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Giant Forest Museum.

Well-imagined and interactive displays give you the basics about sequoias, of which there are 2,161 with diameters exceeding 10 feet in the 2,115-acre Giant Forest. The museum is entirely wheelchair-accessible. | Generals Hwy., 4 mi south of Lodgepole Visitor Center 93262 | 559/565–4480 | Free | Daily 8–5.

Walter Fry Nature Center.

The hands-on nature exhibits here are designed primarily for children. The center is closed most of the year. | Lodgepole Campground, ½ mi east of Lodgepole Visitor Center 93262 | 559/565–4436 | Free | July–mid-Aug., weekends noon–5.

RANGER PROGRAMS

Free Nature Programs.

Almost any summer day, half-hour to 1½-hour ranger talks and walks explore subjects such as the life of the sequoia, the geology of the park, and the habits of bears. Giant Forest, Lodgepole Visitor Center, Wuksachi Village, and Dorst Creek Campground are frequent starting points. Check bulletin boards throughout the park for the week’s offerings.

Junior Ranger Program.

This self-guided program is offered year-round for children over five. Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at any of the visitor centers. When your child finishes an activity, a ranger signs the booklet. Kids earn a patch upon completion, which is given at an awards ceremony. It isn’t necessary to complete all activities to be awarded a patch. | 559/565–3341.

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SEQUOIA SPORTS AND THE OUTDOORS

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The best way to see Sequoia is to take a hike. Unless you do so, you’ll miss out on the up-close grandeur of mist wafting between deeply scored, red-orange tree trunks bigger than you’ve ever seen. If it’s winter, put on some snowshoes or cross-country skis and plunge into the outscale woodland swaddled in snow. There are not too many other outdoor options: no off-road driving is allowed in the parks, and no special provisions have been made for bicycles. Boating, rafting, and snowmobiling are also prohibited.

BICYCLING

Steep, winding roads and shoulders that are either narrow or nonexistent make bicycling here more of a danger than a pleasure. Outside of campgrounds, you are not allowed to pedal on unpaved roads.

BIRD-WATCHING

More than 200 species of birds inhabit Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Not seen in most parts of the United States, the white-headed woodpecker and the pileated woodpecker are common in most mid-elevation areas here. There are also many hawks and owls, including the renowned spotted owl. Species are diverse in both parks due to the changes in elevation, and range from warblers, kingbirds, thrushes, and sparrows in the foothills to goshawk, blue grouse, red-breasted nuthatch, and brown creeper at the highest elevations. Ranger-led bird-watching tours are held on a sporadic basis. Call the park’s main information number to find out more about these tours.

Contact the Sequoia Natural History Association

(HCR 89, P.O. Box 10, Three Rivers, CA 93271 | 559/565–3759 | www.sequoiahistory.org) for information on bird-watching in the southern Sierra.

CROSS-COUNTRY SKIING

For a one-of-a-kind experience, cut through the groves of mammoth sequoias in Giant Forest. Some of the Crescent Meadow trails are suitable for skiing as well. None of the trails is groomed. You can park at Giant Forest. Note that roads can be precarious in bad weather. Some advanced trails begin at Wolverton.

Pear Lake Ski Hut.

Primitive lodging is available at this backcountry hut, reached by a steep and extremely difficult 7-mi trail from Wolverton. Only expert skiers should attempt this trek. Space is limited; make reservations well in advance. | Trailhead at end of Wolverton Rd., 1½ mi northeast off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198) 93262 | 559/565–3759 | $38 | Mid-Dec.–mid-Apr.

Wuksachi Lodge.

Rent skis here. Depending on snowfall amounts, instruction may also be available. Reservations are recommended. Marked trails cut through Giant Forest, just 5 mi south of the lodge. | Off Generals Hwy. (Rte. 198), 2 mi north of Lodgepole