If your goal is to see the very biggest of the giant sequoia trees, you should plan a trip to Sequoia National Park in the southern Sierra Nevadas, home to some of the largest specimens of Sequoiadendron giganteum in the world. Sequoia National Park is where you’ll find the world’s most massive tree, General Sherman, and the only-slightly-smaller General Grant Tree. Not only are they big, but they’re old, too. Scientists estimate these trees to be between 1,800 and 2,700 years old.
General Sherman is not only the largest, but might be the most impressive-looking giant sequoia tree, and you have to see it in person to truly grasp the sheer size of this behemoth. You’ll find it in Giant Forest, an area of the park that contains five of the 10 largest trees in the world. The famous drive-through Tunnel Log—a fallen sequoia tree that cars can drive through—is also in Giant Forest on Crescent Meadow Road.
In the winter and into the spring, snow chains are often required and roads may even be closed. Check the current road conditions to make sure you’ll be able to enter the park.
