General Grant Tree Trail is the must-do hike in Kings Canyon National Park. It is short, easy, busy, and well worth your time. General Grant is the tallest tree in this park, and lends its name to the village that houses park headquarters. At the trailhead, there is a large parking lot as well as restrooms. There is also an overflow lot that shares space with North Grove Loop.
The General Grant Tree Trail can be a bit confusing, despite the fact that the trail is short and only has a little elevation gain. The problem is that trails run all over, criss-crossing one another and circling certain trees. Make sure to take a good look at (and picture of) the map at the trailhead to keep your oriented. That said, you can’t really get lost or miss seeing General Grant, but you may find yourself taking an inefficient route and doubling back.
We took the most basic route to see General Grant. This meant parking and observing the half dozen gorgeous sequoias that stand next to the parking area. It is almost impossible to photograph these trees well. Even a panorama up the trunk doesn’t show the beauty and majesty of the sequoias.
When you’re ready, walk toward the lower parking lot and find the entrance sign to General Grant. After noting the map, walk slightly uphill through the trees. There are many sequoias in the grove as you walk the trail. They are all impressive, but when you reach General Grant you’ll be shocked at how it stands above all the rest. There is a loop around the giant tree and you can see his burn scar.
After you see this tree, you can continue around the main loop, or take one of the branching trails that lead to other sequoias. Up above General Grant, we found a huge hollow tree that you can look through, and at the end of the loop (or the beginning, depending on your direction) you can walk through a huge fallen sequoia that is like a long narrow hallway.
This trail is paved and shady, so it really is accessible to anyone. We loved walking through the huge sequoia trees along the General Grant Tree Trail in Kings Canyon. The trailhead is located one mile north of the Grant Village Visitor Center.
For more sequoias like the ones you see along this trail, try North Grove Loop, which starts just down the hill.
