Sequoia National Park was created in 1916 to protect the beautiful giant sequoias. These are the biggest living trees on EARTH by volume. Not only are they unbelievably tall (between 250 and 300 ft!), but incredibly wide.
Canopy coverage from the Sequoia groves is just one reason why there are some of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for kids.
It is nature’s way of creating shade from the California sun!
Children also love hikes where they see cool things that pique their curiosity. Nowhere else can boast the world’s largest tree. Plus, there are wildflower meadows, waterfalls, and historic cabins.
This guide includes all the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for families. It’s listed in order of easiest to most challenging. You can choose the best hikes from the miles of trails in Sequoia for your kids’ ages and abilities.
Keep reading until the end for some Kings Canyon National Park recommendations too! It might be the overlooked next-door neighbor of Sequoia National Park, but it’s also a great place to hike for families.
Table of Contents
Top Ten Hiking Trails in Sequoia National Park for Families: Interactive Map
National Parks Mom presents the top family-friendly hikes in Sequoia NP. I’ve only included the easier level hikes on this map, but there are suggestions for older kids/teens/advanced hiking families in the article below should you choose to accept those challenges ;).
Using The Map:
Click on any of the trail recommendations marked with the bed icon in this color. A popup will open discussing the hike in greater detail.
Clicking the star next to the name of the map will save the map to your google account. To access it later on a computer or your smartphone, open google maps and select “Your Places”.
Best Hiking Trails in Sequoia National Park for Younger Kids
1. Beetle Rock Trail
- Distance: 0.3-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 10 minutes)
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot
Beetle Rock Trail is one of the easiest and best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park. In 1905, amateur entomologist Ralph Hopping discovered a new type of insect on this site. It was the trachykele opulenta, otherwise known as the jewel beetle, hence the name of this trail.
Leave strollers in your car as the Beetle Rock Trail isn’t tarmacked. However, it is leveled out and shaded which makes for a pleasant sequoia hiking experience for kids of all ages. Elevation gain is only 39 ft!
You’ll find public bathrooms at the end of the trail. The Giant Forest area has a network of access trails around Generals Highway. You can park at the museum and follow directions to the trailhead.
2. Big Trees/Round Meadow Nature Trail
- Distance: 0.6-mile loop trail (approx. 15 minutes)
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot/Big Trees Trailhead
Combine the beginning of the Big Trees Trail with the very short Round Meadow Trail and you get Big Trees/Round Meadow Nature Trail! This is one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for little legs. It only has 74 ft of elevation gain.
This is a paved easy stroll (stroller-friendly!) under the cover of sequoia trees. Take a slight detour up the Big Trees Trail for well-signposted bathrooms. There’s an accessible parking lot at the trailhead, but otherwise, follow the access routes from Giant Forest Museum’s parking lot.
3. Dead Giant Trail to Squatter’s Cabin
- Distance: 0.6-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 20 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: High Sierra Trailhead Parking Lot
Park at High Sierra Trailhead (there are bathrooms here!) and retrace your steps along the road to find the Dead Giant Trailhead. This is one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park if you have younger kids but want to follow an unpaved, more adventurous route.
The trailhead is difficult to find and unlabeled so arrive armed with a map. It only has 88.5 ft of elevation gain, but there are plenty of pine cones and tree debris to trip you up. Wear good trail shoes! Squatter’s Cabin is a fun end point to the trail.
It’s not a challenging trail if you have older kids. If they want to keep walking, follow the Huckleberry Trail and onto the Crescent Loop Trail.
4. Big Trees Trail
- Distance: 1.2-mile loop trail (approx. 30 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot
Kids aged five or older will love Big Trees Trail. It’s for sure one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for kids! This easy trail is open year-round and is paved with trailside exhibits so you can learn about the trees and other plants.
This loop only has 108 ft of elevation gain and you’re almost exclusively walking through the Sequoia Forest. There is accessible parking at the trailhead or you can follow the paved paths from the museum.
5. General Sherman Tree Trail
- Distance: 1.1-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 30 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: General Sherman Tree Car Park
Going to Sequoia National Park and not seeing the General Sherman Tree is like going to Paris and not seeing the Eiffel Tower. It’s the biggest tree in the world! You can’t miss it!
So, the Sherman Tree Trail is naturally one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park. With a 197 ft elevation gain and paved paths, it’s an easy walk for most kids. There are bathrooms in the parking lot too.
