Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [373]
Huckleberry Trail
4 miles RT. Moderate. Access: Hazelwood Nature Trail parking area, mile east of Giant Forest Museum on the Generals Hwy.
This is a great hike with a lot of beauty and not a lot of people. It passes through forest and meadow, near a 100-year-old cabin and an old American Indian village. The first mile takes you along the Hazelwood Nature Trail. Head south at each junction until you see a big sign with blue lettering, which marks the start of the Huckleberry Trail. You pass a small creek and meadow before reaching a second sign for Huckleberry Meadow. The next mile is steep and runs beneath sequoias, dogwoods, and white firs. At the 1.5-mile point is a Squatter's Cabin, built in the 1880s. East of the cabin is a trail junction. Head north (left) up a short hill. At the next junction, veer left along the edges of Circle Meadow for about a quarter mile before you reach another junction. The right is a short detour to Bear's Bathtub, a pair of sequoias hollowed by fire and filled with water. Legend has it that an old mountain guide named Chester Wright once surprised a bear taking a bath here. Continue on the trail heading northeast to the Washington Tree, almost as big as the General Sherman Tree, then on to Alta Trail. Turn west (left) to Little Deer Creek. On both sides of the creek are American Indian mortar holes. Some of the largest are 3 feet in diameter. At the next junction, head north (right) to return to the Generals Highway and the last leg of the Huckleberry Trail to the parking area.
Moro Rock
.25 mile one-way. Moderate. Access: Moro Rock parking area.
This walk climbs 300 feet up 400 steps that twist along the gigantic boulder perched perilously on a ridgetop. Take it slow. The view from the top is breathtaking. It stretches to the Great Western Divide, which looks barren and dark, like the end of the world; mountains are often snowcapped well into summer. During a full moon, the view is even stranger and more beautiful.
Moro Rock and Soldiers Loop Trail
4.6 miles RT. Moderate. Access: 30 yd. west of cafeteria at Giant Forest Museum.
This hike cuts cross-country from the Giant Forest to Moro Rock. An early section is parallel to a main road, but the trail quickly departs from the traffic and heads through a forest dotted with giant sequoias. A carpet of ferns occasionally hides the trail. It pops out at Moro Rock, and then it's just a quick heartthumper to the top.
Trail of the Sequoias
6 miles RT. Moderate. Access: Northeast end of General Sherman Tree parking area.
This trail offers a longer, more remote hike than other routes into Giant Forest, away from the crowds and along some of the more scenic points of this plateau. The first quarter mile is along the Congress Trail before heading uphill at Alta Trail. (Look for signs that read "Trail of the Sequoias.") After 1.5 miles, including a .5-mile steep climb among giant sequoias, is the ridge of the Giant Forest. Here are a variety of specimens, young and old, fallen and sturdy. Notice the shallow root system of fallen trees, and the lightning-blasted tops of others still standing. The trail continues to Log Meadow, past Crescent Meadow and Chimney Tree, a sequoia hollowed by fire. At the junction with Huckleberry Trail, follow the blue and green signs north toward the General Sherman Tree and back to Congress Trail.
NEAR GRANT GROVE
Azalea Trail
3 miles RT. Easy. Access: Kings Canyon Visitor Center.
From the visitor center, walk past the amphitheater to Sunset Campground and cross Calif. 180. The first mile joins the South Boundary Trail as it meanders through Wilsonia and crisscrosses Sequoia Creek in a gentle climb. After 1.5 miles is the third crossing of Sequoia Creek. It may be dry in late summer, but the banks are lush with ferns and brightly colored azaleas. Return the way you came.
Big Stump Trail
1 mile RT. Easy. Access: Big Stump Picnic Area near