
Since Boyden Cavern is privately owned, there are consistent tours being held down into
the cavern’s depths.
Though the hike into the cavern is a little steep, the tours are great for families.
Go Out on the Waters of Hume Lake If you’re looking for a beautiful lake located
within Sequoia National Park, Hume Lake has you covered!
While the beautiful lake used to function as a water supply for a nearby channel, it
stands today as an open lake that visitors and locals alike can swim in at their leisure.
You’ll also see plenty of people going out on the lake with paddleboats!
Hike the High Sierra Trail The High Sierra Trail is one of the more popular
hiking trails located within Sequoia National Park, though it can be incredibly daunting
due to its nearly 50-mile length.
Although the High Sierra Trail is long, it’s not all that challenging and shouldn’t pose
much of a threat to beginning hikers.
There’s no law saying that you have to hike the entire trail at once, and taking it slow
can really help visitors get a chance to appreciate the gorgeous scenery found along its length.
The High Sierra Trail crosses the mountain range of the Sierra Nevada, and grants hikers
the chance to see all of the beautiful views that the range offers from within its midst.
Though there are plenty of other hiking opportunities to be had while visiting Sequoia National
Park, few are quite as memorable or momentous as taking the High Sierra Trail.
Climb the Massive Granite Dome of Moro Rock If you’re looking for incredible hikes in
Sequoia National Park, many of them can be found via the network of hiking trials known
as the Giant Forest.
One of these hiking trails is the Moro Rock Trail, which takes hikers to its namesake
Moro Rock.
Moro Rock is a gigantic granite formation that resembles the shape of a dome, and it
features over 300 stone steps that will take hikers to its summit.
From there, they’ll be treated with incredible views of the greater Sequoia National Park.
While the hike up to Moro Rock can certainly be a bit intimidating thanks to the climb,
it’s well worth it both for the views and to say that you’ve been to the top!
While climbing the granite dome is a must if you’re up for it, visitors to Sequoia
National Park should also take every opportunity they can to view the impressive landmark from
afar.
Visit the Subalpine Glacial Valley of Mineral King
Another great location within Sequoia National Park to find plentiful hiking opportunities
is the subalpine glacial valley that goes by the name of Mineral King.
Visitors should note that the valley features a slightly higher elevation than much of the
surrounding California wilderness, which means that it can be a bit more difficult to hike
around in Mineral King than it is in other places mentioned in this video.
However, those that have lung capacity will be greatly rewarded with the surplus of beautiful
views in every direction.
Mineral King sits a ways towards the south of Sequoia National Park.
Drive Through National Park’s Tunnel Log In terms of interesting landmarks, a few things
in Sequoia National Park have Tunnel Log beat.
In 1937, a giant sequoia tree fell onto the road and began wreaking havoc for travelers.
Nearby residents knew that they were going to have to do something about the new traffic
problem, but the tree was too massive to be moved with the technology of the time.
Realizing that they had no way of moving the tree, residents figured that they were going
to have to find another way to allow drivers to start getting back through the road.
Since they couldn’t get the tree out of the way, a tunnel was carved through the massive
sequoia that allowed drivers to pass through without obstacles.
This tunnel became known as Tunnel Log, thanks to its decidedly unique formation.
Tunnel Long stands today as one of the preeminent tourist destinations within Sequoia National
Park, and visitors can choose to either drive through the tunnel or walk through it.
Drivers traveling the country by way of recreational vehicles should keep in mind, however, that
the maximum height for vehicles passing through Tunnel Log is only eight feet.
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See the Stunning Mount Whitney in Person Mount Whitney is notable not only for being
the tallest mountain within the aforementioned Sierra Nevada mountain range but also for
being the tallest mountain within the mainland of the United States!
The staggeringly huge mountain stands at a height of nearly 15,000 feet tall, and there’s
a trail leading all the way up to the top of its summit!
The hike up Mount Whitney typically takes travelers around two days, though advanced
hikers may be able to get it done in one.
