Going to the Sequoias help me plan our trip!

[Soror]

I talked to dh last night and we are a go :) This is one of my life-long dreams and I'm unbelievably excited. I'm starting to research now but am realizing how little I know of the area. We took a Southwest trip last year hitting Carlsbad, Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, Arches etc and had an amazing time- I got a lot of good info from here, my dh told me, you did a great job last year- you need to check your forum again, so here I am :) 

 

I know I want to hit:

coast (but where on the coast is best and not out of the way)

mountains (ditto)

Sequoias

Joshua Tree

 

What else do I not want to miss? I think we are going to hit Albuquerque on the way out there and pass through Colorado on the way home but I'm not sure where to stop in Colorado(we only hit Mesa Verde there last year). I'm scouring the internet for maps but I'm either finding ones that are too detailed or not detailed enough. I have relatives in Santa Cruz so I was thinking of going that way to visit them and hit the sights.

[Catherine]

Highway 1 down the CA coast.  Big Sur and Pfeiffer State Park. 

[Soror]

Highway 1 down the CA coast.  Big Sur and Pfeiffer State Park. 

Thank you, I saw Hwy 1 mentioned a few times.

 

So, I found a decent map that shows the major parks of the SW which has been a big help:

http://www.americansouthwest.net/map.html

 

Very first and very tentative plan....

 

1: Home to NM/TX border 12.5

2  TX/NM border to Joshua Tree- 12 hr

3. Joshua Tree to Sequoias- 5 hrs

4. Sequoias to Kings Canyon- 15 min

5,6,7 Kings Canyon to Santa Cruz 3.5 hrs

8. Santa Cruz to Big Sur via Hwy 1- 1.5 hrs

9,10 Big Sur to Grand Canyon 11.5 hrs (we really wanted to do a big hike at GC weather was not favorable last time)

11. Grand Canyon to Carlsbad Caverns 10 hr (dh wanted to go back to see the bats at night)

12. Carlsbad to OK City 8 hr

13. OK City to home 7hr

[Crimson Wife]

Having been to Big Sur, Sequoia NP, and Kings' Canyon, I don't think you need to see all 3. I would do Sequoia and Yosemite personally. Santa Cruz I would save for a trip to the S.F. area.

[livetoread]

We did a SF loop that included Yosemite, Sequoia and Big Sur. Two things that surprised me and I wish I had known were the roads can be very narrow and winding and everything took longer than I had planned. Maybe the latter was because we have teens and they didn't want to rush, but I ended up cutting out all sorts of things that I had meticulously planned. It seemed like driving times were always longer than it said.

Edited February 6, 2016 by livetoread

[livetoread]

Yes, Yosemite is so worth it, more than anything else around there, IMO.

[Ottakee]

If you get to Albuquerque, take the time to drive about 45 minutes to Tent Rocks National Park. It is awesome. One of the best sights we have ever seen. I even made the climb to the top and lived to tell about it.

[Soror]

I had Yosemite on my list but took it off. My big drive to going out that way is the trees so I don't want to skimp on it. Santa Cruz is a draw because I have relatives there. I hadn't thought of San Francisco as I didn't realize we'd be that close. 

 

I'm trying to put less places on our list this year but it is a conflict because we might not get to go this way again and there is so much that we want to see. We became painfully aware of everything taking longer last year, we had a saying, Google lied we cried :) 

 

Here is version 2.0 (of 20 maybe) :) Gotta break on it now, my eyes are hurting from studying maps, searching and reading...