6. Crescent Meadow Loop Trail (and Tharp’s Log)
- Distance: 1.3-mile loop trail (approx. 30 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: High Sierra Trailhead Parking Lot
Crescent Meadow Loop Trail is another top hike in the High Sierra region. This is a mostly paved route through the Sequoia trees with only 131 ft elevation gain. Plus, it’s easy to combine this trail with others in the area, making it one of the most versatile and best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park.
Stick to the trail and you’ll walk around an open meadow and see Chimney Tree. This defiant redwood has tackled numerous fires and lightning strikes. It has a hollowed-out trunk you can stand in but it lives to tell the tale!
Choose the longer, 2.2-mile trail and see Tharp’s Log too. Miner Hale Tharp hollowed out a downed sequoia tree and turned it into a cabin in the 19th century.
Every trail will loop back to the High Sierras Trailhead and there are restrooms in the parking lot.
7. Sunset Rock Trail
- Distance: 1.6-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 40 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot
As its name suggests, Sunset Rock Trail is one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park with beautiful views. Park at Giant Forest Museum and follow the access paths to the trailhead.
Walk through more modestly-sized redwoods on an unpaved but well-worn path. It’s not a strenuous climb with only 148 ft of elevation gain so it’s doable for school-age kids. It opens out so you can see across the mountains at the end of the trail.
Keep a closer eye on younger kids as there is no safety barrier. However, the rock is huge and it’s not a steep drop-off/ridge so it’s more kid-friendly than most overlooks!
8. Tokopah Falls Trail
- Distance: 1.7-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 45 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Lodge Visitor Center or Twin Lakes Trailhead
This is one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park to see a waterfall. Don’t let the 600 ft elevation gain scare you off! Tokopah Falls Trail is still a short hike and most of the elevation is at the end.
It’s a trail for middle schoolers or older due to the rocky terrain as you approach the cascading waterfall of Tokopah Canyon. Trail shoes are non-negotiable. However, it’s still doable for kids, and never hurts to choose a waterfall hike as you get a nice reward.
This is in the Lodgepole section of Sequoia National Forest. There’s a campground, bathrooms, and lots of parking.
9. Paradise Creek Trail
- Distance: 2-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 60 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: Paradise Creek Trailhead Parking Lot
Paradise Creek Trail is towards the southern end of Generals Highway, between the park entrance and General Sherman. It’s often overlooked for this reason. It’s one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for a quiet walk with fewer people!
It’s a narrow, unpaved (but well-worn) woodland path with around 367 ft of elevation gain. It follows the creek with cute bridges, rock pools, and shallow waterfalls. There is a sizeable parking lot and bathrooms at the trailhead too.
10. Congress Trail
- Distance: 2.7-mile loop trail (approx. 90 minutes)
- Difficulty: Easy
- Trailhead/Parking: General Sherman Tree Car Park
If you’ve already found a parking spot at the General Sherman Tree Car Park, why move?! Admire this magnificent natural wonder and continue along the Congress Trail! It’s one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park with many of the most famous trees right off the path.
The trailhead is the General Sherman Tree. You’ll pass the Chief Sequoyah Tree, the President Tree, the Senate Trees, and the McKinley Tree. Can you see why it’s called the ‘Congress’ Trail? Take short detours to see the Lincoln Tree and Cattle Cabin too.
All of these notable trees have signposts. This trail is one of the best ways to start your family trip to Sequoia National Park! This paved path has 482 ft of elevation gain, but you’ll barely notice it.
Sequoia National Park Hikes for Advanced Hikers/Teens
AKA options you may want to skip if your family isn’t into heights, lengthy trails, or big elevation changes. In other words, these are options, but my family doesn’t do these type of hikes in most cases.
11. Moro Rock Trail
- Distance: 0.5-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 30 minutes)
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging
- Trailhead/Parking: Soldiers Trailhead Parking Lot
Before you tackle the Moro Rock Trail, know what you’re getting into. Many families tackle this steep trail but it’s not for everyone (my own family included)! There is a longer 3.8-mile Moro Rock Trail but this guide covers the last section. It’s one thing to climb the Moro Rock with kids but entirely another to ask them to climb it after a tiring walk.
Moro Rock is a granite dome and one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for panoramic, 360-degree views. A staircase has been built into the rock with a metal barrier on either side for the entire trail.
