Hike through the Giant Forest in Sequoia NP

Take a drive to Sequoia National Park and take in the beautiful views of the second oldest national park. If you go in the winter or early spring time, be sure to check the weather beforehand and be prepared for the cold.

If you are an avid traveler to national parks, I'd recommend that 2 weeks before you go, buy an America the Beautiful Annual Pass which allows you to enter all national parks and national conservation areas for free. Its only $85 and you'll get your money's worth in just 4 or 5 trips. If you're new to the national parks and haven't been before, then I highly recommend it anyway because there's a good chance you'll fall in love and go again.

This is the link where you can purchase it. https://www.nps.gov/planyourvisit/passes.htm

Now, after you've entered the park, drive for about 1 hour up the highway and then you'll see signs that clearly indicate where to park to see the tree. Be careful while driving in the morning because there is sometimes heavy fog and the visibility is extremely poor at times.

Parking is ample. Consider bringing a bear cannister and hiding your food from view of your window since there have been bears that have torn open car doors before in search of food. Once you've parked, the trailhead is within view of the the parking lot and the trail itself is well paved and quite short. Although it is short, since it starts out at 7000ft elevation, its possible to get a bit winded going back up so have a bit of water and some snacks.

As you go down, you will see some signs along the way that explain how the trees came to be so gargantuan. Take time to appreciate it. Near the bottom, you'll see the trail go a few different ways and they'll allow you to see different redwoods, the crowning jewel being the General Sherman Tree, which is the tree with the largest volume of wood anywhere in the world. In fact, this section of the park boasts 5 of the 10 largest trees in the world.

A camera lens with the widest possible angle is recommended since it is difficult to capture the immensity of the trees with just a standard phone or general lens. Pictures with a person in the background help to show the sheer height of the trees.