Thar' Be Giants!

The General Sherman Tree. Sequoia National Park. At 311 ft tall, 40 ft wide, and about 3,200 years of age, it is not the tallest or widest or oldest tree. But, based on its volume of 52,500 cubic ft (1,489 cubic meters) and its 1,385 tons (1,256.4 metric tonnes) of mass, it reigns as the largest tree on the planet. It has a 103ft (31 meters) circumference at the base! Nearby information says that a 6ft tall person looking up into the heights of the tree is equivalent to a mouse looking up at a 6ft tall human!

Having a brother and sister-in-law who live about an hour from Sequoia National Park is a definite perk! This means I am routinely tempted to take a detour over to the big trees on my way home to the Bay Area. A couple of weekends ago, after a visit, I gave in to the temptation and took myself up into the western Sierra Nevadas to say “hi” to the Giants. This was a shorter visit to the Giant Forest, just for a few hours. But, fortunately, it also just happens to be a preeminent trail for some of the giant-est giants anywhere!

So it worked out great.

I hope you enjoy the video! After you view it, I have some additional thoughts below.

It’s the Congress Trail. Get it?

Thoughts and Suggestions

• Remember to roll down your window at about 5000 ft to catch those first whiffs of the Giant Sequoias’ fragrance. Even if there were no signs to tell you where you are, by that beautiful scent, you will know you have arrived in the Giant Forest.

• The Congress Trail is a great trail to hike with little ones. The last leg of it, back to the parking lot, is a heart pumper so just be aware. Worth it! Worth the work of getting back to your car!

• Remember food on the trail could attract bears so it’s not the time to bring your favorite liverwurst sandwich. And, don’t leave food out in your car where a bear could smell it or see it.

• Never approach or get between a mama bear and her cubs. That could evoke the wrong kind of bear memory.

• Do not rush this trail. Especially take your time in the House and Senate groups.

• Stop in at the Visitor Centers and the Giant Forest Museum if they’re open, for a fascinating deeper dive into the natural history of the area. Visitor Centers in any of the National Park are the BEST!

• If you would like to make a day of it, consider hiking the Crescent Meadow trail, too, and walking up to the top of Moro Rock. These trails are all doable with kids (I’ve done it a few times when my kids were young) and give a broader perspective of Sequoia NP, beyond the Giants (although I could happily stay among these trees for days and days). All three trails are relatively easy and very doable in a day trip.

• Come early and preferably on a weekday during the summer months. The crowds can be fierce. The park is open 24/7 so the earlier the better.

• Cards only to pay for your entrance. Cash, as of May 2025, is no longer allowed.

• As memories of past trips to Sequoia return with more clarity, I realize that, yes, the Sliding Tree was on the Congress Trail, but the jungle gym tree and the Hobbit Hole tree are on the nearby Crescent Meadow Trail.

• I think I must return to the Crescent Meadow Trail and Moro Rock soon, perhaps with my next visit to my brother and sister-in-law—please stay tuned!

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