One Day in Sequoia National Park Itinerary

Visiting Sequoia National Park is a mystical experience. With its tall trees, wildflower meadows, and epic viewpoints, Sequoia National Park perfectly represents the awe and splendor of California.

Here’s a quick one day Sequoia National Park itinerary to help you make the most of this impressive place.

author looking up at trees in Sequoia National Park — Sequoia National Park

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Your Perfect One Day Itinerary in Sequoia National Park

Why visit in one day? Within Sequoia National Park, most of the main attractions are fairly close together, so it can be easy to hit all of them within one day.

The issue is that the drive TO Sequoia National Park can take a pretty long time, depending on where you’re coming from.

Should you stay overnight? If you do have a long drive coming in, I’d recommend taking it easy the first day, staying the night at Wuksachi Lodge in Sequoia, and then getting a head start in the morning, before all the daytrippers and crowds arrive.

This is what we did, settling into our lodgings the first night and getting an early start the next morning when crowds were minimal. It was a much better, less-crowded experience.

Drive to Sequoia

Sequoia National Park is nestled up in the Sierra Mountains. It takes about an hour to reach it from Three Rivers, an unincorporated community at the foothills.

The winding road curves over cliff sides, hugging the mountain. But once you emerge into the park, you’ll drive past gorgeous sequoia trees that seem magical. The drive is worth it.

We drove from Southern California, so it took us almost six hours to make it to Sequoia National Park. To break up the long drive, we made a few stops on the way.

Some Pit Stops on the Drive:

Naturally Nuts in Visalia, to stock up on snacks
Bravo Farms Traver (36005 Hwy 99, Traver, CA 93673) for an interesting lunch
Tunnel Rock

driving by trees in Sequoia National Park — Sequoia National Park

Visit the General Sherman Tree

Length: 1 mile, round trip
Difficulty: Easy

The Giant Forest Museum was designed to serve as the starting point for visitors to the grove, according to the NPS site, so why not start your Sequoia journey here?

After learning the stories of the giant sequoias, head to the General Sherman Tree, which is the largest tree in the world by volume.

It’s 275 feet tall and 36 feet in diameter at the base. It’s a very impressive tree and definitely worth a visit. Pay your respects to the tree — it’s been here a lot longer than us and will continue on long after we’re gone.

The trail to the General Sherman Tree is about a half-mile long. It’s paved and quite popular. We arrived in late afternoon, and there were parking spaces open, but best to come during non-peak times.

It’s nice to start with an easy hike at the General Sherman Tree Trail in order to stretch your legs. But do take it easy because the elevation is 7,000 feet so you may need to get accustomed to it first.

author in front of General Sherman Tree — General Sherman Tree

Hike the Congress Trail

Length: 2.7 miles
Difficulty: Easy

If a half-mile trail is not long enough for you, you can continue walking along the Congress Trail, which is about 2.7 miles round trip.

It branches off from the Sherman Tree Trail and passes through more giant sequoias.

road surrounded by trees in Sequoia National Park — Sequoia National Park

Climb Moro Rock

Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 0.5 miles, 350 steps

Climbing Moro Rock is sure to be a highlight, so definitely don’t miss this. You’ll be treated to incredible 360-degree views.

There are more than 350 steps to the top of Moro Rock, and it’s about a half-mile long. Though it’s short, it can be strenuous with the amount of stairs. Take breaks and enjoy the views going up.

If the parking lot is full, try coming back later in the day or taking the shuttle.

The national park website says that on summer weekends the road to Moro Rock is closed off entirely, and you’ll have to take a free shuttle to reach it.

Drive through Tunnel Log

Tunnel Log is a fallen tree with a car-sized hole in its trunk. It fell on the roadway and was too large to move, so a hole was cut. People have been driving through it since 1935.

Visit Tunnel Log during non-peak times, in the morning or late afternoon, if you’d like to have a picture without a line of cars behind you. That way you’ll be able to park and get out and take a proper photo.

Wander around Crescent Meadow

Length: 1.5 miles
Difficulty: Easy

There is a 1.5-mile, flat, loop trail around Crescent Meadow that sounds just magical in the morning sun. The meadow features pretty wildflowers, plants, and trees.

However, bears also enjoy Crescent Meadow. We saw a few during our visit. Even though we were disappointed to have to return to the parking lot, it’s best to respect wildlife and give them their space. Instead, we found a sequoia grove in a different area to explore a bit.

I hope you can experience a bear-free Crescent Meadow, but be on your guard, in any case. Consider bringing bear bells, as well.

Read the national park’s tips for encountering bears in the wild.

watching a bear from afar at Crescent Meadow — A bear at Crescent Meadow

Visit Hospital Rock

As you leave Sequoia National Park, be sure to make one more stop on the way out.

