GIANT SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, CA

Established in 1890, the Giant Sequoia National Park is located in southern Sierra Nevada, east of Visalia in California. The park has an expanse of over 400,000 acres, encompassing a diverse vertical relief of about of 13,000 feet. The highest point in the 48 continuous states is located here – Mount Whitney, at a height of over 14,505 feet above sea level. The park is adjacent and located to the south of the Kings Canyon National Park, both of which are administered by the National Park Service. This park is a testament to the beauty and variety offered by Mother Nature, as its rugged foothills, huge mountains and deep caverns exist symbiotically with charming meadows tucked away in corners, teeming with all types and sizes of wildlife, as well as some of the world’s tallest trees.

The park is famous for, and named after the Giant Sequoia trees that inhabit the area. The General Sherman Tree, located in the Giant Forest, is the tallest tree in the world. This forest contains, in terms of wood volume, 5 out of the ten largest trees in the world, and is connected to the Kings Canyon National Park’s General Grant Grove through the Generals Highway. Indeed, it is due to the isolated nature of the park, and the fact that it is not generally teeming with tourists, bikers and hikers, that it has been able to maintain and preserve the look of the original southern Sierra Nevada landscape before the Euro-American settlements.

Nearly 84% of both the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park is designated as ‘wilderness’ and is accessible only on foot or bikes. The lower elevations that exist around the Ash Mountains consist mostly of blue-oak woodlands, foothills chaparral, grasslands, and a few relatively steep, yet mild river valleys. This southern entrance near the town of Three Rivers has become popular with tourists as it provides a gradual move to higher elevations, which are in fact famous for their sequoia trees, coniferous belt, lodgepole pine trees, and white & red fir. In between the trees there are lush, sprawling meadows. There are amazing alpine wonders in store as well, which are seen as one moves along the High Sierra biking Trail. There is the Kaweah River Drainage that is a must see, a classic V-shaped river valley that will leave tourists spellbound. There is a perfect U-shaped canyon near the Kern River Drainage, which is also close to a hot spring that is considered as one of the most serene relaxation spots along the trails. At Mount Whitney, this trail intersects the John Muir Trail and continues into the epic Pacific Crest Trail, which leads travellers straight into the charming forests of Kings Canyon National Park. There is also the Sherman Trail, which is a paved trail through a grove of imposing and majestic sequoia trees at the base of which lies the famous General Sherman Tree.

This park is therefore one of the best spots in the country for undertaking mountain biking tours, or even hiking, with numerous exciting trails and exquisite natural beauty.