For the rest of us, there’s a 400-step, 1/3-mile staircase from the parking lot that ascends more than 300 feet to the summit. The reward: spectacular views of the western half of Sequoia National Park and the Great Western Divide. Sequoia National Park provides a free in-park shuttle. When you reach a fork, the trail to Alta Peak will veer to the right as signs indicate. Description: The trail to Tokopah Falls is an easy walk along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River. On a clear day you can even see all the way to Mt. High in the Sierra Nevada nestled deep inside Sequoia National Park lies a stunning backcountry adventure for anyone interested in high-elevation peak bagging and alpine meadows. The park was established on September 25, 1890 to protect 404,064 acres (631 sq mi; 163,519 ha; 1,635 km2) of forested mountainous terrain. Two points of interest along the trail include the Mark Twain Tree, a giant stump you can climb onto via a small ladder, and the Sawed Tree, a sequoia tree that bears an enormous scar from being partially sawed through which now stands perfectly healthy. For the intrepid, there’s Big Baldy (8,209 feet) Ridge Trail. Photo by Cade Castle. Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The experience of overcoming that physical and mental struggle that tries to weigh … Sounds like a great trip. A 3-day backpacking excursion to Alta Meadow with a day-hike to the summit of Alta Peak follows. Converse Basin - Boole Tree | Sequoia National Forest. His summer camp, a hollowed out Sequoia log near Crescent Meadow known as Tharp's Log, is popular with park visitors. The Congress Trail. 6/10 - Middle Fork Road is open. These are our favourite hikes in the park. We could see as soon as we arrived at Alta Meadow that this was not the case throughout the Sierra Nevada. After dinner, we enjoyed the most spectacular spectacular sunset with neon alpenglow on the Great Western Divide. Plus, the permitting system is much better suited for last-minute weekend warriors looking to leap into the high alpine. This past weekend we were craving a mountain, so we headed to Sequoia National Park to meet our match. The park is situated on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada and was established to preserve the groves and forests of California Big Trees Sequoia gigantea). Sequoia National Park is in the southern Sierra Nevada. Of course, the Great Western Divide was there to keep us company. Beyond Alta Meadows a faint use trail leads along wide meadows broken by small groups of trees until reaching Moose Lake and the Tablelands. Alta Peak is in Sequoia National Park not far from Giant Forest. Recharge amidst these nearly immortal giant trees, and get inspired just like the many greats before … Covering an impressive 404,063 acres, there is so much to explore including the Giant Forest. The Great Western Divide peaks through a storm viewed from Alta Meadow in Sequoia National Park. This description details the trip via Wolverton parking area and Panther Gap. Description: This pleasant Sequoia hiking experience will take you along gentle grades through excellent stands of giant sequoias. OpenStreetMap; Google Maps; Here WeGo; Bing Maps; MapQuest; Type: Plain; Location: Tulare … Converse Turnoff (Forest Road 13S55). Kings Canyon is laced with paths to everlasting hiking happiness. 6 miles on trail, 3 miles cross-country, +3900ft/-600ft. Description: A mile west of Roads End, Zumwalt Meadow Loop is best taken in the early morning as the gentle trail circles a picture-perfect Sierra meadow. Moose Lake via Alta Meadow in Sequoia National Park, Echo Lakes to Eagle Falls via Lake Aloha and Dick’s Pass in Desolation Wilderness, Tamarack Lake, Lonely Lake, and Tablelands in Sequoia National Park – Plutonic Love. The closest city is Fresno which has an international airport served by United Airlines, US Airways, Horizon Air, and Delta Airlines. 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. Alta Meadow Alta Meadow is a plain in Tulare County and has an elevation of 9019 feet. With its flat, gentle trails, the meadow is great for kids—and makes an ideal introduction to the park. Keep your binoculars ready and steady. Most impressive in the spring when wildflowers are in bloom, wildlife sightings are common in this area. Alta Peak. By 1903 it was generally known by its current name and Alta Peak appears on the Tehipite quadrangle, USGS 30 minute topographic map of 1905, and was officially recognized by the Board on Geographic Names in 1928. Decades ago there was a trail from Alta Meadow to Moose Lake, but these days the maintained trail ends in the meadow. There are long and steep trails, offering dramatic High Sierra scenery. And as we ascended towards Alta Meadow, the Great Western Divide keeps us company. After making a few phone calls I was put in touch with Yogi Bair (I’m not kidding) a 20 year resident of the