It only has a 245 ft elevation gain, but the steps are quite demanding. Plus, it can be a terrifying height from a rock face! This is a shorter hike for pre-teen or older kids comfortable with these walks. Again, I was NOT comfortable doing this trail with my family, and they were 12, 14 and 16 at the time.
There is a small parking lot at the bottom of Moro Rock, but it can get busy. Use the shuttle if the vehicle traffic is high when you visit Sequoia National Park. There is a stop right outside Moro Rock.
If you don’t want to hike it, no problem….you can still see Moro Rock from afar, along the roadside without tackling this trail.
12. Twin Lakes Trail to Willow Meadow
- Distance: 2.9-mile out-and-back trail (approx. 90 minutes)
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging
- Trailhead/Parking: Twin Lakes Trailhead Parking Lot
Twin Lakes Trail, in its entirety, is a 6.8-mile hike. However, you can turn it into a kid-friendly shorter hike by only walking as far as Willow Meadow. It still has a 538 ft elevation gain, but it’s one of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park near the Lodgepole Campground.
It’s a well-worn trail through woodland next to the scenic Silliman Creek. Park at the trailhead, or the other lots off Lodgepole Road if it’s full. There are public bathrooms too.
13. Soldiers Trail to Tunnel Log
- Distance: 3.4-mile out-and-back trail (approx. two hours)
- Difficulty: Moderately challenging
- Trailhead/Parking: Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot
Most visitors drive to Tunnel Log, a fallen tree with a chunk missing from its trunk to let cars drive through it. But you can also access Tunnel Log by hiking. Follow Alta Trail to Soldiers Trail from the Giant Forest Museum to check it out! It’s one of the the hiking trails in Sequoia National Park which ends at an iconic landmark.
It’s tricky to find out the exact elevation gain of this trail as it isn’t the entire Soldiers Trail. There is a steep climb of around 270 ft towards the beginning, but it’s a steady downhill walk afterward.
Park at the Giant Forest Museum Parking Lot and follow the access trails to the Alta/Soldiers trailhead.
A shorter hike alternative to Tunnel Log would be to park at the Moro Rock parking area (there are only 18 spots at the trailhead…if you go during summer, you can park at the museum and take the shuttle to this spot as well). From here, follow the Soldier’s Trail 0.7 miles to Tunnel Log, then head back the way you came for a total of 1.4 miles round-trip.
Best Hiking Trails in Sequoia National Park Not for (Most) Kids
If the last batch of recommendations didn’t scare you off, these may! These suggestions are even more challenging than the last group.
Many famous Sierra Nevada mountain trails traverse Sequoia National Park. You might wonder if walking one of these great trails (even a teeny tiny section) with your kids is possible.
Often, it is possible! But walking a short section of the High Sierra Trail, for example, isn’t as fun for kids as a trail to General Sherman or Tharp’s Log. Many trails require wilderness permits too.
But you might want to know more if you’re a super adventurous family with teens used to backcountry hikes. Here’s some more information on the more strenuous best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park:
- Eagle Lake Trail – This 6.8-mile out-and-back trail has an elevation gain of 2,400 ft, so it’s challenging! However, it’s not as strenuous as some, and Eagle Lake is a hidden gem. The trailhead is along Mineral King Road (closed in the winter) and the trail takes around four hours to complete.
- Alta Peak Trail – The trail up to Alta Peak is a more strenuous climb. It’s 13.8 miles out and back with an elevation gain of 3,924 ft. Although you can overlook meadows, Aster Lake, and Pear Lake from the rocky summit, day hikes aren’t usually appropriate adventures for five-year-olds!
- Bubb’s Creek and Rae Lakes Loop – This is a backpacking trail at 42 miles in length in the Cedar Grove section of Kings Canyon. It’s challenging, with a total 7,670 ft elevation gain, and takes over 19 hours to hike. Hikers love the canyon views and alpine lakes, but it’s definitely not for families.
- High Sierra Trail – Super popular with backpackers, the High Sierra Trail stretches 72 miles from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal. It often takes six days but takes hikers past Mist Falls, Bearpaw Meadow, along the Great Western Divide, and up Mount Whitney. This mountain is the highest point in the contiguous United States!
- John Muir Trail – Named after the father of the National Parks, the John Muir Trail is one of the longer hikes through the Sierra Nevada mountain range. This 211-mile route mostly follows the Pacific Crest Trail from Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the Lower 48, through Sequoia, Kings Canyon, and ends in Yosemite. You’ll realize from looking at trail maps that this hike runs high in the Sierras. It’s not really possible to walk a small section with kids.