 

 

1: Home to Amarillo 10.5

2 Amarillo to GC 9.75

3. Grand Canyon

4. Grand Canyon to Sequoias- 9 hrs

5. Sequoias and Kings Canyon

6. Kings Canyon to Yosemite 2.5 hrs

7. Yosemite to San Francisco 3.25 hrs

8. San Francisco

9. San Francisco to Santa Cruz 1.5 hrs

10. Santa Cruz to Big Sur 1.5 hrs

11. Big Sur to Joshua Tree 11.25 hrs 

12. Joshua Tree to Carlsbad Caverns 11.25 hr (dh wanted to go back to see the bats at night)

13. Carlsbad to OK City 8 hr

14. OK City to home 7hr

 

[Soror]

If you get to Albuquerque, take the time to drive about 45 minutes to Tent Rocks National Park. It is awesome. One of the best sights we have ever seen. I even made the climb to the top and lived to tell about it.

I'll keep that in mind- as of now I don't plan on us hitting Albuquerque this trip- we were there a few days last year BUT we didn't hit Tent Rocks then.

[Ali in OR]

Sequoia NP has the amazing trees--a nice paved walk (Big Trees Loop I think?), General Sherman (most massive tree but not tallest), General Grant. I know Kings Canyon is connected but can't remember it (haven't been since I was a kid). All of those mountain roads are slow going, loopy, car-sicky if anyone has that tendency. Yosemite Valley is amazing for things other than trees--waterfalls that should actually have water this year, half-dome. If coming from south entrance, definitely stop at tunnel view as you enter the valley for amazing views and photo-ops. If staying there, Yosemite Valley Lodge is a nice mid-range place to stay. When are you traveling? Summers tend to be extremely crowded from what I hear (we've only been in winter with our family).

[Soror]

We will be going in May. Last year May was great for the crowds in all the big parks- although we had wonky weather, fingers crossed that the weather is better this year but I'm bringing thermals just in case. Thanks for the thoughts on the parks- that is a help for planning.

[Carol in Cal.]

Do not miss Yosemite--it is one of the most stunningly beautiful places in the whole country, especially if you're not going there in the summer when it's crowded.

 

For sequoias I personally love Calaveras Big Trees park.  That is off of highway 4 north of the other areas you mentioned.  It's got a very easy interpretative loop and a long hike, both with featured trees and amazing sights of ginormous trees and tree stumps.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=551

 

I agree with others who say not to combine with Big Sur/17 Mile Drive/Monterey.  Those are distinct and kind of deserve their own trip.

 

If you are want to focus on redwoods, your other move should be to the ancient forests of Coastal Redwoods, which are taller and less fat than Sequoias.  The best place to see those is Avenue of the Giants near Eureka, but Muir Woods is a closer alternative, just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

[JFSinIL]

I vote for the Mariposa Grove south side of Yosemite - try to get the tram to the top, and walk down (a loooong hike if you try to walk up all the way.) Yosemite either plan to park well outside the park and take a bus in or drive in early to get a parking spot (leave no food or anything scented in the car!!!! BEARS!!!) and then use the tram and/or walk everywhere. http://yarts.com/

Edited February 6, 2016 by JFSinIL

[KrissiK]

Well, hmm! I live in Central California and we visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon several times a year. And we used to vacation in Santa Cruz. So, I can give my 2 cents worth.

 

1. The mountains are beautiful, but a lot of curvy driving. I'd pick Kings Canyon National Park/Grant Grove over Sequoia National Park any day. That's where we go most. At Grant's Grove you can see the General Grant Tree and a lot of other lovely trees on a nice loop trail. There's a nice visitor center there, camp,grounds, etc. And, if you really want to see something spectacular, continue on down Hwy 180 to Cedar Grove. It's a breath taking drive down the Kings Canyon. I think it's the south fork of the Kings River you are driving along and this year, with all the snow melt it will be amazing. You end up at Road's End on the canyon floor with these magnificent granite walls just rising above you. And very few people visit.

2. Yosemite... Ok, I hate Yosemite. It is a long curvy drive and every time I've been there you're just fighting the crowds. But, if you really want to see it, then go.

