Explore the towering giants of Sequoia National Park through guided hikes, off-road SUV excursions, and flexible self-guided audio drives. Choose from nighttime stargazing sessions to private winter trips tailored to your group's pace.
Free Cancellation Tour General Sherman, Tunnel Log, and Crescent Meadow on a six-hour guided trip with lunch from Three Rivers.
Free Cancellation Drive through Sequoia and Kings Canyon with an offline audio guide calibrated for your whole vehicle.
Free Cancellation A guided small-group day trip through Sequoia National Park, covering General Sherman, Moro Rock, and the Giant Forest.
Free Cancellation Tour Sequoia and Kings Canyon in a 4WD SUV with former national park rangers guiding your private group.
Free Cancellation Drive Sequoia and Kings Canyon with an offline, GPS-triggered audio guide that narrates stops along the way.
Free Cancellation Ride through the Giant Forest to General Sherman, Moro Rock, and Tunnel Log with a picnic lunch included.
Free Cancellation Learn to read the constellations under Sequoia National Park's dark mountain skies on a guided night tour.
Free Cancellation Ride through Sequoia and Kings Canyon in a private four-wheel-drive SUV guided by former national park rangers.
Free Cancellation Walk Sequoia's trails with a 20-year naturalist guide, pairing forest ecology with guided meditation.
Free Cancellation Drive Sequoia National Park with offline audio covering General Sherman, Moro Rock, and forest ecology.
Read what travelers share about their experience visiting Sequoia National Park — from practical tips to personal highlights.
Sequoia National Park protects the largest trees on Earth by volume within 865,964 acres of the southern Sierra Nevada. Tours focus on the Giant Forest, Moro Rock, and the General Sherman Tree. You'll navigate steep mountain roads climbing from 1,370 feet in the foothills to over 6,000 feet in the sequoia groves. The elevation changes dictate the weather, the crowds, and your route.
Walk the paved half-mile path to the world's largest tree by volume. It holds 52,508 cubic feet of wood and stands 274.9 feet tall. Exhibits along the trail explain its 2,000-year growth cycle.
Climb 400 concrete steps carved into a 6,725-foot granite dome. The summit provides 360-degree views of the Great Western Divide and Kaweah River canyon. Go early to avoid the midday heat.
Drive or walk through the largest unlogged sequoia grove on Earth. The two-mile Congress Trail connects the Sherman Tree to other massive specimens like the President Tree. Summer shuttles reduce traffic here.
Pass through a fallen giant sequoia with a car-sized hole cut into its trunk. The tree fell across the Crescent Meadow Road in 1937 and remains a primary photo stop. Expect a line of cars waiting to drive through.
Descend a steep half-mile trail to enter a marble cavern kept at a constant 48°F. Ranger-led tours last 50 minutes and require advance tickets purchased in Three Rivers. You cannot buy tickets at the cave entrance.
Booking a tour requires deciding between driving yourself with an audio guide or hiring a local driver to handle the mountain switchbacks. Guided trips save your brakes and eliminate parking stress at busy trailheads.
Guided tours use 15-passenger vans or 4WD SUVs to navigate the 130 switchbacks on the Generals Highway. Self-guided audio tours cost $12–$25 and use GPS to trigger commentary in your own vehicle. Audio apps work offline once downloaded.
Most tours do not include the $35 private vehicle entrance fee. Non-US residents over 16 face an additional $100 per person surcharge unless they hold an America the Beautiful pass. The park is entirely cashless at the gates.
Full-day guided tours usually include a sandwich lunch (turkey, ham, tuna, or vegetarian) and water. You must email your choice 24 hours in advance. If driving yourself, fill your gas tank in Three Rivers because the park has no fuel stations.
The 500-foot trail to the General Sherman Tree is paved and wheelchair accessible. Free manual wheelchairs are available at the Giant Forest Museum on a first-come basis. Summer shuttle buses in the park are also wheelchair accessible.
Snow closes the Mineral King and Cedar Grove areas entirely from December through March. Generals Highway between Wuksachi Lodge and Quail Flat often closes, restricting travel between the Sherman and Grant trees. Tire chains are frequently required.
Specialized tours offer night stargazing with laser pointers and reclining chairs away from Central Valley light pollution. Another option is a five-hour transformative day hike focused on forest ecology and meditation. Book these separately from standard sightseeing loops.
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| Small-Group Van Tour | Private SUV Tour | Self-Guided Audio Tour | Guided Stargazing | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duration | 7 hours | 4 hours | Flexible | 1.5 hours |
| Transportation | 15-passenger van | 4WD SUV | Your own vehicle | None (meet on site) |
| Includes | Lunch, snacks, local guide | Ex-ranger guide, snacks, water | GPS audio app, offline map | Laser pointer, reclining chairs |
| Price from | $300 | $349 | $12 | $200 |
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Sequoia National Park is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can drive through the gates at any time, though winter storms frequently close high-elevation roads until plows clear them.
