PERFECT Day In Sequoia NP // TOP 5 to do in ONE DAY

The video lists five must-do activities for a summer visit (2020): 1) Visit the General Sherman Tree — the world’s largest tree by volume; 2) Climb Moro Rock — a short but steep stair hike with panoramic views; 3) Check out Tunnel Log — a fallen sequoia with a carved tunnel you can drive or walk over; 4) Stop for a slice at the Wuksachi Pizza Deck — a convenient outdoor dining spot in the park; and 5) Hike Little Baldy — a roughly 3.5-mile out-and-back that gains about 700 feet and rewards you with 360-degree summit views.

The General Sherman Tree is highlighted as the largest tree in the world by volume — meaning more wood is contained in it than any other tree. The diameter around the base is over 100 feet. The video notes that the top may be dead and the tree may have stopped growing taller, but it is still expanding outward each year. The presenters approach it from the trailhead and emphasize the impressive scale (including showing a mosaic at the base to give a sense of size).

Moro Rock is reached via a staircase of about 350 concrete steps — a stone staircase that replaced a wooden one in the 1930s. The trail has switchbacks and can feel strenuous (the presenters say 'feel the burn' as they climb), but it’s relatively short. At the top you get panoramic views across Sequoia National Park, including ranges of 12,000–13,000-foot peaks; Mount Whitney (the largest mountain in the lower 48) is behind those peaks, though the presenters note it is not visible from the particular viewpoint they show. The stone staircase was praised for making the summit very accessible.

Tunnel Log is a fallen sequoia that toppled in 1937. Before falling it was about 21 feet in diameter and 275 feet tall. Park staff or builders created an approximately eight-foot-high tunnel through the trunk that cars can drive through; you can also walk on top of the log. The presenters describe it as 'about as much fun as you can have on a log.'

The video recommends the Wuksachi Pizza Deck as a solid, convenient stop. The presenters arrived during a scheduled break between lunch and dinner (the kitchen is noted to be closed from 2:00 to 5:30), yet they were lucky: although they arrived around 3:00 p.m. they were still served pizza and drinks on a pleasant outdoor patio. The menu is described as nothing extravagant but reliable and worthwhile after hiking.

Little Baldy is presented as an out-and-back trail of roughly 3.5 miles round trip with about 700 feet of elevation gain. The trailhead elevation is around 7,335 feet and the summit is just over 8,000 feet. The presenters began the hike late afternoon (around 4:30–5:00 p.m.) and caution to watch the time, but they made the summit in less than an hour. The summit offers true 360-degree views where you feel 'on top of the world' — a bare rocky summit (hence 'Baldy') with expansive vistas in every direction and, on the day shown, the summit largely to themselves.

Yes — on the way to the trailhead for the General Sherman Tree the presenters encountered a bear that looked like a grizzly cub (they estimated it at 70–80 pounds). It was their first bear sighting in the wild. Because there was a line of cars, they decided to keep moving rather than linger.

The video references John Muir's 1875 visit and his naming of this area the 'Giant Forest.' They quote Muir describing the grove as 'the finest' of the sequoia belt and note his poetic impression of the giants grouped like a temple grove. This historical note emphasizes the long-recognized significance and beauty of the sequoia groves.