Congress Trail

The Senate at Congress Trail.

The Congress Trail is a 2.7 mile round-trip lollipop-shaped trail on a gentle, paved incline. It begins near the General Sherman Tree, the largest living tree on Earth. Along the path, you'll also see excellent examples of mature sequoias, including the House and Senate groups, and the President Tree.

As you walk among sequoias, watch for Douglas squirrels, also called chickarees. They climb into sequoias and chew through the stems of cones. If you come across a tree that seems to drop a cone every few seconds, you know that a Douglas squirrel is cutting cones for dinner. They then eat the green, fleshy covering of the cones; look for chewed-up cones on the ground. They also store cones and dried mushrooms high in pines or sequoias.

Safety

• Be prepared for a 200 foot uphill climb when returning from your hike to the main Sherman parking lot. Elevation changes will be more difficult at higher altitude. Take breaks and drink plenty of water.
• In summer, you can avoid the uphill hike by walking from the Sherman Tree down to the accessible parking lot and take the shuttle back to the main parking lot.

Location

• Two miles north of the Giant Forest Museum and 3 miles from the Lodgepole Visitor Center. The Congress Trail junction is about a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) walk from the main Sherman Tree parking lot, just before the General Sherman Tree.

Parking

• Park at the Main Sherman Tree Parking Area and Trailhead, located off of the Wolverton Road, just two miles north of Giant Forest Museum. The parking area is one of the main shuttle stops in the parks. Shuttles stop here every 15 to 20 minutes in the summer.
• Parking for people with disabilities is located on the Generals Highway 2 miles from the Giant Forest Museum and 3 miles from the Lodgepole Visitor Center.
• In summer, if parking here is unavailable, park instead at Lodgepole Visitor Center, Giant Forest Museum, or General Sherman Tree Main Trail and Parking and take the wheelchair accessible park shuttle

Details

Activity

Hiking

Pets Allowed

No

Activity Fee

No

Entrance fees may apply, see Fees & Passes information.

Reservations

No

Accessibility Information

For accessible access to the Congress Trail and General Sherman Tree, park at the small parking area along the Generals Highway two miles (3.2 km) north of the Giant Forest Museum.

From here, the trail to the General Sherman Tree is paved with inclines of up to 5% and limited cross-slopes. There are benches along the trail.