park who has the enviable habit of spending three months every summer trekking through the backcountry of Sequoia. Reaching these amazing views involves a long, strenuous climb gaining almost 4,000-ft. … Sequoia National Park; Lodgepole ... At the junction the trail to the right leads first up to Panther Gap and then on to Alta Meadow and Alta Peak, while the trail to the left leads to Pear Lake and the remainder of the Lakes Trail. I was scheduled to give a colloquium talk at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, CA on Monday, June 16, so I decided to bookend the drive down from the bay area with … Moro Rock is a granite dome located just off the Generals Highway near Giant Forest. Photo by Sid Dedhia. Start in Sequoia National Park at the Crescent Meadow Trailhead, winding through a grove of towering sequoia trees before being spit out onto a narrow ledge with a killer view of the Great Western Divide. Elevation Gain: no net gain; gentle climbs and descents. The Congress Trail. For us, the weather was clear and sunny all weekend. This is one of the most gentle and botanically lovely walks in the front country of Sequoia National Park. We stopped for lunch in gorgeous Alta Meadow. It was established on September 25, 1890. This park is full of hidden sequoia groves, crisp lakes fed with snowmelt, and over 1,000 miles of hiking trails. See . Elevation Gain: 300 feet (nearly 400 stairs). Description: One of the lesser-traveled trails in Kings Canyon National Park, the Big Stump hiking trail features many enormous stumps left over from the logging days. Summiting Alta Peak in Sequoia National Park + Seeing the LARGEST Trees in the World! Information about park alerts, giardia, bear containers, hypothermia, hiking in the heat and more can be found on the NPS safety page. Driving in the parks provide mostly up-close views of trees, so the roadside vista points that do exist should not be overlooked: The road to Cedar Grove provides many excellent views of the narrow Kings Canyon. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. 15 miles/4,250 feet … Pear Lake from Alta Peak, Sequoia National Park. As you walk along the Kings River, the towering granite North Dome and Grand Sentinel fill the sky. From the meadow, it was easy going back down the trail to Wolverton. You can easily combine this hike with the Dead Giant Loop for a 3.25-mile wander through the big trees. As you travel along the trail, you’ll come across remains of sequoias left where they fell in the historic logging days. National Monument in Sequoia NF, CA. We will walk among the giant sequoias and day-hike to the top of Moro Rock. Alta Meadow is a wetland inside of Sequoia National Park. Day 2 The hike is relatively easy and provides numerous vista points along the way. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! ), Sequoia & Kings Canyon hiking trails deliver peak experiences, whatever the topography and terrain. Bearpaw Meadow High Sierra Camp is situated 2 miles southeast of Alta Meadow. The following summer, a Civilian Conservation Corps crew cut a tunnel through the tree. More photos: here. Moose Lake via Alta Meadow in Sequoia National Park Who: Patrick and me What: Backpacking When: 6/14/14-6/15/14 Where: Sequoia National Park Mileage: 18 miles Elevation gain/loss: +4500ft/-4500ft More photos: here. 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". Wolverton to Moose Lake via Alta Meadow During 1930, a trail crew working with an air compressor and rock drills spent nearly the entire summer blasting a 1-mile (1.6 km) stretch of trail through this area. Moose Lake to Wolverton via Alta Meadow From the trailhead follow Lakes Trail eastward along the Wolverton Creek drainage. In the background: the sawtooth sentinels of the Great Western Divide. Description: The trail to the summit of Big Baldy is considered moderate difficulty. Description: Though strenuous, this Sequoia hiking trail to Alta Peak is considered by many to be one of the best day hikes in Sequoia National Park. Many rangers say this is the best (and most popular) day hike in the Cedar Grove area. For us, the weather was clear and sunny all weekend. Location: From Wolverton parking lot begin the hike and follow the Lakes Trail. Sequoia National Park is a national park in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California, in the United States. The Alta Meadows trip begins and ends in Sequoia National Park. While climbing, you'll come out of the tree line and become fully exposed to the sun and wind as you make the steep climb through rocks and dirt to the summit. I was hoping to visit Moose Lake this past summer, but we had to turn around at Pear Lake. It hangs on the side of the slopes below Alta Peak with a magnificent view of the Great Western Divide. Begin the hike you will find the world 's largest tree, just Generals... 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