Visitor centers operate on seasonal schedules. The Foothills Visitor Center and Giant Forest Museum generally open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The Kings Canyon Visitor Center closes on Tuesdays. Services at Mineral King and Cedar Grove shut down entirely from late fall through spring.
The Ash Mountain Entrance sits on Highway 198, about 36 miles east of Visalia and 225 miles north of Los Angeles. Driving from LA takes roughly four hours without traffic.
Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT) is the closest major commercial hub, located about an hour and 45 minutes from the Sequoia entrance. From late May to early September, the Sequoia Shuttle runs from the Visalia Transit Center into the park for about $20 round-trip.
June through September provides the most reliable access to all park areas. Temperatures in the sequoia groves stay comfortable, and the free park shuttles run daily. This is also the most crowded season.
Late September and October bring fewer crowds and pleasant hiking weather in the foothills. December through March guarantees heavy snow. You will need tire chains, and many areas like Mineral King become inaccessible.
April and May carry a specific risk. Sudden snowstorms still hit the higher elevations, and the melting snowpack turns rivers into swift, dangerously cold currents.
A paved, 500-foot trail leads directly to the General Sherman Tree. It includes benches and educational exhibits. The main Sherman Tree trail is a half-mile long and involves stairs and an uphill return.
You can borrow free manual wheelchairs at the Giant Forest Museum, Lodgepole Visitor Center, or Kings Canyon Visitor Center on a first-come, first-served basis. They must be returned by closing time.
During summer and holiday periods, the park operates free shuttle buses in the Giant Forest and Lodgepole areas. These buses are wheelchair accessible, featuring kneeling mechanisms or lifts.
The park does not accept cash at the entrance stations. You must pay the $35 vehicle fee with a credit card, debit card, or mobile payment. Cash is only accepted inside the Foothills and Kings Canyon Visitor Centers.
Fuel is not available inside Sequoia National Park. Fill your tank in Three Rivers before driving up the mountain. Stony Creek Village offers seasonal gas, but it is unreliable year-round.
Food storage is strictly enforced. You must store all food and scented items in the provided bear-proof metal lockers at trailheads and campgrounds. Leaving food in your car will result in a fine and a broken window.
Drones and all remotely piloted aircraft are banned everywhere in the park. Climbing giant sequoia trees requires a specific permit.
Most tours do not cover the $35 per vehicle entrance fee. Non-US residents over 16 face an additional $100 per person surcharge unless they hold an America the Beautiful pass. You pay this directly to the park.
No. You must download the app and the specific tour over Wi-Fi before you arrive. Once downloaded, the app uses your phone's internal GPS to trigger the audio automatically as you drive.
Private SUV tours cannot accommodate wheelchairs, but some van tours can fit a folding wheelchair in the back. The free summer shuttle buses operated by the park are fully wheelchair accessible.
Operators typically provide a sandwich lunch and bottled water. You choose between turkey, ham, tuna salad, vegetarian, or peanut butter and jelly by emailing the company 24 hours before departure.
Yes. Audio tours and private SUV tours often cover both parks, driving past the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia and the General Grant Tree in Kings Canyon. It requires a full day of driving.
The Generals Highway features 130 switchbacks and climbs thousands of feet in elevation very quickly. If you are prone to motion sickness, take medication before leaving Three Rivers.
Tours park at the main Wolverton Road lot or the accessible lot on Generals Highway. From there, you walk a paved half-mile path directly to the base of the tree.
Heavy snow often closes the road between the Giant Forest and Grant Grove. Tour operators adjust their routes to stay in accessible areas and provide microspikes for walking on icy trails.
Some small-group tours offer pickup at hotels in Three Rivers or Wuksachi Lodge. Others require you to meet the guide at a central location like the Giant Forest Museum.
Pets are banned on all park trails. If you take a self-guided audio tour in your own car, your dog can ride along, but you cannot leave them unattended in the vehicle while you hike.
