Best Time to See Sequoia National Park's Amazing Trees and Trails

Best Time to See Sequoia National Park's Amazing Trees and Trails

Sequoia National Park

    Sequoia National Park is home to some of the world's largest trees, some reaching upwards of 275 feet tall!  This National Park spans over 400 acres of land in central California and gets over 1,000,000 visitors yearly.  With Sequoia National Park being in central California, it's important to pick a good time to go to experience all it has to offer.

Why to Visit During Summer

Weather

    The weather in Sequoia National Park is constantly changing.  In the winter months, lows can be in the low 20s with large amounts of snow on the ground making it difficult to drive or go on hiking trails.  However, in the winter you can expect to see bright blue skies with an average temperature of 60 to 70 degrees during the day and lows being in the 40s at night.  Overall, expect nice warm weather perfect for hiking and exploring during the months of May, June, July, and August.

Hiking

General Sherman Tree

    There are hundreds of fun trails in Sequoia National Park ranging in difficulty from beginner all the way to expert.  During most of the colder months many trails can get closed down due to obstructions or hazards in the trails due to snow fall.  Some beginner trails I would recommend that offer great views are the General Sherman Tree Trail and the Big Trees Trail.  However, if you want something more challenging I suggest the Giant Forest Loop that shows you the great scale of this park. 

Things to Consider

Parking

General's Highway

    As with most things, with every positive comes a negative.  With going to most national parks in the summer comes with the burden of parking.  Once you finally get into the park (which can take upwards of an hour) you are now tasked with where to park in order to experience the nature and the hikes.  To minimize the headaches that may come from trying to find a last minute parking spots, here are three tips.  Firstly, try to go during weekdays.  Trust me, this saves a lot of time.  Secondly, most parking lots near popular areas like the already mentioned General Sherman tree typically fill up before noon.  With that being said, the earlier you can go the better.  Lastly, make sure your tank is full with gas before entering because once you get into the park, it can be hard to get out unless you are done for the day.

All in all, the small pain of parking is well worth the beautiful views and record breaking trees.  

Here are some more helpful resources:

Best Trails in Sequoia National Park

Getting Around Sequoia National Park