Winter Among Giants: Hiking Sequoia National Park

After a winter storm pulled the rug out from under our travel plans last year, the anticipation for Sequoia National Park had been building for months. While I’ve always wanted to see these giants, seeing them in winter amongst the snow called to my heart on a different level. So, when I saw hotel availability for January, I knew I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to surprise my husband with our first National Park trip of the year, and an incredible way to start a new year of adventures!

As I write this, I’m still struggling to find the words to eloquently portray how magnificent it all was. There are forests that make you feel lost in a sea of wilderness, and then there are forests that make you feel the magnitude of their presence while leaving you feeling small, yet blessed to be in their presence. If you’ve ever been to Sequoia National Park you understand what I mean to walk below towering giants that make you question your own understanding of height and time. I almost feel like I’m betraying my beloved Lake Tahoe by saying this, but I stand by it: this is the most beautiful forest I have ever had the pleasure to hike through.

To put these "monarchs" in perspective, a mature Giant Sequoia can be over 250 feet tall. While a standard Tahoe sugar pine is impressive, the fact is, it looks like a toothpick next to a Sequoia. In fact, the General Sherman tree is so massive that its trunk volume is roughly equivalent to over 52,000 cubic feet and typically measure 20 to 30 feet in diameter. If you placed a Sequoia tree next to the Statue of Liberty, the tree's base would be significantly wider, and it would stand at the same height.

Hiking Amongst the Sequoias in Solitude

For this trip we managed to use a 3-day weekend to extend our typical weekend warrior approach to adventures, which allowed us to spend an entire day exploring the park…well not quite the whole park, in fact we only scratched the surface of what the park offers, but what we did manage to enjoy was stringing together 8 blissful miles of trail. 

As we hiked, the silence of the forest was broken only by the crashing sounds of rushing streams forming waterfalls over granite rocks. While we didn't have a "winter wonderland" of deep fresh powder, about 70% of the trail was a mix of icy ground and still fluffy snow. Our crampons and hiking poles were non-negotiable for many sections to help us keep our footing, and it seemed the threat of snowy trails was a deal-breaker for other visitors. Not only was our time marked by an abundance of gratitude and overflowing joy by the views and experiences the forest offered, but it was magnified by the fact that all our time spent on dirt trails was done so in complete solitude. While the threat of hiking through snow was a deal breaker to the other visitors, to us it was an open invitation to enjoy all that daylight allowed. It was just us, the occasional chirping bird and a distant woodpecker.

Parking at the Museum lot just after sunrise, we started our early trek on the Alta Trail, passing the Washington Tree and hitting the Circle Meadow Loop. The contrast of the vibrant red bark and bright green needles and brush against the white snow was so beautifully distracting that it allowed us to easily loose track of time taking photos without a worry in mind. 

Hiking amongst the Sequoia groves was both breathtaking, and as we came to learn, fascinating. These groves not only require a very particular elevation of 5,000–7,000 feet to grow, they also hold a unique relationship with fire and moisture to thrive. Mature sequoias carry thousands of seed-holding cones that remain sealed for years. Heat from wildfires dry the cones which then open and allow the seeds to fall by the millions. 

Eventually, we reached the General Sherman Tree, the largest living thing on Earth (by volume) and estimated to be around 2,200 to 2,700 years old and took a moment to sit in it’s presence, both saddened by park visitors with little awareness of the greatness they were witnessing and happy to see the occasional visitor breathing in the beauty before them.   

After a short break and much needed snack, we continued along the Congress Trail to see the President, Chief Sequoya, and the Senate and House Groups. Where we couldn't help but joke that these "branches" of government were doing a much better job aiding climate protection than the ones currently in DC! With jokes aside, we also enjoyed seeing the McKinley tree and Founders Group, a fulfilling dedication to those who fought to protect this land and establish Sequoia National Park.

The "Geek Out" Box: Sequoia Survival

• Fire-Proofing: Giant Sequoias actually need fire to reproduce. The heat from forest fires opens their cones to release seeds into the fresh ash.

• Death Defying Bark: Sequoia bark can be up to two feet thick and due to high tannin content can provide protection against fire, insects and fungi.

• Shallow Roots: Despite their height, their roots only go about 6–12 feet deep. However, they grow out, intertwining with the roots of other Sequoias for stability.

• Drinking from the Clouds: During dry summer months, Sequoias can pull moisture directly from fog in the air by capturing mist in their needles and letting it drip down to their roots.

• The Seed-to-Giant Odds: A single Sequoia tree can produce up to 400,000 seeds each year, however in the wild, only a tiny fraction will ever become a sapling.

Highlights of the High Sierra at Sequoia National Park

To say there was a favorite tree would be like choosing a favorite child. But among the top discoveries was the Room Tree, where I stood in awe, spinning around inside the hollowed-out interior of a living tree that was close in size to that of my first apartment’s kitchen.

A view from the inside of Room tree looking up and out. It's hard to fathom that a living thing can provide this much space while remaining so resilient.

After playing squirrel inside the Room Tree, we swung by the Cattle Cabin. This little log cabin was built in the late 1800s and served as a summer camp for cattlemen before the area became a National Park. It’s a rugged piece of history standing still in the meadow, though falling branches have added a skylight or two over the years. Further ahead on the trail, we walked between the Pillars of Hercules and found wonder walking through the split of Black Arch Tree.

Although we hiked for the full morning and afternoon, my mind was so preoccupied by the scenery that time escaped us. Not only did we extend this 7.81-mile hike to just over 6 hours on the trail but our only reality checks were when we navigated our GPS when the trail vanished under the snow and we were made aware that we had burned, 1,000, 2,000 and 3,000 calories along the way. Each time, these realizations provided nice reminders to pause for a snack and rehydrate with electrolytes before continuing on our way. 

When all was said and done, we eventually turned back to our original destination for only three reasons: 1. We wanted to make sure we had time to visit the museum before it closed 2. We would soon be loosing daylight, and 3. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I was starting to feel the physical toll of carrying my heavy pack through the snow for six hours. Thus we made our way back along the Alta Trail and made it to the museum with the excitement of nerding out even more than we already had been. 

While smaller than I anticipated, the museum was the perfect "debrief" to our hike. They had a cute replica of room tree for those who can't make the trek, but what fascinated me most was learning of the tree’s resilience. We learned how their bark can be two feet thick, how their sapwood is fire-resistant, and how the heartwood resists rot. They even have unique healing adaptations to recover from damage that would kill any other tree.

The most humbling sight, however, was seeing the tiny sprouts planted in November 2024. Seeing those mere six-inch-tall sprigs, the future giants of the year 5000, was the perfect bookend to a day spent among their ancestors.

As we drove out of the park, groups of deer bid us farewell along the shoulder of the road as they scoured the grassy areas for dinner, much like the ones that had greeted us when we entered the park early that morning. They were the bookend welcome and goodbye greeters and paired with the local brews from the Three Rivers Brewing Company that followed, were the perfect way to close the chapter to our visit. 

Still smiling at the thought of everything that day included, those six hours amongst the trees and time spent relaxing to the sound of the Kaweah River brought a calmness and a quiet escape that I’ll be carrying with me well throughout the year. And for those wondering...yes, I absolutely hugged a Sequoia tree!