3. The coast. A couple years ago DH and I drove south down Hwy 1 from Monterey to Morro Bay. Never again. Yes, it was a nice drive, but it is long and curvy and not a lot of amenities. You really need to pack a lunch. And if yu get tired of the drive, like we were, there's not a lot you can do about it. You're committed. We used to vacation in Aptos, near Santa Cruz. Loved that area. PacificGrove/Monterey is a wonderful place to visit. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is world class, Cannery Row is a fun walk. Beautiful coast, rocks, etc. In Santa Cruz you can drive in the redwoods to Felton and take an old logging train ride, see the banana slugs, all sorts of fun things to do. And the beach is nice in Santa Cruz, too. And the boardwalk is fun,too. And there's a lot of historic sites - California Missions are a must-see. My favorites are San Juan Bautista and San Luis Obispo. I've heard Santa Barbara is beautiful, too. They are all along Hwy 101.

Edited February 6, 2016 by KrissiK

[Carol in Cal.]

One thing to know about the Santa Cruz area, though--the forest is mostly second growth, so you don't really get the full impact of The Redwoods there.  For that you need to go to the other places mentioned. 

 

If you want us to plan you a Santa Cruz/Monterey trip, though, there are tons of other great things to see and do there.

[Pen]

The western redwood trees are also worthwhile...Mendocino County type areas.

[BrittanyM]

I would do Yosemite and skip Sequoia and Kings all together. There is a grove of sequoias in south Yosemite so you can see the trees there. They're all so huge you'll be amazed (and I have seen multiple groves, I live by one of the best and the most unknown groves there is).

[creekland]

We've been to most of the places mentioned... Sequoia is one we really, really like and often recommend - several large trees to see including the one with the most mass in the world and all in an easily accessible place.  Calaveras would be our second choice as it is neat seeing the stumps as well as the trees there. Be sure to do some of the hikes. Yosemite?  There are some neat vistas for certain, but by comparison, it's definitely not our favorite for big trees - even at Mariposa.

 

The coastal redwoods are taller, but honestly aren't quite as impressive as it's difficult to gauge the difference in height when one is standing on the ground.  Seeing the width coupled with height (the sequoias) is very impressive.

 

Just our family's impression.  YMMV

 

ps  Seeing the bats at night at Carlsbad is more impressive in Aug and Sept (young bats add to their numbers) if that would work out better for travel.  If not, May should be good.  They are fun to watch.

[Crimson Wife]

 

9. San Francisco to Santa Cruz 1.5 hrs

 

This seems like a major underestimate to me. Maybe if you manage to hit ZERO traffic but I'd count on it being at least 2 hours, if not more. It can be 1.5 hours just from S.F. down to Rt. 17 near Los Gatos, and then Santa Cruz is at least another 30 minutes past that.

 

[Soror]

This seems like a major underestimate to me. Maybe if you manage to hit ZERO traffic but I'd count on it being at least 2 hours, if not more. It can be 1.5 hours just from S.F. down to Rt. 17 near Los Gatos, and then Santa Cruz is at least another 30 minutes past that.

 

Thanks for your thoughts. All I have to go off of is online estimates- which are sometimes good and sometimes not so good and as you said a lot depends on traffic that varies wildly.

 

We've been to most of the places mentioned... Sequoia is one we really, really like and often recommend - several large trees to see including the one with the most mass in the world and all in an easily accessible place.  Calaveras would be our second choice as it is neat seeing the stumps as well as the trees there. Be sure to do some of the hikes. Yosemite?  There are some neat vistas for certain, but by comparison, it's definitely not our favorite for big trees - even at Mariposa.

 

The coastal redwoods are taller, but honestly aren't quite as impressive as it's difficult to gauge the difference in height when one is standing on the ground.  Seeing the width coupled with height (the sequoias) is very impressive.

 

Just our family's impression.  YMMV

 

ps  Seeing the bats at night at Carlsbad is more impressive in Aug and Sept (young bats add to their numbers) if that would work out better for travel.  If not, May should be good.  They are fun to watch.

 

Thanks for your thoughts, judging by past posts I think we have similar tastes in travel :) Wish we could travel in the fall but it doesn't work out for us.