Some Family-Friendly Hikes in King’s Canyon National Park
The Sequoia National Park pass includes entrance to Kings Canyon, but few people take advantage of this 2-for-1 deal. Kings River cut this inner gorge over three million years ago and created the dramatic Kings Canyon.
Yes, it also has beautiful groves of giant sequoia! It’s a great place to hike, particularly with older kids. Here are some trail suggestions:
- General Grant Trail – This is my top choice, and I’d say the only must-do for every family. It’s an easy 0.6-mile loop trail with only 33 ft of elevation gain allows your family to see the second-largest tree in the world. Head to the General Grant parking area in Grant Grove Village and enjoy this easy, paved trail. Don’t leave without seeing the historic Gamlin Cabin, the Centennial Stump, the Fallen Monarch, and the Michigan Tree.
- Buena Vista Trail – Although this is only a 2-mile out-and-back trail, it is a steep 393 ft elevation gain climb to the top of Buena Vista Peak! It’s moderately challenging and takes around an hour, but the panoramic views are phenomenal.
- Boole Tree Loop Trail – Drive up a rough dirt road past Converse Basin and Stump Meadow to reach this trail. This 2.5-mile loop trail is a moderately challenging route with a 663 ft elevation gain which should take around 75 minutes. However, it’s quieter than most other trails and will allow you to see the few monarch sequoias spared by 19th-century logging.
- Big Baldy Ridge Trail – This is definitely not my top suggestion, nor would I recommend for most families. But it is a popular trail, so I’ll mention it. Families with babies and toddlers can hike this trail using carriers. But I’d leave this one for sure-footed teenagers as there’s an open ridge (i.e. some scary drops). It’s a moderately challenging 4.4-mile out-and-back trail with a 630 ft elevation gain. There’s limited road parking at the trailhead on Generals Highway but you can use the shuttle. You can see across the Redwood Canyon and the Great Western Divide.
Essential Tips for Hiking in Sequoia National Park With Kids
- Be Bear Aware – Black bears live in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Sightings are fairly common in the warmer months from late spring to early fall. Dispose of food waste appropriately and stick to the trails. Give bears a lot of distance if you see one in the wild!
- Check the Weather – Check in at the Foothills Visitor Center and ask a park ranger for an up-to-date status report on the day’s weather conditions. You can take a close look at weather reports covering the general area, but it’s better to get specifics from the National Park Service. They can tell you about forest fires or risks, snowfall, and closed roads.
- Best Time to Visit – Most families with school-age kids can’t visit Sequoia in the shoulder months of May and September. Nope, you’ll have to leave the cooler temperatures, fewer crowds, and reduced chance of monsoon rain to the couples and retired folk! However, early summer is still a great time to enjoy the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park. Arrive before 9 AM in peak season and you’ll be able to find a parking spot and some pre-crowd peace.
- Watch the Altitude – Sequoia National Park ranges from 4,800 ft to 12,432 ft. Around 8,000 ft is considered high elevation. Retreat to lower elevations if your kids complain of headaches or other altitude sickness symptoms.
Looking for more information about Sequoia NP, King’s Canyon, or family-friendly hikes in more amazing US national parks? Be sure to check out these articles, too:
- 10 Best Things to Do in Sequoia National Park [For Families]
- 14 Best Arches National Park Hiking Trails for Families
- Best Time To Visit Yosemite National Park as a Family!
- Where to Stay When Visiting Yosemite NP: 13 TOP Picks
- 33 BEST Yosemite National Park Viewpoints: By Car & Hike
- 17 Best Hikes in Saguaro National Park for Families
- Acadia National Park Easy Hikes: 12 Best for Families
- 10 Easy Hikes in Olympic National Park [For Families]
- 8 Best Hikes in Badlands National Park [For Families]
- 11 Best Hikes Shenandoah National Park (For Families)
Pin this list of the best hiking trails in Sequoia National Park for later! And if you found this article helpful, leave a comment on the pin. That helps others decide whether to use this information, too!
Wow! What beautiful photos. I have always wanted to visit this national park. These sounds like some fabulous hikes.
How breathtaking! What marvelous hiking opportunities.
Thank You so much for sharing with Sweet Tea & Friend’s this month.