Sequoia National Park
Three Rivers, CA · Sierra Nevada$
Summer parking near General Sherman fills by mid-morning, so arrive early or ride the shuttle. Sherman is the largest tree on Earth by volume. The paved Congress Trail runs…
Photo: Michael Schweppe / CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Forests
Redwood National Park
About
Redwood National and State Parks run about 50 miles up US 101 from Orick to Crescent City and hold about 35% of the world's remaining old-growth redwood forest. At Fern Canyon you walk through ankle- to knee-deep water between fern-covered walls about 30 feet high. From May 15 to September 15 you need a vehicle reservation to drive there. The tallest known tree, 379 feet, is off trail, and the park asks you not to go looking for it. Reserve a spot at the Tall Trees Grove trailhead online instead. The trail drops about 800 feet in its first 1.5 miles, and the climb back out is long.
Highlights
World's tallest trees, coast redwoods over 300 feetTall Trees Grove (free reservation required)Big Tree and the Prairie Creek old-growth trailsThomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center near OrickUNESCO World Heritage Site
Getting there
Thomas H. Kuchel Visitor Center, Hwy 101, Orick, CA 95555
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