The western redwood trees are also worthwhile...Mendocino County type areas.

 

 

I would do Yosemite and skip Sequoia and Kings all together. There is a grove of sequoias in south Yosemite so you can see the trees there. They're all so huge you'll be amazed (and I have seen multiple groves, I live by one of the best and the most unknown groves there is).

 

 

One thing to know about the Santa Cruz area, though--the forest is mostly second growth, so you don't really get the full impact of The Redwoods there.  For that you need to go to the other places mentioned. 

 

If you want us to plan you a Santa Cruz/Monterey trip, though, there are tons of other great things to see and do there.

 

 

Well, hmm! I live in Central California and we visit Sequoia and Kings Canyon several times a year. And we used to vacation in Santa Cruz. So, I can give my 2 cents worth.

 

1. The mountains are beautiful, but a lot of curvy driving. I'd pick Kings Canyon National Park/Grant Grove over Sequoia National Park any day. That's where we go most. At Grant's Grove you can see the General Grant Tree and a lot of other lovely trees on a nice loop trail. There's a nice visitor center there, camp,grounds, etc. And, if you really want to see something spectacular, continue on down Hwy 180 to Cedar Grove. It's a breath taking drive down the Kings Canyon. I think it's the south fork of the Kings River you are driving along and this year, with all the snow melt it will be amazing. You end up at Road's End on the canyon floor with these magnificent granite walls just rising above you. And very few people visit.

2. Yosemite... Ok, I hate Yosemite. It is a long curvy drive and every time I've been there you're just fighting the crowds. But, if you really want to see it, then go.

3. The coast. A couple years ago DH and I drove south down Hwy 1 from Monterey to Morro Bay. Never again. Yes, it was a nice drive, but it is long and curvy and not a lot of amenities. You really need to pack a lunch. And if yu get tired of the drive, like we were, there's not a lot you can do about it. You're committed. We used to vacation in Aptos, near Santa Cruz. Loved that area. PacificGrove/Monterey is a wonderful place to visit. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is world class, Cannery Row is a fun walk. Beautiful coast, rocks, etc. In Santa Cruz you can drive in the redwoods to Felton and take an old logging train ride, see the banana slugs, all sorts of fun things to do. And the beach is nice in Santa Cruz, too. And the boardwalk is fun,too. And there's a lot of historic sites - California Missions are a must-see. My favorites are San Juan Bautista and San Luis Obispo. I've heard Santa Barbara is beautiful, too. They are all along Hwy 101.

 

 

I vote for the Mariposa Grove south side of Yosemite - try to get the tram to the top, and walk down (a loooong hike if you try to walk up all the way.) Yosemite either plan to park well outside the park and take a bus in or drive in early to get a parking spot (leave no food or anything scented in the car!!!! BEARS!!!) and then use the tram and/or walk everywhere. http://yarts.com/

Thanks for the heads up about the public transport there.

 

Do not miss Yosemite--it is one of the most stunningly beautiful places in the whole country, especially if you're not going there in the summer when it's crowded.

 

For sequoias I personally love Calaveras Big Trees park.  That is off of highway 4 north of the other areas you mentioned.  It's got a very easy interpretative loop and a long hike, both with featured trees and amazing sights of ginormous trees and tree stumps.  http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=551

 

I agree with others who say not to combine with Big Sur/17 Mile Drive/Monterey.  Those are distinct and kind of deserve their own trip.

 

If you are want to focus on redwoods, your other move should be to the ancient forests of Coastal Redwoods, which are taller and less fat than Sequoias.  The best place to see those is Avenue of the Giants near Eureka, but Muir Woods is a closer alternative, just on the north side of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts, it is much appreciated.

 

I've definitely added back on Yosemite- it seems to be a must see for most and considering the fact we may not to head that way again I don't want to miss what many deem as the best attraction.

