Crescent Meadow is about 7 miles from Lodgepole Village where you pick up your wilderness permit. Mount Whitney is the highest peak in the lower 48 states. View 7 Day Forecast on weather.gov. 100 feet Great view of mountains to the west, open mountain meadow dropping down to South Boulder Creek. Giant Forest is close to Crystal Cave, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow.. It probably would have added a mile, maybe a mile and a half to my loop. Giant Forest is close to Crystal Cave, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow.. Crescent Creek enters the meadow at the south end, and a trail also leads to Log Meadow, which sits just east of Crescent Meadow. Tharp's log was the unique summer home of Hale D. Tharp 1861 until the Sequoia National Park was established in … Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. Loop. On our way, this guy ran in front of our vehicle. From Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal the trail is 72.2 miles (116.2 km) long and is often hiked in 6 to 7 days or more. Begin the High Sierra Trail at Crescent Meadow in Sequoia National Park. San Francisco is a city built on hills, and one of the most prominent hills in the city is Twin ... After you leave Morro Bay, there’s one more quaint little town before the drive through the Big Sur Mountains begins. The granite rock formation on the right side of the photo is Moro Rock. Length. Since 2011 visitors haven’t been allowed to drive to Crescent Meadow on summer weekends, so the only ways to get to Crescent Meadow is to take a shuttle or walk. Unlike many Sequoia trees that successfully survive a fire, this one did not. The map displayed above is for illustrative purposes only. If you’re looking for the shortest hike, you can continue around the loop, down the east side of Crescent Meadow. Take the High Sierra Trail 1 mile to Eagle View where you find wonderful views of the upper Kaweah River Canyon. While circling the meadows keep an eye out for deer, bears, and other wildlife which appear from time to time. Easy Trailhead address: Crescent Meadow Road, Sequoia National Park, CA 93262 Trailhead coordinates: 36.5548, … Description: This scenic loop trail takes you around the picturesque Crescent Meadow. 1.8 miles, two to three hours round-trip; loop trail; trailhead: Crescent Meadow parking/picnic area; 200-foot elevation gain. Great view of mountains to the west, open mountain meadow dropping down to South Boulder Creek. Weather. This old Sequoia burned in 1914. 2) Next day, stay on the trail 1.6 miles. Crescent Meadow Loop. Our recommended route is paved all the way to Tharps Log. After three miles, the road ends at the Crescent Meadow Parking Area. At the trailhead find restrooms, picnic tables, bear boxes, and informational signs. This cabin dates back to around 1861. Follow this road to the end for Crescent Meadow, or take the turnoff onto the loop for Moro Rock and Hanging Rock. The hike to Tharp's Log, the former abode of Hale Tharp, is only a mile from the meadow as well. Getting to the trailhead is easy if you use the Sequoia Shuttle, which goes from Visalia to Sequoia National Park ($20 round-trip). The Crescent Meadow hike is one of the best places in the park to do exactly that. Trailhead Amenities: Driving Directions. Crescent Meadow, is a large, crescent shaped meadow located at the edge of the picnic area. From the Crescent Meadow trailhead, you can take a short hike or a long one, with many different trails branching off one another. And it takes only a week! Inside are a crude bed, table, and bench. Hale Tharp's cabin has been preserved much as he used it as a summer outpost during the latter half of the 19th century. At the parking area, you’re on the west side of Crescent Meadow, at about the 7 o’clock position. Time: 2 hours, round-trip. It is also a gateway for hikers of the high Sierra trails. Instead, I really should have circled around the east side of Log Meadow, then taken the High Sierra trail out to Eagle View. Is this not necessary?? Hikers can expect incredible displays of wildflowers, giant sequoias and healthy dose of history. Crescent Meadow is also the western end of the High Sierra Trail that runs for nearly 60 miles east to Mount Whitney. Whitney, 14,508 feet Whitney Portal: 8,323 feet Total elevation gain: ~15,000 feet Total elevation loss: ~13,000 feet Hiking Distance: 71 miles Best seasons: Mid-summer through fall The trail (from Crescent Meadow to Whitney Portal) is 72 miles long and takes about a week to complete. Eagle View is about a mile into the trip from Crescent Meadow. Indiana Dunes National Park: Worth the drive from Chicago? Tharp's log was the unique summer home of Hale D. Tharp 1861 until the Sequoia National Park was established in 1890. We followed the narrow Moro Rock/Crescent Meadow Road winding uphill from the museum a couple of miles to the parking lot for the trailhead to Crescent Meadow and Log Meadow. A slice of a Sequoia across from the General Sherman Tree. For example, buying overpriced beef jerky from aliens. In the summer a free shuttle runs from Giant Forest Museum to Crescent Meadow. The Crescent Meadow area can get a little busy; at peak times you might see a group every minute. The Moro Rock Trailhead is south of the Giant Forest Museum. After reaching Crescent and Log Meadows, the loop return… You’ll want to turn into a small parking lot right next to the Giant Forest Museum and look for the road immediately on your right that goes up the hill. The road offers the option of taking a passageway through a fallen Sequoia log or driving around on a short bypass. We woke up at 5:00 am and had some oatmeal and coffee. On our way, this guy ran in front of our vehicle. The main loop is 1.6mi total. From the Generals Highway turn onto Crescent Meadow Road and then after 1½ miles onto the road to Moro Rock. Crescent Meadows – Walker Ranch Loop Featured Route 7.4mi Eldorado Canyon SP. High Sierra Trail - Key Facts. And, you can walk inside it, for a look up the