Hospital Rock, which is more toward the foothills, is a historical Native American site. A community of hundreds of people once lived here, and signs of their presence are all around in the form of petroglyphs, pictographs, historic fire pits, and artifacts.

There are some informational signs that explain the history here.

There are also picnic benches, restrooms, and a nearby river. It was a really interesting stop.

petroglyphs at Hospital Rock — Hospital Rock petroglyphs

More Things to Do in Sequoia National Park

With an extra day, you can visit Tokopah Falls, the tallest waterfall in Sequoia National Park; tour Crystal Cave (recently reopened); and/or hike another of the trails in the park.

I wished we had stayed an extra day in order to rest more and enjoy the park.

Staying only one night felt too rushed. However, one day is better than no days. So use your time well while visiting Sequoia National Park.

Where to Stay in Sequoia National Park

I’d highly recommend staying at Wuksachi Lodge, which is the only lodging in Sequoia National Park. There are 102 guest rooms, and they book up quickly, especially during summer months.

There’s a restaurant here as well as a small store.

It’s very convenient staying here as the park is right at your doorstep. You don’t have to drive an hour down the mountain and an hour back up in the morning to keep exploring. You also get first access to the trail parking lots before they fill up with the day-tripper crowds.

If the lodge is booked for your ideal dates, keep checking as cancellations often occur. I honestly wouldn’t bother coming to Sequoia National Park unless I had a room booked at Wuksachi Lodge.

For the campers, there are several campgrounds in Sequoia National Park. Check the national park website for more information on camping.

A deer in bushes — A deer near Wuksachi Lodge

Where to Eat in Sequoia National Park

In Sequoia National Park, you have a few options of where to dine:

How to Get to Sequoia National Park

For California or local visitors: It can take a few hours to reach Sequoia National Park, which is up in the Sierra Nevada mountains, depending on where you’re coming from. California is a huge state.

I live in the LA area, so it took about six hours for me, not including all the stops for gas and lunch. So the first day of my trip was just getting there.

For out-of-state or international visitors: The closest international airport to Sequoia National Park is Fresno Yosemite International Airport. It’s about a 1.5 hour drive from there.

It’s a winding, mountain road, so be careful. I’d suggest downloading directions to your phone so you can use it without service. YES, you will need a rental car. Public transportation is nearly non-existent here, unfortunately.

Before You Go: Check Current Conditions

Check for any road closures on the official national park website. Roads are often closed during winter due to snow, and sometimes, in summer, roads can be closed due to fire.

Always check current conditions before setting out.

Entry Fees

It costs $35 per vehicle to enter Sequoia National Park, and your entry is valid for one week.

If you plan to visit more than three national parks in a year, definitely get an America the Beautiful pass to save money.

Do you need reservations for Sequoia National Park? You do not need a reservation to enter Sequoia National Park.

Crowds in Sequoia National Park

If you’re visiting Sequoia on a weekend or holiday, be aware that there could be traffic or limited parking. The park may operate a shuttle system to help lessen congestion.

We found that mornings are the best times to explore the park as the traffic is minimal.

If you can’t get here early morning on the first day, definitely plan on spending the night in the park so that you can have the park virtually to yourself in the early morning the next day.

Sequoia vs. Kings Canyon

Which is better — Sequoia or Kings Canyon? I personally liked Sequoia better, but it is the more crowded park.

Should you visit both Sequoia and Kings Canyon in one weekend?

Sequoia and Kings Canyon are administered jointly as one park (you pay for one, you pay for both) since they share a border — but I’d recommend visiting them on separate weekends if you’re local or spending a few extra days to visit both (I’d suggest at least 3 full days total).

Trying to see both in one weekend (or even in one day) means you’ll miss out on a lot or else really rush through the experience.

There’s a lot to see and do, and there’s also a lot of driving involved. It’s about 30 miles, or an hour’s drive, between the two parks. It’s also about an hour’s drive to get up the mountain.

Is your goal to drive by everything and not get out, explore, hike, or enjoy the nature?

Don’t spread yourself too thin and make time to enjoy what both parks have to offer.

See my 3-day joint Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks itinerary for how to combine the two parks into one trip.

Is Sequoia National Park Worth Visiting?

Yes, absolutely. The Sequoias are one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visited. These big, beautiful trees will stay in your memories long after you leave.

Here, you can:

See giant trees. Sequoia has some of the largest and tallest trees in the world. In fact, Sequoia National Park is home to the largest tree in the world (by volume) — General Sherman Tree — as well as thousands of other huge and ancient sequoias. It’s hard to describe the beauty and majesty of these trees until you’re standing in front of them.

Experience incredible views. If you climb to the top of Moro Rock in Sequoia, you’ll be treated to amazing 360-degree views of the trees and mountains.

What are you waiting for?