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California

Giant Forest-Alta

1.0 mi

Distance

597 ft

Gain

No verdict for this trail

We won't guess. Here is exactly what we do and don't know.

What we do know

Inside Sequoia National Park
National Park unit boundary is mapped — agency alerts for it feed this page automatically.
Boundary data

What's missing

No access route mapped
We don't yet know which road reaches this trailhead, so we can't tell you if it's gated.

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Why you'll love it

Quick trip — under 2 mi

Out & back

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Giant Forest-Alta

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Elevation & route

Distance: 1.0 mi
Elevation gain: 597 ft
Highest point: 7,632 ft
Lowest point: 6,999 ft

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Photos

Directions & GPX

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Permits & access

Managing agency: National Park Service

About this trail

Giant Forest-Alta is a short out-and-back trail in California's Giant Forest, covering 0.98 miles with 597 feet of elevation gain. The trail reaches a maximum elevation of 7,632 feet and is managed by the National Park Service.

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Photo: Henning Leweke, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

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

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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.

General Sherman Tree Accessible Trailhead

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This trailhead orientation panel shows a map and images of the General Sherman Tree Accessible Trail area. 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. This trail runs from the…

There it is! (General Sherman Tree Accessible Trail)

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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.

General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Bottom

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

What Brings Them Down?

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This wayside exhibit, titled "What Brings Them Down?," shows photos and explains why sequoia trees fall.

Photo: Harald Hoyer from Schwerin, Germany, CC BY-SA 2.0 (via Wikimedia Commons)

Lodgepole-Sherman Tree

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2.85-mile out-and-back trail in California reaching 7,086 ft elevation.

There it is!

~1 min drive

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…

General Sherman Tree Trail: Near the Top

~1 min drive

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

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