 

Perhaps we will think about just staying at Santa Cruz for a few days and having some day trips from there. I don't know if I want to do a full drive down the beach with some of the descriptions- I'm quite used to curvy narrow roads (I live on one) but it is not my preference.

 

I wish we could hit further north in CA for those parks but it just adds so much more time on and we are driving a LONG way as it is. I actually just read a wonderfully book about the Redwoods and know that absolute biggest and tallest trees are up further north. 

 

We want to do some decent hikes at various places, I don't really feel we've properly explored until we get some miles in. The kids are of course the limiting factor but they do pretty decent and have a good amount of experience- especially for their ages. 

[creekland]

I've definitely added back on Yosemite- it seems to be a must see for most and considering the fact we may not to head that way again I don't want to miss what many deem as the best attraction.

 

Perhaps we will think about just staying at Santa Cruz for a few days and having some day trips from there. I don't know if I want to do a full drive down the beach with some of the descriptions- I'm quite used to curvy narrow roads (I live on one) but it is not my preference.

 

I wish we could hit further north in CA for those parks but it just adds so much more time on and we are driving a LONG way as it is. I actually just read a wonderfully book about the Redwoods and know that absolute biggest and tallest trees are up further north. 

 

We want to do some decent hikes at various places, I don't really feel we've properly explored until we get some miles in. The kids are of course the limiting factor but they do pretty decent and have a good amount of experience- especially for their ages. 

 

Yosemite definitely IS worth seeing and by going in the spring you should be able to see the falls in their majesty (a nice bonus).  I would not cut it from your list.  It just isn't the best (IMO) for the big trees.  Pending when you go in May... double check that snow/weather won't be a problem.  I'm not sure with Yosemite.  I know other parks have issues with late snow though.

 

There are hikes at all of these places - wonderful hikes.  Check out the park webpages and see which ones appeal to you with your kids looking at length and degree of difficulty, etc.

[Soror]

Yosemite definitely IS worth seeing and by going in the spring you should be able to see the falls in their majesty (a nice bonus).  I would not cut it from your list.  It just isn't the best (IMO) for the big trees.  Pending when you go in May... double check that snow/weather won't be a problem.  I'm not sure with Yosemite.  I know other parks have issues with late snow though.

 

There are hikes at all of these places - wonderful hikes.  Check out the park webpages and see which ones appeal to you with your kids looking at length and degree of difficulty, etc.

I know we hit snow and sleet last year at the GC, the first day was a near total bust, but May is what works for the schedule so we're bringing thermals for layers and hoping for the best. We're checking out trails now. 

[kirstenhill]

We went to Yosemite last September and it was amazing. (We were doing quite a few destinations, including Grand Canyon, short stops in LA and San Diego, visiting the Channel Islands, driving Hwy 1 up the coast, and Yosemite). I had originally wanted to add in Sequioa or Kings Canyon, but that got cut from our list. It was probably for the best in our case anyway, since at the time we were in CA there were awful forest fires nearby those parks and there were a lot of closures - we might not have gotten to go anyway. I defintiely want to visit those parks on a future trip after reading the comments in this thread.

 

One thing to note is that the Mariposa grove of Sequoias at Yosemite is closed for trail and facility restoration until 2017. We visited the Tolumme grove at Yosemite instead. We were still pretty impressed by it, but it does involve a bit of a hike back up after you enjoy an easy walk down to the grove. :-)

[JFSinIL]

I did not know the Mariposa Grove was closed :-(    OK, then, do Yosemite Valley, then drive up to Glacier Point for the spectacular view.  Note, when hubby drove us up a few years ago he benefited from myself and the kids "helping" him "Slow down!"  "Too close to the edge!" etc. ;-) 

[Nart]

We live in California and have visited Yosemite as a family several times both at winter and summer. Last summer we went to Sequoia National Park for the first time and were amazed. It was one of the most beautiful places I have seen. If your family likes to hike once you get half a mile away from the parking lots, the high Sierra meadows are amazing. We saw bears every day. Make sure you visit Crescent Meadow and do the loop around the meadow. We stayed at Lodgepole Campground and my kids loved it. There is a river that runs through it. After Sequoia we went to Kings Canyon and while it was nice I would skip it and go to Yosemite instead. The drive to the end of the road in a Kings Canyon is long and curvy and I don't think it was worth it. Yosemite in a May will be fantastic.

