Your first stop if you’re heading North into Sequoia NP. A good place to stretch, pickup maps and get good advice from friendly park rangers.

On the Generals Highway (main park road) 1 mile (1.6km) from Sequoia Park entrance at Highway 198. In the foothills oaks & chaparral; elevation 1500 feet (457m).

Exhibits – Summer: 8am-5pm. Fall – Spring: 8am-4:30pm. Focus here on the Sierran foothills, the most biologically diverse area of these parks! Stop and learn about this fascinating ecosystem; few acres of it are protected outside this park.

Lots of potential on this two hour hike, but we made it half way through before turning back. Why? Those nasty flying bugs. Take my advice – bring Deep Woods Off, and remember to spray your head.

It’s worth it to get to the top. Yes, it’s four hundred narrow steps, and yes, you’re at 6000-7000 feet above sea level, but the view is simply breathtaking.

Though the 1 hour tour into this cave costs $10/person (and no, your National Park Pass doesn’t let you bypass the fee – we tried), it’s worth it. To go from the heights of the sequoias to the innermost stalactites and stalagmites of this below the surface cave was absolutely amazing.

Bring a light jacket. Tickets are bought at the Lodgepole vistor center. Allow yourself 1.5 hours from the time you leave Lodgepole till you’re at the front entrance to Crystal Cave (the drive to the cave from Lodgepole takes 45 minutes, and there is a half hour hike down to the cave from the parking/restroom area). Take my advice – tour the cave in the early/middle afternoon when the sun is strongest. Your body will thank you.

The General Sherman Tree is the largest tree in the world – by volume, not height (Redwood trees are taller). This is one chunky piece of wood! The newly built, meandering, paved path takes you through to the General Sherman and other beautiful sequoia trees in the Giant Forest area. Truth be told, I’m not sure if we actually did the short Congress Trail hike (signs in this NP are wanting), but it didn’t matter.

This is not quite the hike to go on if you want to get away from it all! Most visitors to the park make this a stopping place – but for good reason. This area is a definite “don’t miss.”

A small, but informative, musem built in what used to be visitor central of Sequoia National Park. Great exhibits showcasing not only the Sequoia tress, but also how NP conservation and management has evolved through the years. To see some of the pictures of yesteryear makes you all the more grateful (and appreciative) for the way it is now.

No entry fee.

During the summer, there are two evening campfire talks (the topic changes daily) with a park ranger. The one we went to was at 7:30pm at Wuksachi Lodge; the other is at 8pm at Lodgepole. It was great! At this one, we learned about edible plants in the NP, and what you and can’t collect (about a pint of berries (or mushrooms, or herb)/person/day).

No attendance fee, but respray the the Deep Woods Off.