Sequoia National Park: What to See and How to Visit It

Sequoia National Park is one of the most important national parks in the entire Sierra Nevada mountain range, and it is located in California. Why are we talking about it in this article? Because it is a natural wonder, and we want to give you as much information as possible on what to see and how to visit the park. 

Sequoia National Park: What to See and How to Visit

We like to think of Sequoia National Park as one of those natural parks that can “put you back in your place.” That’s because walking into the forest and looking up at the sky from the foot of the giant sequoias makes you realize just how small we really are compared to the majesty of nature. 

Feeling small, feeling powerless: this is one of the strongest emotions you experience when visiting the park! And that feeling is amplified when visiting the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on the planet.

Of course, at Sequoia you will not only find trees, but also rivers, waterfalls, lakes, caves, and even Mount Whitney, the highest point in the United States (if we do not consider Alaska).

Where is Sequoia National Park located?

Sequoia National Park is the national park that protects the forested and mountainous area in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Tulare County, east of the town of Visalia, California. The park is quite large! It covers 1,635 km2 and rises above 4,000 meters in elevation thanks to the presence of Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the contiguous United States (at 4,421 m).

Right on the park’s northeastern border lies another natural area called Kings Canyon National Park. This is where the canyon of the same name and other groves of sequoia trees are located. 

When searching online, there is often a lot of confusion about these two parks, which are frequently mentioned together without clearly explaining their actual differences and locations.
In reality, they are two different parks, but they are easy to visit together thanks to their proximity and shared features. 
 

Which areas of Sequoia National Park can be visited?

Sequoia National Park has 3 visitor areas: 

• Giant Forest & Lodgepole 
• Mineral King
• The Foothills

But now let’s move on to the big question you are surely asking yourselves: where are the sequoias? The largest groves where you can admire these magnificent trees are in the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, where the General Sherman Tree is located.

To truly understand the vastness and grandeur of the park, keep in mind that only 16% of its territory is accessible to visitors. The rest is wild land with no roads. For this reason, a quick look at the map will show you that the park entrances are all on the west side, and it is not possible to enter by crossing the Sierra Nevada. So if you want to visit the park and you are coming from Death Valley or the Eastern Sierra area, you will necessarily have to go around the mountain range.   

Now you know everything (or almost everything!) about this beautiful park. What you probably do not know is that you can come and visit it with us! In fact, our California tour includes a stop there. Take a look at the itinerary.