The 5 Best Moderate Hikes in Sequoia National Park

While many of Sequoia’s most famous hikes lie on the far sides of the activity spectrum (either languid strolls through shaded meadows, or blistering ascents up backcountry peaks), the following five trails are “just right.” These moderate hikes in Sequoia get you to some of the best vistas in the park, with just the right amount of adventure.

Through them all, you’ll catch ancient sequoia groves, cool mixed-conifer forests, and the rugged scenery that so defines Sequoia National Park.

Jump to:

• Trail of the Sequoias via Congress Trail (7.0 miles)
• Watchtower Trail (6.4 miles)
• Tokopah Falls (3.8 miles)
• Muir Grove (4.2 miles)
• Little Baldy Trail (3.3 miles)

#1. Trail of the Sequoias via Congress Trail

Distance: 7.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 1,200 ft.
Best Time to Go: typically open year-round, but winter conditions may require snowshoes or crampons. Check current conditions at time of travel.
Trailhead: Directions. Park at the General Sherman Tree Car Park. On busy weekends, the lot fills up by mid to late morning so plan accordingly.

As covered in our easy Sequoia hikes guide, there are nearly 10 miles of interconnected trails through Sequoia’s famed Congress Trail. If you’re looking to get past the initial crowds and into greater solitude, this mostly flat, 7-mile path is a good bet. You’ll still catch the park’s most famous attractions (including General Sherman, the Senate grove, and Tharp’s Log), but also be able to appreciate the sequoias as nature intended, away from the tourist hordes.   

#2. Watchtower Trail

Distance: 6.4 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,100 ft.
Best Time to Go: theoretically open year-round, but winter conditions can often require snowshoes or crampons and create increased hazards. Check current conditions at time of travel.
Trailhead: Directions. A large parking lot sits right at the base of the trailhead.

Starting at the Lakes trailhead (or Wolverton; it goes by many names), it’s 3.2 miles out to the Watchtower, a massive promontory overlooking a jaw-dropping panorama of Sierra backcountry.

This is one of our favorite moderate hikes in Sequoia, since it provides the most “bang for your buck.” You’ll get the type of vistas that typically require 30 miles and an overnight backpacking permit; with the Watchtower Trail, you can see these same views and be back in time for a late lunch.

Along the way, you’ll pass verdant meadows and crisp mountain streams that are awash with wildflowers during the summer months. The gradient is a fairly steady climb, but nothing too strenuous.

#3. Tokopah Falls

Distance: 3.8 miles
Elevation Gain: 600 ft.
Best Time to Go: typically open year-round, but best in the spring when the snowmelt amplifies the falls. Winter conditions can alter accessibility. Check current conditions at time of travel.
Trailhead: Directions. Park in the lot by Lodgepole Campground, and venture just up the road to a bridge over the river. You’ll see the Tokopah Falls trailhead on the right, just over the bridge.

As far as waterfalls go, Tokopah isn’t the most stunning cascade you’ll ever see. However, it’s still a famed landmark, being the tallest waterfall in the park, and thus makes our list for moderate hikes in Sequoia.

The trail hugs the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, crossing through tall pine forests, over a few small creeks and past some mountain meadows. Once you crest the hill out of the forest, you can glimpse the Watchtower across Tokopah Valley from the falls. Elevation gain is very gradual, thus making this a comfortable hike to get the blood pumping without inordinate effort.

#4. Muir Grove

Distance: 4.2 miles
Elevation Gain: 500 ft.
Best Time to Go: typically open year-round, but winter conditions may require snowshoes or crampons. Check current conditions at time of travel.
Trailhead: Directions. Note: the trailhead begins at the west end of Dorst Creek Campground, where there is a small parking lot specifically for the Muir Grove trail. However, the campground is closed through at least 2024, forcing hikers to park along General’s Highway and walk into Dorst Creek Campground. This adds 1 mile total to the hike.)

Muir Grove provides a welcome escape from the crowds of the heavily-trafficked Congress Loop, while traversing through peaceful old growth groves of conifer and sequoias. Starting in a mixed pine and fir forest, after crossing two streams you’ll eventually come to the ridge that houses the namesake Muir Grove. Named after famed naturalist John Muir, the grove boasts numerous giant sequoias.

#5. Little Baldy Trail

Distance: 3.3 miles
Elevation Gain: 800 ft.
Best Time to Go: theoretically open year-round, but winter conditions can often require snowshoes or crampons and create increased hazards. Check current conditions at time of travel.
Trailhead: Directions. Hikers should street park along the Generals Highway, since there is no designated parking lot.

This short burst of a hike has a quick elevation gain over some initial switchbacks through conifer forests, before flattening out towards the summit of Little Baldy. At the top of the granite dome, you’ll be rewarded with sweeping, 360-degree views over the distant peaks of Sequoia and the Great Western Divide.

Completed all of the moderate hikes in Sequoia? Check out our guide to the best easy hikes in the park, for a languid recovery day that still lets you stretch your legs in this gorgeous national park.