"Land of the Giants" a Sequoia National Park Travel Page by goingsolo

Sequoia National Park was named and established for the immense towering trees that mark its landscape. In fact, the park contains the world's largest concentration of sequoias.

The trees capture the attention of visitors in much the same way as the granite domes of Yosemite do in that they are unique in their number as well as their massive size. Its quite entertaining to watch people crouch down and point their zoom lenses optimistically upward, hoping to catch a photo of an entire fully grown sequoia.

Aside from a few roads, much of Sequoia National Park is designated wilderness. In fact, one can backpack to a spot that is farther from a road than anywhere else in the lower 48. At least, that's what National Geographic says.

Much like adjacent King's Canyon, Sequoia is far less crowded than northern neighbor Yosemite. To me, a less crowded park is more fun to visit. There are no shuttle buses, traffic jams or hordes of tourists, unless you're trying to get a look at General Sherman

Many of Sequoia's main visitor attractions center around the tall trees, but there is more to see and do in this park. A hike up the 400 or so steps to the top of Moro Rock will reward you with an incredible view. Drive up Mineral King Road for some high altitiude hiking. Or visit the underground Crystal Cave. But any visit to the park will involve the sequoias, because, after all, that's why this area became a national park in the first place.