California · Hiking · Near Silver City

General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top

General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top
1.6 mi
round trip
358 ft
climb
7,094 ft
high point
Out and back
route
Jun–Oct
best months

Is General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top open right now?

No closures listed

The National Park Service lists no closures for Sequoia National Park.

As of · Source: NPS · Sequoia National Park. Agencies don't list every closure — check before you go.

General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top is a short, easy hike in Sequoia National Park, managed by the National Park Service. It is a wayside exhibit that shows your location in relation to the height of The General Sherman Tree, the world's largest tree by volume. The trail is about 1.5 miles long and rises roughly 360 feet from a low point of about 6,736 feet to a high of about 7,094 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to visit. Typical averages from the Lodgepole weather station, about 1.7 miles away, show July and August highs around 76°F with lows in the mid-40s and only about two wet days a month. Winter brings highs in the upper 30s and frequent snow days. The trail starts close to the General Sherman Tree Main Trailhead, with the General Sherman Tree Main Trailhead Shuttle Stop and Sherman Tree Parking Access both about 0.1 mile away. Lodgepole Campground, part of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, is about 2 miles off, and the North Fork Kaweah River offers paddling about 8.4 miles away.

Around this trail

Add any of these when you start a trip
  • Sleep close

    Lodgepole Campground-Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park

    Campground

    Sites open the weekend of Nov 6 on Recreation.gov
  • Eat after

    Lodgepole Market Center

    Fast food

    On your way back · 2 mi
  • If it rainsDavid Fulmer, CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons

    Giant Forest Museum

    Museum

    On your way back · 2 mi

Places © OpenStreetMap contributors · Photos: David Fulmer, CC BY 2.0 (commons)

More in Silver City

Local outfitters

Not on Roamze yet. Their page has how to reach them.

  • Best time to go · Jun–Oct

    Best time to visit General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top

    Best months: June–October. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.

    1. Jan

      39° / 17°

      9 wet · 8 snow

    2. Feb

      41° / 18°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    3. Mar

      45° / 22°

      10 wet · 8 snow

    4. Apr

      50° / 26°

      8 wet · 5 snow

    5. May

      58° / 33°

      5 wet · 2 snow

    6. Jun

      68° / 40°

      3 wet

    7. Jul

      76° / 46°

      2 wet

    8. Aug

      76° / 44°

      2 wet

    9. Sep

      70° / 39°

      2 wet

    10. Oct

      59° / 31°

      4 wet · 1 snow

    11. Nov

      47° / 23°

      6 wet · 4 snow

    12. Dec

      37° / 17°

      8 wet · 6 snow

    Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Lodgepole, CA, 1.7 mi away at 6,735 ft. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.

Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive

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General Sherman Tree Main Trailhead Shuttle Stop

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This Sequoia Shuttle stop is located at the main parking area for the General Sherman tree, the largest tree in the world! From here it is a 0.5 mile (0.8 km) walk down a paved path with stairs to General Sherman. For a shorter walk, take the shuttle to the General Sherman…

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General Sherman Tree Trail: Halfway Point

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This wayside exhibit, titled "Halfway Point," shows your location in relationship to the height of the General Sherman Tree.

Wolverton CutoffPhoto: NealVickers, CC BY-SA 4.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Wolverton Cutoff

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Panther Gap-Lakes

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Sherman Tree Parking AccessPhoto: Dennis Heller, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)

Sherman Tree Parking Access

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0.45-mile out-and-back trail to Sherman Tree in California.

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There it is!

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As you stand on the path before this exhibit, notice the pavement has a textured feel. Under your feet, rows of paving stones radiate out in concentric circles from a central point. They represent a cross-section through the base of the General Sherman Tree. The outer edge…

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General Sherman Tree Main Trailhead

Next door

You are getting close to the famous General Sherman Tree. The volume of wood in its trunk alone makes it the largest tree in the world. As you walk the 0.5 miles (0.8 km) to it, you'll pass many other spectacular giants as well. At the bottom of the trail, you can stand by a…

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There it is! (General Sherman Tree Accessible Trail)

Next door

This wayside exhibit, titled "There it is!", shows photos about the General Sherman Tree. You can also find this exhibit southwest of the General Sherman Tree, near the General Highway Parking Access.

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General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Bottom

Next door

This wayside exhibit, titled "Near the Bottom," shows your location in relationship to the height of the General Sherman Tree.

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Why so big and so old? (General Sherman Tree Accessible Trail)

Next door

This wayside exhibit, titled "Why so big and so old,?" shows the sequoia's survival system. You can also find this exhibit on the west side of the General Sherman Tree.