Day Trip to Sequoia National Park

We stopped in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks on our drive from Joshua Tree National Park to Yosemite National Park.

Sequoia gave us a bit of climate shock, and we underestimated just how cold it would be high in the Sierras.

We woke up that morning in the hot Mojave desert in Joshua Tree.

High in the Sierras, it was cold and wet and there was still snow on the ground in some areas.

We were underdressed for our short hike to see the giant Sequoia tree, General Sherman, the largest living tree on Earth.

We had to leave our Airstream (along with all of our clothes) at the base of the mountain because of size restrictions on the winding mountain roads. We were fortunate that Katie suggested we throw our jackets in the car before driving up the mountain.

We drove about half an hour up the mountain to the trailhead for General Sherman. Despite the wet and cold, the trail area was crowded. It seemed everyone in the park converged on General Sherman.

Only a Day at Sequoia

If I only had a day at Sequoia National Park, I would visit General Sherman. It’s worth a day trip just for the novelty of the thing. Who doesn’t want to see the largest living tree on Earth?

Also, on the drive into the high Sierras, you’ll pass a park visitor center where you can learn more about the park, and you will also have ample opportunity to pull over for incredible long range views of the Sierras.

Our Sequoia Photos

Here are some of the photos from our visit. You’ll see we’re in shorts, and everyone else is bundled up for cold weather.

Also, Katie snapped a pretty cool vertical panoramic shot of Wilson and me standing in front of General Sherman. Pretty creative, Katie.