The Lodgepole Visitor Center provides information for visitors to Giant Forest and the northern section of Sequoia National Park, our country's second oldest National Park. Giant Forest is one of the main visitor destinations in Sequoia. Four of the world's five largest sequoias grow here, and scenic meadows dot the area. High ridges to the east of the area culminate in Mount Silliman and Alta Peak, both over 11,000'. Popular foot trails lead to glacial lakes, and a side road winds down to Crystal Cave, a beautifully decorated marble cavern.
If you are planning to visit Lodgepole and Giant Forest between November and May, please read the information about winter access to Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
Changes in the Sherman Tree area: A new parking lot and trail to the Sherman Tree are scheduled to open sometime in August. Watch for signs to this new access route, which starts from the Wolverton Road, a turn off the Generals Highway approximately one mile north of the Sherman Tree. The old parking area and trail to the tree will close for ecological restoration and development of new trails and exhibits.
General
Sherman Tree: The General Sherman Tree is 274.9' (83.8
meters) tall, and 102.6' (31.3 meters) in circumference at its
base. Other trees in the world are taller: the tallest tree in
the world is the Coast Redwood, which averages 300' - 350' (91.4
- 106.7 meters) in height. A cypress near Oaxaca, Mexico has a
greater circumference, 162' (49.4 meters). But in volume of wood,
the Sherman has no equal. With 52,500 cubic feet (1486.6 cubic
meters) of wood, the General Sherman Tree earns the title of the
World's Largest Tree.
The
Congress Trail:
This 2 mile stroll begins
at the Sherman Tree, and follows a paved trail through the heart
of the sequoia forest. It is recommended for first-time visitors
to the Giant Forest, and for visitors with limited time. Famous
sequoias along this trail include the House and Senate Groups,
and the President, Chief Sequoyah, General Lee and McKinley Trees.
An informational trail pamphlet is sold at the visitor center book store.
The Moro Rock-Crescent Meadow Road leaves the General's Highway from Giant Forest Village and travels for 3 miles through the southwest portion of the Giant Forest. It dead-ends at a trailhead and picnic area. This road is not recommended for trailers or RV's. In the winter, the road is closed to vehicles, but open to cross-country skiing. Several famous attractions are located along this road.
The Auto Log: Early visitors to the Giant Forest
often had difficulty comprehending how big the giant sequoias
are. To help give a sense of their size, a roadway was cut into
the top of this fallen tree. Due to rot in the log, cars can no longer drive on it, but it remains an interesting historic feature. The Auto Log is located 0.9 miles
from Giant Forest Village on the Moro Rock-Crescent Meadow Road.
Moro Rock: The parking area for Moro Rock is
2 miles from the village. A steep 1/4 mile staircase
climbs over 300' (91.4 meters) to the summit of this granite dome.
From the top, you will have spectacular views of the western half
of Sequoia National Park and the Great Western Divide. This chain
of mountains runs north/south through the center of Sequoia National
Park, "dividing" the watersheds of the Kaweah River
to the west and the Kern River to the east. Also on the eastern
side of the divide is Mt. Whitney, the
tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. Unfortunately, because
many of the snowcapped peaks in the Great Western Divide reach
altitudes of 12,000' (3657 meters) or higher, it is impossible
to see over them to view Mt. Whitney from Moro Rock. The summit
of Alta Peak, a strenuous 7-mile hike from
the Wolverton picnic area, is the closest place from which to
see Mt. Whitney.
The Parker Group: The Parker Group is considered
one of the finest clusters of sequoias which can be reached by
automobile. It is 2.6 miles from the Giant Forest Village.
The Tunnel Log: Sequoia and Kings Canyon have
never had a drive-through tree. The Wawona
Tunnel Tree, the famous "tree you can drive through",
grew in the Mariposa Grove of Yosemite National Park, 100 air-miles
north of Sequoia and Kings Canyon. It fell over during the severe
winter of 1968-69. Visitors to Sequoia National Park can drive
through a fallen sequoia, however. In December
1937, an unnamed sequoia 275' (83.8 meters) high and 21' (6.4
meters) in diameter fell across the Crescent Meadow Road as a
result of "natural causes". The following summer, a
Civilian Conservation Corps crew cut a tunnel through the tree.
The tunnel is 8' (2.4 meters) high and 17' (5.2 meters) wide,
and there is a bypass for taller vehicles.
Crescent Meadow: The Crescent Meadow Road ends
at a parking and trailhead area less than 100 yards (91.4 meters)
from the edge of Crescent Meadow. A popular hike from Crescent
Meadow is the 1-mile stroll to Tharp's
Log, a fallen sequoia that provided a rustic summer home
for the Giant Forest's first Caucasian resident, Hale Tharp. Another
easy 1 1/2 mile trail circles the meadow, which
is an excellent place to view wildflowers in the summer. Some
lucky visitors to this and other meadows in the park may also
have an opportunity to see a bear.
Because Crescent Meadow is a fragile environment, please stay
on designated trails and walk only on fallen logs for access into
the meadows.
More complete maps and descriptions of the trails in this area are sold at Visitor Center Book Stores at Lodgepole, Ash Mountain, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.
Please be aware that pets are not allowed on any trails in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In developed areas, pets must be kept on a leash at all times.
Tokopah
Falls: The trail to Tokopah Falls starts just beyond
the Log Bridge in Lodgepole Campground. It is an easy 1.7
mile (one way) walk along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah
River to the impressive granite cliffs and waterfall of Tokopah
Canyon. Tokopah Falls is 1200' (365.8 meters) high, and is most
impressive in early summer, when the run-off from the melting
snowpack in the Pear Lake region upstream is at its peak.
The
Lakes Trail: The popular Lakes Trail begins at Wolverton
picnic area and ascends steeply to a chain of glacial lakes. Heather
Lake, the first lake on the trail, is 4 miles
from Wolverton. Camping is not permitted at Heather
Lake, but backpacking permits are available
for Emerald and Pear Lakes, 5.7 miles and 6.7
miles respectively from the trailhead.
Alta
Peak Trail: "Alta" means "high" in
Spanish, and Alta Peak provides some of the best views and high-country
scenery within day-hiking distance of the Lodgepole/Wolverton
area. On a clear day, you can even see across the Great Western
Divide to Mt. Whitney from the summit
of Alta Peak (11,204'/3415 meters). However, the steep grades
and high altitudes along this trail make it one of the most strenuous
in the western half of Sequoia National Park. Don't try this hike
unless you are in good physical condition. The 13.8 mile
round-trip hike to Alta Peak begins at the Wolverton
picnic area. Backcountry permits are
also available for this trail.
