Wife retired this past spring and we are planning a trip out west in a few weeks and one of our stops is Northern California to see the Redwoods and Sequoia trees. Problem is according to the inter- net where the Sequoia are located there are roads washed out from last winters snow melt and some portions are closed for the 2023 season. Is there anyone on the 24 Hour campfire that lives out there that would have / know someone that has a couple of sequoia on their ranch that would allow a stranger to come and see them? Thanks. BCM

I saw the Sequoias back in the 80’s. They are surreal. It’s almost like you are in an animation. It really looks like something from another world. Definitely a worthwhile trip.

You can visit Grant Grove/Wilsonia via the Hwy 180 Kings Canyon Park entrance. Giant Forest/Lodgepole in accessible by the General’s Highway only due to the closure of the Ash Mountain Sequoia Park entrance via Hwy 198 east of Visalia.

There are all sorts of opportunities to see them.

Can't see the Avenue of the Giants being washed out.

Just traveling on 101, there are some great spots to stop and see them.

The Avenue is fine, as are most all of the roads in both Humboldt and Del Norte counties.

Thanks fella's, that's what I need to know from someone who's out there. Looking forward to seeing them. Thanks again. BCM

Well worth the trip. I didn’t make it down to the sequoias, but did take my family out to see the redwoods a couple years ago. Dropped down into crescent city, stayed at a motel on the beach and wandered around the giant trees. Everything I had imagined and more.

Couple of good options to see these giant trees but they are in very different parts of the state.

Sequoia national park and Kings Canyon in central CA is incredible...like no other.

The south entrance is closed due to construction. However, entering from the North on 180 is easier/faster and you have Kings canyon where you can see the General Grant tree and then the General Sherman deeper into Sequoia park. Lots of bear too....

There is also a fantastic cave in Sequoia that deserves a visit.

There are many many more groves you have access to along the way in the two parks.

As Hig said, the Avenue of the Giants is in northern CA and also very beautiful. The trees there are abundant but not as large as in Kings Canyon/Sequoia.

Calaveras Big Trees State Park is just west of San Francisco about 80 miles and open no problem.... Good lodging close by in Murphys, Angels Camp, or Sonora.

So just to be sure you know, the Sequoia redwoods are down south, for the most part. The iconic ones are in Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs. Calaveras is probably the northernmost grove of any size, but there’s a small grove out of Foresthill that is supposed to be the northernmost naturally occurring grove.

Coastal redwoods are the ones that thrive on coastal fog, from Big Sur-ish up into Oregon. It is stupid easy to visit any of those, just a a bit more out of the way to see big ones. The plot of land where I grew up had five well over 100’, 6’ at the base. Ones we planted in 1970 were darn near as tall, but maybe only 3’ at the base.

Both can be utterly massive, with the coastal species getting much taller, and the inland Sequoias getting just huge at the base. It used to be said that the Sequoias were the largest by volume, but som really tall coastals have been found that have them claiming both tallest and largest.

Neighbor has one in his yard that's 6' or so at the base, more than a few similar here in town.

The redwoods are more impressive imo. If you can only do one I'd do the north coast.

Fellas, I can't thank you guys enough. Yeah we know the Redwoods are in the upper north west corner of the state and the Sequoia'a are east of San Francisco, but we really want to avoid the inner city stuff and just concentrate on the trees. We are going to hit the museum in Cody and after that heading out to see the trees. Can you guys think of anything else we need to check out while we're out there? We are both retired now and don't have to be back to work on monday morning so as long as the car and money hold out we are foot loose and fancy free.
Yee- ha. Thanks again for helping us out. BCM

When in Cody, if you stop at the Irma for lunch before hand, I can't recommend the mens bathroom in the basement next to the gun currator highly enough!

5 Stars!

If you have never seen Yosemite Valley, it is a "must see"! This year, the falls should be spectacular well into summer due to the record snow pack in the Sierras this past winter.

Yosemite is overcrowded right now because some of it is still inundated from snow melt. The eastern portal is closed at least until 4th of July with some speculating it may not open this year. If you could get out the eastern portal I would highly recommend the drive through the park, starting at either end. Tuolumne Meadows is just gorgeous.
Best to check the NPS site for park status.

The Irma and the Buffalo Bill Historical center and the mountains and the tremendous western wildlife and the hard right conservative culture of Wyoming make Cody one of my favorite towns in all of America.

Visit Yosemite if you can...it's perfect right now.

You'll be hard pressed to find lodging inside the park unless you opt for the Ahwahnee or get lucky and a room opens up at the Lodge.

It's not crowded at all as of two weeks ago. Rent bikes or just ride the free shuttles.


I've never seen this much water....ever. That's the valley floor with Yosemite falls in the background.





I was also there there in Jan...












There are three entrances... Northwest and Northeast via 120, South, and up the Merced on 140. 140 is open as is the Southern entrance by the Wawona. The others are closed

Stay in a cabin in Grant Grove.

BCM

If you have the time...and want to see more...may I also suggest visiting Death Valley and Joshua tree.





Yes, they are deserts. Yes they are not the spectacular sequoia trees or beautiful YNP.

But, they are both very unique and lately we are having mild weather so visiting them right now is a real opportunity.

Once again thank you very much for that great information, and m1919 those pictures make me want to leave tomorrow. LOL. I don't know if we can pull this off or not, but I would not mind seeing that great big hole in the ground down in Arizona. Wife said let's just go to Cody and maybe Yellowstone and head back home and go see the trees some other time, and I said NO WAY. Some other time may pass us by. We are in pretty good shape and walk a couple of miles three time a week, but you never know what can jump up and bite you, so we better do it while we are still able. Thanks again for helping us out. BCM

Glacier Point is a must see in Yosemite. You can see so many iconic views from that one spot.

Last time I went was in April 2019. We stayed in Vasalia, Ca, which is a nice little city with good food and fairly close to Sequoia and Yosemite.

Sequoia and Kings Canyon NPs are great. The sequoia trees are up high, 6,000 ft +. It's an easy enough drive up to the park but some of the switchbacks up the side of the mountains can be dizzying for a flatland easterner like myself. But the trees are worth the trip.



If you go, you have to see the General Sherman. The biggest currently living tree in the world. Branches on that are as big as big oak trees in the east.