Sequoia National Park Self-Guided Audio Tour

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The first stop on the tour is home to the historic Welcome to Sequoia National Park Sign and a trail that leads down to the river. If you’re not in the mood for a hike yet, the view from the parking lot is amazing on its own.

   10 min

2. The Foothills Visitor Center is a great place to get even more of an idea about what the day ahead has in store for you. It features common visitor center finds like a souvenir shop, displays about park history and wildlife, restrooms, and a water bottle filling station.

   10 min

3. Tunnel Rock is a park highlight that you can’t miss on the left side of Generals Highway. The highway used to go right under it, but was redirected and the rock now served as a popular spot for photo ops. Visitors can climb on the rock, or walk under it.

   10 min

4. Potwisha Campground is located on the left side of Generals Highway, but it’s the overflow parking lot across the street that’s a stop on our tour today. The riverside dirt parking lot is the trailhead for the Hospital Rock Trail, which is 5 miles (8km) round trip, moderately difficult, and follows the Kaweah River to Hospital Rock. There’s also the Potwisha Riverwalk, which is an easy half-mile round trip along the river.

   10 min

5. This popular stop features Potwisha Native American rock art on a huge riverside rock. Nearby are the grinding mortars, where it’s believed Potwisha women ground acorns into flour. Picnic tables and restrooms are also available for use here.

   5 min

6. This is a wonderful, panoramic scenic spot. Visitors can see Moro Rock looming on the top of a cliff, and other peaks and ridges. This is one of the best views in the park.

   5 min

7. Another great, roadside view of Sequoia’s Beauty. Just pullover, and take a few minutes to take in the view. It kinda sneaks up on you, so keep an eye on the map on your way.

   5 min

8. This isn’t exactly a stop, but you can pull over on the right side of the road if you’d like. Otherwise, slow down as you drive between the four giant sequoia trees that line up across the highway welcoming you to the Giant Forest.

   5 min

9. Aptly named, the Giant Forest is home to so many big beautiful, giant sequoias, including the famous General Sherman Tree. We stop at the Giant Forest Museum, which is a good launching point for area hikes. Our favorite is the Big Trees Trail, which is an easy half mile hike past a meadow and sequoias.

   30 min

10. 350 concrete and steep steps lead visitors to the top of Moro Rock, a granite dome. The trail may be short, but thanks to its incline, can be pretty tiring. The view from the top of the rock really can’t be beaten, and it feels like you’re standing on top of the world.

    30 min

11. This log is another park feature that was in the way of traffic, so workers carved right through it. Today, cars eight feet tall can drive in it, while others must drive around. Another fun photo opp.

    5 min

12. Crescent Meadow Picnic Area is home to Crescent Meadow, dubbed “the Gem of the Sierras” by naturalist John Muir. It’s also the starting point for several trails. An easy, 1.5 mile hike loops around the meadow. It’s also about 1.5 miles to Tharp’s Log, on an easy trail. Lastly, you’ll see the trailhead for the long and strenuous High Sierra Trail. You can’t do the whole thing today, but just over a mile and a half round trip takes ya to the stunning Eagle View.

    1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 12 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

• Its from-price is 95% below the median of the 20 experiences we list in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
• It is longer than most of them.
• By number of reviews it ranks 12 of 20.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

Sequoia and Kings Canyon are two adjoining national parks in California's southern Sierra Nevada, home to giant sequoia groves and deep granite canyons.

The two parks are managed together on the western slope of the southern Sierra Nevada, rising from foothills of oak and chaparral to granite peaks of more than 4,000 metres. In the Giant Forest, the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree on earth by volume, stands among many other giant sequoias, which grow only on the western slopes of the Sierra and can live for more than two thousand years. Moro Rock, a granite dome climbed by a stairway cut into its side, gives views across the Great Western Divide.

Top-ranked sights in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park: General Sherman Tree, Moro Rock, Giant Forest.

See all 20 experiences in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park