chimney at other trees nearby. From the Crescent Meadow trailhead, you can take a short hike or a long one, with many different trails branching off one another. There’s another junction in the trail at Tharp’s Log. It descends into Big Arroyo, then climbs up to the Chagoopa Plateau, and drops down again into the Kern River Canyon. When you visit Sequoia National Park, you want to hike through a forest of big trees — lots of them. Another trail named Tharp… Trailhead Amenities: Driving Directions. Once you arrive at the park, you can take the free Sequoia National Park shuttle to pick up your permit in Lodgepole and then get back on the shuttle to go to the trailhead at Crescent Meadow. You can start hiking here and go left (clockwise) or right (counter-clockwise) to make the loop around Crescent Meadow — which would be just a little over a mile, with very little elevation change. Hale Tharp hollowed out the log and lived inside it while tending his cattle herd in the summers until 1890. Follow Crescent Meadow Road to the roads end. Crescent Meadow/Log Meadow Loop (easy) Distance 1.8 miles. However you can take any of the loops to the General Sherman tree 3mi, Tharp's Log trail 0.5mi, or the High Sierra Trail 1mi to Eagles View. Food and scented items must be removed from cars and placed in provided bear boxes. Mike at the trailhead of the HST.. Crescent Meadow is a collection of loops in the Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park. If your time is fairly limited, I’d recommend circling around Crescent Meadow to Chimney Tree, Tharp’s Log, and Log Meadow, before completing the loop. Take the Generals Highway to the Forest Museum and turn left onto Crescent Meadow Road. Trailhead: Crescent Meadow, elevation 6,687 feet First pass: Kaweah Gap 10,700 feet Lowest point (midway): Kern River Canyon 6,705 feet Highest point: Mt. After three miles, the road ends at the Crescent Meadow Parking Area. Trailhead: Crescent Meadow, approximately 10 miles south of Wuksachi Lodge Elevation Gain: 1,000 feet Description: Well marked and easy to navigate, the High Sierra trail is considered moderate with a warm southern exposure. Featured Routes. The Great Western Divide at Eagle View. Crescent Meadow. Drive along this road for approximately 2.6 miles {following the signs to Crescent Meadow} to reach the trailhead. This trailhead does double duty as the start of the High Sierra Trail — a direct backpackers' route to Mount Whitney. View 7 Day Forecast on weather.gov. 1.7 miles On our way, this guy ran in front of our vehicle. Whitney, 14,508 feet Whitney Portal: 8,323 feet Total elevation gain: ~15,000 feet Total elevation loss: ~13,000 feet Hiking Distance: 71 miles Interconnects with Boulder County Parks and Open Space’s Walker Ranch Loop Trail for a … Outside of our quota season you still need a Wilderness Permit, however, you will just get a self-issued permit instead of a reservation. Sierra Day Hikes website makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, reliability or suitability of any of its maps. Trailhead coordinates: 36.554884, -118.749207 (36° 33′ 17.58″N 118° 44′ 57.14″W) To get to the trailhead: Take Generals Highway (SR 198) east to Crescent Meadow Road, which is just south of the Giant Forest Museum. Just past the HST junction is a signpost proclaiming that John Muir had thought rather highly of this place. Crescent Meadow Trailhead. There are free shuttles which connect Lodgepole Village with Crescent Meadow. You can peek inside and see Tharp’s old dining room table, just as he left it more than a century ago. Just past the HST junction is a signpost proclaiming that John Muir had thought rather highly of this place. Featured Routes. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Hammond or Hohman? Always confirm information with the service provider and check for any recent changes that may have been made. Water is plentiful for the entirety of the trail, and there are bear boxes at both Bearpaw and Hamilton if you’re looking to cut a few pounds off of your pack weight. Of course, a variety of other hiking itineraries can be followed on the network of trails around Crescent Meadow. Overall, the constantly-changing scenery and many points of interest make this a really fun hike and a great introduction to the Giant Forest. It is in a state of regenerating growth after being trampled by unwary visitors. Fed by high mountain runoff, the lake is clear and pristine. We took the first shuttle from Lodgepole to the trailhead at Crescent Meadow and started our High Sierra Trail adventure. The 1-mile Sugar Pine Trail connects Crescent Meadow with Moro Rock. On summer weekends the road to Crescent Meadow and Moro Rock is closed to private vehicles and visitors must use the free shuttle from the Giant Forest Museum to reach these points of interest. In the summer, you can rent a boat, bring your own or simply enjoy the … At the trailhead find restrooms, picnic tables, bear boxes, and informational signs. Keep an eye out for bears around the meadow and never approach them. The main loop is 1.6mi total. The Crescent Meadow Trailhead is 2.6 miles from the Giant Forest Museum via Crescent Meadow Road. The trailhead is located just past the tunnel log east of General's Highway 198. The western trailhead of the High Sierra Trail which crosses the Sierra Nevada to Mount Whitney is at the Crescent Meadow parking area.. Ponderosa, Jeffrey, Sugar, and Lodgepole pine trees are common here, as well as white and red fir.Visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrel, and American black bear. The Crescent Meadow hike is one of the best places in the park to do exactly that. 2) Next day, stay on the trail 1.6 miles. Weather. The outbound half of this loop mostly passes through typical Sierra pine woodlands with some sweeping views, a few big trees, and a chance to climb Moro Rock. Trailhead Elevation. That’s the hike I took — although I wish I had added a few more destinations. 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