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This six-hour tour leaves Three Rivers to hit Sequoia's signature spots: the General Sherman Tree, the Tunnel Log, and Crescent Meadow. The company running the trip has guided in this valley longer than anyone else. That background shows on the road. Drivers slip into quiet roadside turnouts between the famous groves, keeping you clear of the thickest crowds. Midway through, the group stops for a picnic lunch along a creek or meadow edge. Walks at each site are short and stick to level paths. Bring sneakers; heavy hiking boots are unnecessary. The tour requires guests to be at least eight years old. If you want ten miles of switchbacks, skip it—this trip is built for easy sightseeing.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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This self-guided driving tour runs through Sequoia National Park and continues north into Kings Canyon. You'll drive past General Sherman—the largest living tree on Earth by volume—and along the granite overlooks above Kings River. The audio covers early Paiute hunting grounds and the ill-fated 1880s socialist colony that attempted to log the giant sequoias before federal protection kicked in. Plan for a full afternoon behind the wheel. One purchase covers everyone in your car. Cell service disappears quickly as you climb into the mountains, so download the Action Tour Guide app over home or hotel Wi-Fi before entering the park. Once you enter the tour password and load the route, the app runs offline via GPS, firing audio automatically as you approach each landmark. The tour purchase includes lifetime access with no expiration date. If snow chains or roadwork shut down Generals Highway during your visit, save the download and finish the loop on another trip. Keep your phone plugged into the car charger, as offline GPS tracks drain phone batteries within a few hours.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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This day trip covers Sequoia's main sights in a small-group van loop. That spares you driving the 130 switchbacks up Generals Highway. You'll walk the paved half-mile path through the Giant Forest to General Sherman, the largest tree on earth by wood volume. Parking there backs up for hours in summer; the guide drops you straight at the trailhead. From there, the route heads to Moro Rock. Reaching the summit takes 350 concrete steps carved into the bare granite ridge at 6,725 feet elevation. It's steep, narrow, and windy at the handrails. If heights or thin mountain air bother you, skip the stairs and wait at the base viewing platform. The afternoon covers the drive-through Tunnel Log before heading down the mountain by late afternoon. Pack a jacket—temperatures under the giant sequoia canopy often run 20 degrees cooler than the valley floor below.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Former National Park Rangers drive these private trips through Sequoia and Kings Canyon in a four-wheel-drive SUV. The family-run company lets your group choose between two routes: the massive trees of Giant Forest or the quieter stands around Grant Grove. Having an ex-ranger behind the wheel means someone else handles the steep mountain roads while answering questions about park ecology. Because it's a private trip, you set the walking pace and decide when to move on. You'll need at least three passengers to book. Pack layers for sudden altitude shifts, and bring motion sickness pills if winding Sierra switchbacks bother you.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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This app uses your phone's GPS to trigger directions and park history through Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Cell service vanishes past the entrance gates, so download the tour over home Wi-Fi before you leave. The audio guides you to the General Sherman tree and the Tunnel Log, pointing out roadside meadows where black bears regularly feed. Skip stops or linger as long as you want. The app includes route layouts for half-day, full-day, or multi-day trips. Detours won't break the system; the narration tracks your coordinates and restarts when you return to the main road. One download covers everyone in your car, never expires, and includes all future updates. Pack a 12-volt car charger—GPS running continuously in the background drains a phone battery by midday.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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We run full-day trips through Sequoia National Park, handling the steep roads so you don't spend your morning hunting for parking. The route heads directly into the Giant Forest to the General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth by volume. That's the centerpiece. From July through October, the trip adds the 350-step stairway up Moro Rock and a pass beneath Tunnel Log. Snow closes those side roads outside of summer and fall, shifting later stops to sheltered lower groves. Midday, we set out a fresh picnic lunch at an outdoor forest table. Plan on easy walking. Each stop covers between a quarter-mile and a half-mile on paved or packed dirt trails. We've run these roads for over 24 years—which mostly means knowing how to hit the Sherman trail right before the commercial buses arrive.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Sequoia National Park sits high above Central Valley light pollution, leaving it with some of the darkest skies in California. This guided night session maps out the constellations and tracks visible planets across the granite ridgelines. You'll learn how to orient by the stars without an app. Temperatures drop fast after dark at 7,000 feet — even in midsummer — so wear heavier layers than you think you need. Pack a red-light headlamp. White flashlight beams ruin your eye adjustment for twenty minutes, and guides will ask you to douse them. Aim for dates around the new moon for the clearest view of the Milky Way.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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Former national park rangers run these private four-wheel-drive trips through Sequoia and Kings Canyon. Leaving the mountain driving to someone who knows the switchbacks saves your brakes and lets you watch for black bears and mule deer along the road. The route stops directly at the General Grant Tree—the second-largest tree on earth and the official Nation's Christmas Tree. Winter runs are cold, quiet, and worth the extra layers. Park roads regularly ice over past the foothills, making the four-wheel-drive vehicle necessary to clear chain-control checkpoints without delays. Tours require a minimum of two passengers. Bring boots with deep tread between December and April, because the paved loops around the big trees pack down into slick snow within hours of a storm.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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This walk takes you into Sequoia National Park for a mix of forest ecology and quiet meditation beneath the giant sequoias. You'll follow dirt trails at an easy pace, pausing to learn how these trees survive fire and drought. It's unhurried. Alysia leads the walk. She has spent over 20 years in Sequoia working as a naturalist and meditation guide, combining grove history with quiet reflection prompts. Bring sturdy shoes and dress in layers. Morning temperatures drop sharply under the dense canopy, even in midsummer.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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This self-guided audio tour follows the main road through Sequoia National Park between the Giant Forest and Moro Rock. Narration triggers by GPS as you approach trailheads and grove pullouts. Plan on five hours if you hike down to the General Sherman Tree and climb the rock. Commentary along the drive focuses on fire ecology, granite geology, and early park conservation. At Moro Rock, a 350-step stone staircase climbs the bald dome toward views of the Great Western Divide. It gets crowded by midmorning. Handrails line the path, though the granite turns slick under light rain. Cell reception drops to nothing past the Foothills entrance station. Download the Shaka Guide app and the full tour file over Wi-Fi before leaving your hotel, then run the audio through your car stereo.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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