Tips for Visiting Sequoia National Park with Kids

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Looking for what to do in Sequoia National Park with kids? You’ve come to the right place! Sequoia National Park is one of the best National Parks to visit with kids. As the 22nd largest US National Park, Sequoia National Park is known for colossal sequoia trees, including the General Sherman Tree, which is the world’s largest tree. Sequoia National Park is one of our new favorite parks and an absolute must visit with kids! Read on for our kid-friendly Sequoia itinerary.

How to get to Sequoia National Park

FAT airport is the closest airport to Sequoia National Park, about 1.5 hours away. Orange County to Sequoia National Park is 4.5 hours. San Francisco to Sequoia National Park is 4 hours. Las Vegas to Sequoia National park is 6 hours. We saved ourselves hours of driving from our house in Orange County and flew into FAT instead. From there, the drive was just over an hour.

Best time to visit Sequoia National Park

While the park is open 24/7, the best time to visit Sequoia National Park is June through August, when the weather is most stable. In the winter, expect road closures due to snow. We visited in August and the temperatures were in the 60s and perfect for hiking. Evenings and mornings were quite chilly, we even used the heat at night!

Where to stay when visiting Sequoia National Park

If you’re looking for where to stay in Sequoia National Park with kids, you’re in luck! There are several lodges and campgrounds inside of the park, depending on the type of accommodation you’re looking for.

Camping near Sequoia National Park

There are a total of 14 campgrounds between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Some require reservation, some allow walk up reservations. Either way, book in advance to ensure you have a spot to stay!

Best family-friendly hotels near Sequoia National Park

There are several hotels/lodges inside Sequoia National Park. After researching, we opted to stay near the John Muir Lodge at the Grant Grove Cabins. While technically in Kings Canyon National Park, this lodge is perfectly located, central to both of the parks so that you don’t have to switch lodging halfway through your trip. Our cabin had two beds, a full bathroom and heat which is all we needed for a comfortable stay.

I had the Wuksachi Lodge booked as well, but cancelled it after reading reviews and am glad I did. The location wasn’t the best, the parking was far from the actual accommodations (big complaint from reviewers!) and their restaurant was only open during certain hours, with nothing available nearby. The Grant Grove Village is a much better place to stay if you want amenities.

Things to bring when visiting Sequoia National Park with kids

• Trekking Poles: You’ll need these for all those hikes!
• Sun Hat: We love the Sunday Afternoon ones, which come in sizes from infants all the way up to big kids.
• National Parks Journal: We bring this journal on all of our National Park trips.
• Sunscreen: We love Blue Lizard for our family.

Books and games about Sequoia National Park

Things to do in Sequoia National Park with kids

Best kid-friendly hiking trail in Sequoia National Park

There are lots of kid-friendly hikes in Sequoia National Park. Here are some of our favorites.

• General Sherman Trail: This is probably the reason you came to this park in the first place! The trail is 1 mile round trip and while quite popular, we had a parking spot right at the entrance to the trail. When you’re driving here, you’ll see signs pointing towards parking but keep going. There is a closer lot that was practically empty because everyone followed the first sign. Alternatively, you can take a shuttle that will drop you off at the accessible trail entrance and you won’t have to walk up the steep incline and all those stairs on the way back. We opted for the longer walk and didn’t find it terrible, but know there’s an option for a much easier trek.
• Moro Rock: While only 0.5 miles long, this hike is entirely walking up stairs so keep that in mind! You’ll have a nice view when you reach the top!
• Big Trees Trail: This is a 1.3 mile loop trail that is paved, so you can bring your stroller. Here you’ll see some beautiful Sequoias along the trail.
• Crescent and Log Meadows Trail:This is a 1.8 mile loop trail that features beautiful sequoia trees along the trail. We saw a bear here playing in the meadow!

Junior Ranger program in Sequoia National Park

Just like all of the other US National Parks, Sequoia has a Junior Ranger program. They share the same activity book and badge with Kings Canyon National Park, so your child will only earn one badge for completing the activities.

Drive through Tunnel Log

Kids will love driving through this giant tree! In 1937, a tree fell in the park and a year later, it was carved out to allow cars to pass.

Drive around and find the biggest trees

One of the best things to do in Sequoia National Park with kids is to drive around and find amazing, big trees! There are many in the park and your kids will have a blast trying to find the biggest.

Where to eat with kids near Sequoia National Park

So there aren’t many places to eat inside this park, so be sure to pack snacks and food if you’re going to be hiking all day! The Wuksachi Lodge has a restaurant however unlike the one in the Grant Grove Village, this one closes in the middle of the day from 2-5:30 so don’t count on it for a midday meal!

Have you been to Sequoia National Park with kids? It’s one of the best National Parks to visit with kids and one we really loved exploring. Want to read this post later? Pin one of the images below!

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