The 17 Best Things to Do in Sequoia National Park

2. Hike to Marble Falls

One of the best hikes in the Foothills region of the park is Marble Falls. This 6.3 mile hike (round trip) gains about 1,500 feet as you climb up to Marble Falls, a stunning waterfall tucked into the mountains.

One big perk of this hike is that since it’s located in the Foothills region, which is at a lower elevation, it’s accessible earlier in the year than the higher regions of the park. So if you find yourself visiting in the winter or spring, this is a great pick! It also has some colorful wildflowers in April. 😍

A+K Tip: Beware, the trail can be narrow at times, with high grass and some poison ivy. So we recommend wearing pants and long sleeves! However, because of the trail’s lower elevation, it can get very hot (and longer clothing may be a tad warm). So start this hike early to beat the heat!

Not only are there many things to do in Sequoia National Park above the surface, but you can find wonders underground as well! Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks are home to 275 caves, but there is only one accessible to the public: Crystal Cave. This is a marble cavern that showcases millions of years through its impressive formations.

And exciting news! After closing in 2021 due to wildfire damage, Crystal Cave is finally reopened as of May 2025! So while we were unable to visit ourselves, we have visited many caves across the United States, such as Carlsbad Caverns and Lehman Caves at Great Basin. And each cave we visit has been slightly different and extremely impressive, so we know we’d love this one as well!

The only way to visit Crystal Cave is on a guided tour. Tours are offered every 30 minutes from 9 AM-3:30 PM between lat May and early September. The tours are 2 hours long and include a 0.5 mile round trip hike, plus stairs and steep terrain. Make sure to book your tickets in advance, as dates can sell out!

Important note: Vehicles over 22 feet and towed trailers are NOT allowed on the road to Crystal Cave!

Ever wanted to drive through a tree? Well, at Tunnel Log you can! It’s without a doubt one of the more unique things to do in Sequoia National Park. This 275 foot tall Sequoia fell across the road in late 1937 and the following summer, a 17 foot wide and 8 foot tall tunnel was cut through to make it a visitor attraction. 

When we visited in late May, the road to Tunnel Log (as well as Hanging Rock and Moro Rock) was still closed. So we walked to it instead! Since our van wouldn’t have fit under the tunnel anyways, we liked this better, as it was WAY less busy than it would be when the roads are open.

Although we didn’t get to drive under Tunnel Log, we did drive through a Redwood tree once in our SUV at the time. And it’s definitely a memorable experience!

Driving a large rig like us? There is a bypass for tall vehicles! You can park before the tunnel log as well (assuming there is space) and then walk under it, like we did.

For a short and sweet hike, head to the Hanging Rock Trail. At only 0.3 miles round trip, you won’t have to exert much effort for a pretty killer reward. Not only do you get to see a rock that is precariously hanging on the edge of a cliff, but you also have fantastic views of the Kaweah River Valley and of Moro Rock (which helps put it into perspective).

A+K Tip: Due to a seasonal road closure on Crescent Meadow Road and Moro Rock Loop, we had to walk to both this trail, plus Tunnel Log and Moro Rock, for about a 5 mile hike. The road typically opens in late May and you can either drive it yourself or take the free park shuttle. Parking spots are very limited!

After visiting General Sherman, head onto the Congress Trail! We personally enjoyed this trail even more than seeing General Sherman. It’s our favorite Giant Sequoia hike in the park!

Along this 3 mile route, you’ll not only go by General Sherman, but you’ll also get to wander through a jaw dropping grove of Giant Sequoias. Including a few groups of trees named after different levels of government, like the House and Senate. Plus the President tree, which was named in 1923 in honor of President Warren G. Harding.

These trees may not be as big as General Sherman, but you’ll still stretch your neck looking up at them!

To learn more about hiking the Congress Trail, as well as General Sherman, check out our full trail guide!

13. See alpine lakes on the Lakes Trail

The Sierra Nevada Mountains are known for having some breathtaking alpine lakes. And Sequoia National Park is no exception!

While some of the park’s best lakes require an overnight hike, for a day hike option (although a longer one at 11.2 miles), hike the Lakes Trail! This hike will take you to multiple lakes, tucked into the mountains, with the final lake, Pear Lake, being the most impressive of them all.

Unfortunately we visited too early in the season to hike this trail, but it’s high up on our list for our next visit!

To learn more about combining General Sherman and the Congress Trail, check out our complete guide to the hike!

The Little Baldy Trail is a great hike if you want to see more mountain views in the park! You will hike mostly through the forest to a very large granite landing, where you can soak up 360º views of the park. And the best part? It was way less busy than some other hikes we did in Sequoia National Park!

Important note: Recent reviews state that there are a lot of downed trees along the trail. This will make the trail a bit tougher, so keep this in mind if you decide to hike it.

Some of the best views in Sequoia National Park are in the backcountry. So for the experienced hikers out there, one of the best things to do in Sequoia National Park is to go on a backpacking trip!

Since we visited early in the season, this wasn’t possible for us. But whenever we can return, we will make sure to visit in the summer months, so we can tackle one or two of them ourselves. At the top of our list is the High Sierra Trail, which goes 70 miles through the park, including summiting Mount Whitney.

Another trail we’d love to backpack at Sequoia National Park is the Mineral King Loop, which takes you to multiple alpine lakes, with sweeping mountain views, in the Mineral King section of the park.

Wilderness Permit Required: To camp in the backcountry, you are required to get a wilderness permit. These can be tough to get, so make sure to plan in advance for your best chance at getting the trail you want!

How to get to Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is located just east of Fresno, California on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 

The park has two main entrances. First is the Ash Mountain Entrance (1.5 hours from Fresno), which takes you directly into Sequoia National Park, starting in the Foothills and going up the Generals Highway into the park.