The round trip up the mountain and back is only a little over 20 miles, though the steep
climb makes these miles a good deal more intense than they would be otherwise.
Hiking up Mount Whitney is understandably a very popular pastime amongst tourists visiting
Sequoia National Park, though it’s certainly not for everyone!
Even if you aren’t up for the challenge of climbing all the way to the top, visitors
can still get plenty out of peering up at the gigantic mountain from its base, or viewing
it from afar.
Check Out the Biggest Tree on Earth If you’ve come to Sequoia National Park
to check out its surplus of giant sequoia trees, the granddaddy of them all is undoubtedly
the General Sherman Tree.
This massive tree is known as the largest tree in the entire world, and some scientists
estimate that the tree is nearly 3,000 years old!
The tree stands at a staggering 275 feet in height, and also boasts a width of nearly
40 feet.
To make matters even more impressive, the tree is still growing to this day!
Given the General Sherman Tree’s status as the biggest tree in the entire world, it
should come as no surprise that the tree is one of the main things drawing tourists to
Sequoia National Park from across the globe.
Many will travel all the way around the planet to get a glimpse of the legendary tree, and
those that find themselves visiting Sequoia National Park for other purposes will certainly
be remiss if they don’t head over and get a look at the tree for themselves.
Check Out Crystal Cave Alongside Boyden Cavern, Crystal Cave is another
gorgeous underground destination that will grant visitors the opportunity to gaze upon
some marvelous crystal structures.
There are said to be well over 200 caves located throughout Sequoia National Park, but Crystal
Cave is arguably the most impressive.
The cave is located within the aforementioned area of the Giant Forest.
There is a trail leading through the cave that takes visitors on a half-mile loop, allowing
them the chance to see all the beauty within the cave itself.
In terms of the geological wonders to see, the marble odyssey through Crystal Cave is
hard to beat!
Go Horseback Riding With the plethora of hiking trails available
to tourists visiting Sequoia National Park, it’d take a long time before they’ve seen
everything that the stunning region has to offer.
If you’ve exhausted yourself from hiking too much, you can take a break and let a horse
do all of the work for you!
While hiking is inarguably one of the preeminent outdoor activities for tourists to take part
in while visiting Sequoia National Park, horseback riding is nearly just as popular.
There are numerous venues offering horseback rides to tourists visiting Sequoia National
Park, and you’ll likely have no problem finding one providing the perfect option to
fit your needs.
Taking in the lush sights of Sequoia National Park’s scenery while on horseback is an
incomparable experience.
Visit the Giant Forest Museum While we’ve already spoken in brief about
the Giant Forest, those visiting the popular wilderness area should be sure to journey
into the Giant Forest Museum.
This museum was put in place to help give visitors a proper context before venturing
out and seeing the beautiful sights of the forest.
Though the numerous sights to be seen within the Giant Forest are plenty impressive without
knowing their historical importance, journeying through the Giant Forest Museum before hiking
through the Giant Forest makes things that much more special.
The Giant Forest Museum will give visitors an idea of just how important the many giant
sequoias found within Sequoia National Park really are.
Check Out the Manmade Shelter of Tharp’s Log
If you’ve seen Tunnel Log and still don’t feel that you’ve had your fill of carved
out sequoias, Tharp’s Log has you covered!
Tharp’s Log is a manmade shelter that was carved out of a giant sequoia log.
Carving out the shelter must’ve taken a great deal of work, and it stands today as
a stunning landmark for tourists.
Tharp’s Log is no ramshackle shelter, as the landmark essentially resembles a cabin,
complete with its own stone chimney.
The shelter was built by a man by the name of Hale Tharp, granting the log its name.
Sequoia National Park more than deserves its status as one of the preeminent wilderness
destinations for tourists the world over.
Now it’s time to hear from you: did you know that Sequoia National Park is home to
the largest tree in the world and that the national park is also home to the highest
mountain within the mainland of the United States?
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