13 Fun Things to Do in Sequoia National Park With Kids!
Sequoia National Park is always in our ranking as one of the best National Parks to visit with little kids. It’s really something special to see the biggest trees in the world with your little one standing next to them. Sequoia is truly one of the most special places on Earth. Here are all the best things to do in Sequoia National Park with kids!
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1. See the General Sherman Tree
If you’re visiting Sequoia National Park with your kids, the number one thing you HAVE to do is visit the General Sherman Tree. After all, it’s the biggest tree in the entire world, and totally lives up to the hype. One of my favorite National Park memories of all time is seeing my little toddler at the base of General Sherman looking so small!
Here are a few tips for visiting General Sherman:
- This is one of the most popular places in the park – try to visit on a weekday if you can, especially if you’re visiting in the busy times.
- Get here early if you want a spot in the parking lot, we arrived around 7:00 AM and had the place to ourselves, but the area got increasingly packed in the hour or so we were here. It will be even more packed if you’re visiting on a weekend.
- The trail is less than 1.5 miles round trip and totally kid friendly. It’s definitely one of the best easy hikes in Sequoia! It’s partially paved, but there are some stairs at the beginning of the trail, so it’s not the most stroller friendly trail.
- If you’re up for a little extra hiking, you can add on the Congress Trail to your hike to General Sherman. This hike leads you through more epic Sequoia trees. If you’ve hiked to General Sherman, you’ve already done part of the hike!
- Make this your first stop of the day if you can to avoid crowds and have a way more special experience without waiting in line for photos.
The size of the Sequoia trees is truly indescribable and starting our trip off with this stop made me fall in love with Sequoia National Park.
2. Explore the Hospital Rock Area
The Hospital Rock area is the first area you will encounter if you’re visiting from the town of Three Rivers. It’s one of the lesser visited areas of the park, but does have a few notable things to do if you’re visiting Sequoia National Park and have a little extra time.
It’s just a short walk from the main parking area to see the pictographs here, one of the major highlights of the area. And depending on the time of year, you may also be able to swim here with your kids. I would recommend talking to a park ranger to see if the area is safe for swimming. Be extra careful of currents and check local conditions before swimming.
TIP: I’ve also seen reports of Poison Oak in the area. Here is an article about how to identify poison oak so you can be safe on your trip!
3. Hike the Congress Trail
Distance: 2.9 miles
Elevation gain: ~500 feet
Stroller friendly? Not really! The trail is paved but there are a lot of stairs at the beginning.
The Congress Trail is a great hike in Sequoia National Park with kids if you’re looking for something a little longer that is still family friendly. It’s located along the same trail as General Sherman (so it’s perfect to combine the two!)
You can walk the loop and see the fire damage that recent wildfires have inflicted on the trees. Read about how fire plays an integral part in the life cycle of the Sequoias. It’s a great way to experience the Sequoias right up close – but avoid some of the crowds near General Sherman!
TIP: This trail is mostly paved, but not necessarily stroller friendly due to the long set of stairs.
4. See the View at Beetle Rock
Beetle Rock is one of the stops in Sequoia that you can see just a few hundred feet off the road. This was a quick stop right near the Congress Trail area and has panoramic views. If you’re staying nearby this could be an amazing spot to watch sunset.
This trail is located right near the Giant Forest Museum. It’s only a couple minute walk from the road and definitely worth it since it’s so short. Keep hold of your little ones since there are some steep drop offs. I would recommend just parking at the Giant Forest Museum and walking over.
5. Have Breakfast at the Wuksachi Lodge
The Wuksachi Lodge is a great place to stay if you’re planning to visit Sequoia National Park. It’s very centrally located to a lot of the main attractions and it’s a super cool lodge! You probably won’t have cell service here (or maybe even wi-fi) but that’s a good thing right?!
If you’re not planning on staying at the Wuksachi Lodge, it’s a great place to grab food while you’re in the park. We had breakfast here, and it wasn’t anything super incredible, but it’s always fun to explore the National Park lodges.
If you’re visiting in the afternoon, they also have the Wuksachi Pizza Deck – and you can’t ever go wrong with pizza after a day of hiking!
6. Hike the Big Trees Trail
Distance: 0.7 miles
Elevation gain: flat
Stroller friendly? Yes!
If you’re not a big hiker, or just wanting to dip your toes into the world of hiking with your kids, the Big Trees Trail is the perfect place to start. This trail is a 0.7 mile, stroller friendly trail that gives you a view of some of the big Sequoia trees that Sequoia National Park is known for.