You can also enter via the Big Stump Entrance (1 hour from Fresno), which is technically in Kings Canyon National Park, but provides access to Sequoia National Park as well. This is the preferred route for large RVs and those pulling trailers, as it’s much less windy and steep.

Once in the park, there are three areas to explore: the Foothills, Mineral King, and Giant Forest and Lodgepole. This list of the best things to do in Sequoia National Park includes stops in all of these areas!

Flying to Sequoia National Park

The closest airport will be the Fresno Yosemite International Airport (FAT), about 1.5 hours away from the park’s Foothills entrance. 

Alternatively, you could fly in or out of San Francisco International Airport- SFO (5 hours) or Los Angeles International Airport- LAX (4.5 hours). This is a good option if you plan to do a California National Parks road trip!

Once arriving, you can rent a car to head into the park. No special type of vehicle is needed!

Driving to Sequoia National Park

If you’re driving to Sequoia National Park, here’s how long you can expect to drive to Sequoia National Park’s Foothills Visitor Center from nearby popular destinations:

• Kings Canyon National Park Visitor Center: 1.5 hours (54 miles)
• Fresno, CA: 1.5 hours (78 miles)
• Yosemite Valley: 3 hours, 45 minutes (171 miles)
• Los Angeles, CA: 3 hours, 45 minutes (204 miles)
• San Francisco, CA: 4 hours, 40 minutes (273 miles)

Taking a shuttle to Sequoia National Park

Besides driving into the park yourself, you can also take a shuttle from Visalia to the Giant Forest Museum, between late May and September. It costs $20 per person round trip, in addition to the park entrance fee. Once arriving, you can take the free park shuttles around to other areas of the park!

Driving is the most common way to get around Sequoia National Park, but parking is limited and can fill up. During our visit in late May, right before Memorial Day, some parking lots were extremely full, even mid-week.

The park does have some vehicle length limits for those in camper vans and RVs, so make sure to plan ahead. Vehicles over 22-24 feet are not advised on sections of the Generals Highway. Our Sprinter Van is about 22.5 feet and we had zero issues though!

A+K Tip: Make sure to fill up on fuel before entering the park! There is a gas station at Stony Creek, whose pricing seemed on par with outside the park. But don’t depend on it!

Don’t want to drive around? Sequoia National Park has 4 different FREE shuttle routes within the park, which start running around Memorial Day.

While you can visit Sequoia National Park year-round, if you want to experience as much of the park as possible, we suggest visiting from May–September. This is when some (or all) trails will be snow-free and more roads will be open.

For those only interested in the park’s frontcountry experience, May is a great time to see the Giant Sequoias and hike the lower elevation trails, but without the massive crowds of summer. And with slightly cooler temperatures, especially near the Foothills, which gets HOT in the summer! However, keep in mind that holidays, like Memorial Day, will be extra busy.

If you’re interested in getting into the backcountry or doing some of the longer, higher altitude hikes, we’d save your visit for July-September, when these trails are accessible.

In the future, we’d love to come back in the winter, when the park turns into a stunning winter wonderland. The contrast of the dark orange trees against the bright white snow looks magical! However, the park is very limited in the winter, so we think the warmer months are best for a first visit, unless you only care about seeing the Giant Sequoias. Just keep in mind that chains are often required during the winter time.

A+K Tip: Sequoia National Park has a wide range in elevation, ranging from 1,400 feet to 7,200 feet on the Generals Highway. With even higher elevations in other areas of the park! This means that the weather can vary greatly, with the lower elevations being much warmer and even very hot in the summer. Make sure to check the weather forecast for all areas of the park and pack layers!

Leave No Trace

Before embarking on your Sequoia National Park adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come!

These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors.

Entrance Fee

It costs $35 per vehicle to enter Sequoia National Park, which is good for both Sequoia and Kings Canyon, up to one week. We highly recommend getting the America the Beautiful pass, which is $80 per year and gets you into all National Park Service managed sites and federal lands for free.

Dogs are NOT allowed on trails

If you’re bringing your pet with you to the park, keep in mind that they are ONLY allowed on fully paved roads, in parking lots, at picnic areas, and at campgrounds. All of which require them to be on a 6 foot leash. They are NOT allowed on any trails in Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Parks. 

Curious what we do with Kona when she cannot join us on a hike? Read this guide about how we travel full time with a dog.

Download offline maps

In many areas of the park there is little to no cell service. We recommend downloading Google Maps for offline use. You’ll want to have the area of the park downloaded so that you can get between places, even if you don’t have cell service. While the park has good signage, some spots are easy to miss, so it’s nice to have Google Maps to direct you.

We also suggest downloading offline AllTrails maps so you can navigate on hikes even without cell service.

Want to get 30% off an AllTrails Plus membership? Use our code aplusk30 (you must redeem this code on the website, not the app)!

We use AllTrails Plus on every single hike and it is the most helpful hiking tool out there! Some of the features we love are offline maps (so we can navigate even without cell service), wrong-turn alerts, and its 3D maps feature, so we can get a feel for trails before we hike.

Be bear aware

The park is home to hundreds of American black bears. Not only do you need to be bear aware while hiking (and know what to do if you see one), but you also need to practice proper food storage. When bears get access to human food they often get aggressive. This can lead to the bear being killed in order to protect humans. 

Not only that, the food storage rules in the park are backed by federal law and disobeying can result in a fine. Anything with a scent (even toiletry items) must be properly stored. 

And as backwards as it may sound, bear spray is not allowed in any California National Park, including Sequoia. During our time in the park, we didn’t see a single bear. But they are not uncommon to see!