Towering Trees & Mountain Peaks in Sequoia National Park

With 1.5 million visitors per year, Sequoia National Park receives a fraction of the traffic that its famous neighbor to the north—Yosemite—does. While avoiding the 5 million annual visitors to Yosemite could be reason enough to head to Sequoia, this stunning national park offers a wealth of outdoor beauty and adventure all its own.

Sequoia National Park is home to preeminent organisms and mountain peaks that know no rival anywhere else on the continent... or on planet earth. Most notably, the General Sherman Tree is arguably the focal point of the entire park. "The General Sherman Tree is the world's largest tree, measured by volume," according to the NPS. "It stands 275 feet (83 m) tall, and is over 36 feet (11 m) in diameter at the base. Sequoia trunks remain wide high up. Sixty feet above the base, the Sherman Tree is 17.5 feet (5.3 m) in diameter." Surrounding the General Sherman Tree is the Congress Grove, one of the largest and most beautiful groves of sequoias in the world.

On the eastern edge of the park, Mount Whitney soars to a height of 14,505 feet above sea level, claiming the title of "tallest mountain in the lower 48 states." While most of the classic route to the top of Whitney via the Whitney Portal lies outside the national park boundary, if you approach Whitney from the west instead, you'll hike entirely within Sequoia National Park.

Other top hikes in Sequoia National Park include the lengthy route known as the Lakes Trail, which is widely regarded as one of the most incredible day hikes in the entire USA! Outshining the Lakes Trail on sheer length and epicness, the 62-mile High Sierra Trail crosses the entire Sierra Nevada Range, largely within the bounds of Sequoia National Park.

And this is just a taste of the many adventures that await in Sequoia National Park! Dive deep into this guidebook to discover what other magical sights and experiences could await you if you choose Sequoia National Park for your next adventure destination.