It’s centrally located near the Giant Forest Museum, so if you’re in the area, it’s worth checking out! We explored this trail with a stroller while our toddler was asleep and it was a great add on to our Sequoia itinerary.
Love hiking in the National Parks? Here is our guide to all the best Easy Hikes in Sequoia & Kings Canyon (perfect for families!)
7. Grab Souvenirs at the Visitor Center
If you’re like us, you can’t visit a National Park without stopping at the Visitor Center. It’s one of our favorite parts to explore the visitor center, grab a souvenir, and talk to a ranger. Our choice of souvenirs is always a National Park kids book and a fridge magnet. Inevitably, we end up getting a few other things, but those are our two go to things!
Tip: Come with a list of questions for the Park Rangers and grab a park map to get your bearings. Park rangers are excellent resources for questions about trails, wildlife, closures, and more!
8. Hike to the Top of Moro Rock
Distance: 0.6 miles
Elevation: 350 stairs
Stroller friendly? No
Let me preface this by saying this stop is NOT toddler friendly. At least not for young kids that aren’t in your pack. But this was another highlight of the park for me. We actually took our one year old halfway up and realized we definitely did not feel safe taking him all the way up.
The hike is actually a really unique and cool hike that takes you up a narrow set of (350!) stairs to an EPIC overlook point. This area does have a small barrier but it’s not protective enough that you couldn’t fall off the top. From the top you can see beautiful views of the Sierras and of Sequoia National Park.
Even if you don’t feel comfortable taking your little ones up this hike, the trail is short enough that if you have a couple adults in the group you can take turns hiking while the other adults watch the kids at the bottom.
TIP: This is another one of the most popular spots in the park. I would also recommend going early for this one if you can, we went afternoon and it was very crowded. Because the trail is so narrow, some of the sections are only big enough to have one way traffic at a time. If you can hit this trail in the early morning or late evening, you may have less people!
Sequoia National Park does have a free shuttle in the park during the peak months from 8:30 AM to 6 PM. Get more information about the shuttle here!
ANOTHER TIP: Moro Rock is very close to Tunnel Log, so I would recommend doing both at the same time if you’re in the area.
9. Get Your Passport Stamped!
It’s one of our families favorite traditions to get our National Parks Passport stamped when we visit a new National Park! If you’re looking to get your passport stamped, you can find a passport stamp in one of the following locations.
- Foothills Visitor Center
- Giant Forest Museum
- Lodgepole Visitor Center
- Mineral King Ranger Station
Tip: We also always buy a sticker to go on our passport page as well!
Make sure to get your passport stamped in Kings Canyon National Park as well since the two parks are connected! And check out our guide to 11 Can’t Miss Things to do in Kings Canyon National Park with Kids!
10. Drive Through Tunnel Log
Driving through Tunnel Log is another one of those bucket list Sequoia activities that is super fun and super popular. It’s a quick stop, but where else can you drive your car under a log like this!?
It’s a fun quick stop, but be warned that there might be a long line of cars waiting and several people driving through the tree multiple times to get the perfect video shot. Definitely less authentic than some of the other stops. If you aren’t a fan of waiting in line, maybe skip this one!
TIP: Keep in mind that this road may close on weekends to private cars. That doesn’t always happen, but check ahead of time if you’re visiting on a weekend during the high seasons!
11. Hike the Crescent Meadow Loop
Distance: 1.3 miles
Elevation: Flat
Stroller friendly? No
The Crescent Meadow Loop is located near Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park. It’s a short, flat trail that you can easily do with kids. While this hike isn’t the most awe inspiring hike we did while in Sequoia, it’s still a great spot to see the Sequoia trees and a great place to spot wildlife in the park.
12. Participate in the Junior Ranger Program
The Junior Ranger program is one of the best programs in the National Parks for kids. If you want to participate, you can pick up a free booklet at any of the Sequoia visitor centers. Then bring your completed booklet back to the rangers and get sworn in as a Junior Ranger.
The Junior Ranger program is a great way to teach kids about the wildlife and plants specific to the area. It also teaches them how to recreate responsibly and take care of the beautiful park.
13. Read a Book About Sequoia National Park!
When you’re snuggled into your hotel or campsite for the night, the perfect way to end the day is to read about the magical park you’re visiting. Here are my absolute favorite books about Sequoia National Park! This list has both kids books and adult books so you can read your kids a quick nighttime story and then dive into your own story about the Sequoias.
We absolutely loved our trip to Sequoia National Park and can’t wait to go back. If you’re planning a trip, make sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park!