 

ETA: check the park newspaper for when the Ranger Walks are. We went on a ranger led walk, which was free, to Crescent Meadow and one of the Groves. It is so interesting to have the ranger point out little things you might miss. My kids loved learning about a bright yellow fungus called dog vomit. And it was nice walking around Crescent Meadow with a ranger when we saw so many bears in the Meadow.

Edited February 7, 2016 by Nart

[Tsuga]

If you're going to be that close, I'd add Yosemite into the trip.

 

Honestly?

 

We left Yosemite for its own tour.

 

We did SF/Sequoias/Redwoods/Kings Canyon. We lived in the trees. 

 

We will do Albuquerque, Taos, and the Pueblos for their own tours. I like in-depth stuff. SF obviously was not in-depth but my dad lives there so we can go back.

 

We loved Lodgepole as well! Super fun!

 

I would do Yosemite or SF but not both.

 

I love the Sequoias. Go when the fires aren't burning.

 

 

 

San Francisco to Santa Cruz 1.5 hrs

 

I agree that this is an underestimate. I'd add on one hour to each drive just to be safe and to have plenty of time, personally. That's what we did and it took off a lot of stress.

[Soror]

Honestly?

 

We left Yosemite for its own tour.

 

We did SF/Sequoias/Redwoods/Kings Canyon. We lived in the trees. 

 

We will do Albuquerque, Taos, and the Pueblos for their own tours. I like in-depth stuff. SF obviously was not in-depth but my dad lives there so we can go back.

 

We loved Lodgepole as well! Super fun!

 

I would do Yosemite or SF but not both.

 

I love the Sequoias. Go when the fires aren't burning.

 

 

I agree that this is an underestimate. I'd add on one hour to each drive just to be safe and to have plenty of time, personally. That's what we did and it took off a lot of stress.

I don't understand what you mean- left for its own tour? You mean you left a guided tour to do your own thing? It seems we've had pretty good luck with the tours we've done but of course it depends on who you get. We did GC, Zion and Bryce on our own and loved it but Mesa Verde was an amazing tour guide.

 

I don't understand either picking SF (which I'm taking to mean San Francisco) or Yosemite as those are totally different. Unless SF means something else I don't know. I've been reading about Yosemite in my park book and am now excited to go. I'm uncertain about SF, we'll see.

 

I hope we miss fires(I hope the fires are done with period). I've not heard of Lodgepole, will have to look that up.

 

On the times I just figure it is what it is, usually Google is right, sometimes it is not, as it is with kids there are always stops and stuff. 

 

I think we are V3.0 now. My current thought is to just stay at Santa Cruz for a few days as a base instead of going down the coast. We'll do day trips if we want or just hang there. It will save us on accommodations as well (or should as my relatives offered a place to stay before). It is easier as well not having to pack up every day. Talking to dh he doesn't want to visit the Grand Canyon this trip unless we can go to the bottom and with the ages of our youngest doing it in a day wouldn't be possible and it is too late to get reservations- so we are going to hold off on that. Current plan is to go north and hit Pike's Peak and Garden of the Gods on the way in. 

[Crimson Wife]

I would do Yosemite or SF but not both.

 

I agree with this because both places have so much to see. I would personally do Yosemite with the other parks on this trip and leave San Francisco for a different trip (maybe combined with northern CA and OR).

[Soror]

I agree with this because both places have so much to see. I would personally do Yosemite with the other parks on this trip and leave San Francisco for a different trip (maybe combined with northern CA and OR).

OH, I see what you are saying. As of now I know we want to do Yosemite. We can always drive down to SF if we want to but we'll see.