“Even a tree with a trunk so large that it cannot be hugged begins with a delicate sprout.”
Chinese proverb
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Itinerary in pills
- Day 1: Yosemite National Park
- Day 2: Sequoia National Park
- Conclusions
Introduction
Naturalist poet John Muir called the Sierra Nevada the backbone of California. Between huge old trees, towering massifs and towering waterfalls, it both attracts and challenges thousands of nature- and adventure-loving travelers every year.
The Sierra Nevada was the first stop on my on-the-road trip to the western United States, during which, in addition to California, I got to cross Nevada, Utah and Arizona, accompanied by two nice girls who were at that time unknown to me. The conformation of California’s parks is quite different from that of the parks found in the other states mentioned. They are in fact landscapes in which immense expanses of green dominate in a landscape enriched by dense and lush vegetation, alternating with granite rocks forged by water and erosion.
The trip took place in July, which for Sierra Nevada parks and California’s major cities is an absolutely advisable time. Unfortunately, the same argument does not apply to all California parks (Death Valley above all) and those in the other states visited, but I will discuss this in other articles.
Itinerary in pills
Major attractions in the Sierra Nevada include 3 major natural parks, namely Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon, the highest waterfalls in North America (i.e., Yosemite falls), and Mt. Whitney, which, being about 4400 meters high, is the highest peak in the contiguous United States (the highest peak in the entire United States is in Alaska, however). Also worth mentioning is Lake Tahoe, the second deepest lake in the United States.
The originally designed itinerary was to visit the main points of all 3 nature parks. However, due to lack of time, we had to sacrifice one of them. Despite myself, the choice fell on Kings Canyon, for which we should have planned at least one additional day. Therefore, in this article I will recount our experience at Yosemite and Sequoia National Park, to which we devoted one day each. Of course, since the two parks are really huge, we limited ourselves in both cases to the most easily accessible points.
Below is the itinerary recap, with the locations where we spent the night.
| Day | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yosemite National Park | Night in Oakhurst |
| 2 | Sequoia National Park | Night in Tulare |
Note on travel documents: in addition to your passport, you must have ESTA, which is not a real visa but a permit that resembles it. It is done online perfectly independently, costs about 20 dollars (recently the price has increased) and is valid for 2 years (you can enter and leave the country several times, but it is not good for long stays, for which you need a real visa).
Day 1: Yosemite National Park
Yosemite National Park is one of the largest and best known parks in California. To visit it properly would require several days, considering that there are countless trails within it to hike, a discourse that applies generally to most of the larger parks. As mentioned earlier, this was not possible in our case, so we had to make do with a few short trails leading to the main viewpoints. You can find all the possible trails with indications of degree of difficulty and expected times here.
We left San Francisco early in the morning and arrived at the park entrance in about 4 hours. The entrance costs 30 USD per car, regardless of the number of passengers. If there are no cars, the entrance fee is 15 USD per person. In both cases, the ticket is valid for 7 consecutive days. To see the main points of Yosemite, one can choose to travel by car, or take advantage of the free shuttles that run with some regularity and stop at the entry point of different trails. Since it is peak season and finding free parking spaces is not easy, we opt without any particular doubts for the second solution.
The first attraction, which we already see from the road, is the Yosemite Fall, which with its total drop of more than 700 meters is the fifth highest waterfall in the world, as well as the highest in North America. The waterfall is divided into three jumps, each with its own associated path. The foot of the waterfall is also accessible by wheelchair.
We continue on to see Vernal Falls, lower waterfalls that we reach via a very short trail that starts at the corresponding shuttle stop. A fair number of visitors have already arrived here, but all in all nothing dramatic, despite the easy accessibility of the place. We stay under the waterfall long enough to take a few photos and see a bit of the surroundings, but without philosophizing too much.
Next, we head to the Mirror lake trail, arriving at the trailhead again by the usual shuttle. We walk the short trail around the lake in about an hour or so and take the opportunity to relax on the shore. The colors are spectacular, with the water reflecting those of the vegetation. The water is frigid, but there are a few people who even go swimming.
After our well-deserved relaxation, we retrace our steps to continue the tour. Our first objective is probably the best known point in Yosemite, namely Glacier point. This is a vantage point from which you can get an excellent view of many of the park’s main points, including Nevada Falls and Half Dome, a half-dome-shaped rock, as well as the aforementioned Vernal Falls. To get to Glacier point, you just need to get off at the right shuttle stop to be there.
The last stop in the park is another famous viewpoint, namely the Tunnel view, also easily accessible from the shuttle stop. The reason for the name of such a place is easily guessed by observing the valley, from which the Half Dome can be seen again and more closely.
Unfortunately, it is late to drive down the Tioga Road and reach Tenaya Lake, the last point we had set out to see. Therefore, we head back toward the parking lot to retrieve our car and head for Oakhurst, a small town on the way to Sequoia National Park, where we spend the night.
Day 2: Sequoia National Park
As is the case with Yosemite, Sequoia National Park would require several days to be properly visited. Activities to do in the park can be consulted here.
We leave Oakhurst quite early and arrive at the Sequoia Visitor center in a couple of hours. Admission to the park costs 35 USD per car. We retrieve the map and begin our tour of the park from its most famous point, which is General Sherman, considered to be the largest tree in the world in terms of volume. This is a very touristy attraction, in fact I don’t even get in line for the customary photo, partly because if I did I would probably still be there from 2019, given the number of people there. So I decide to settle for seeing it a little more from a distance, along with other redwoods ultimately about the same size.
We later wander into some random trails, and make our way to the Crescent Meadow, an expanse of grass surrounded by giant sequoias. We try to make up for our lack of affection by hugging a few trees, but our arms are not adequately long.
We continue to the most compelling part of the park, Moro rock, a hemispherical rock complex from which one can enjoy a beautiful view. Getting to the top is not particularly strenuous, just climbing a short flight of steps carved between the rocks, which I remember as slightly dizzying in some sections, however.
In the meantime, a good part of the day has already passed, which makes us definitely desist from heading to the entrance of Kings Canyon, making us take plenty of time to spend some time in nature on the other hand. As we head toward the park’s exit, we stop for a few photos of the tunnels carved out of fallen trees that we come across along the way.
We then leave the park to finally arrive in Tulare, another small village in which we spend the night.
Conclusions
In general, I really enjoyed the two parks I discuss in this article, but to be honest they did not leave me with a particularly exciting memory.
As for Yosemite, there are several spots that I enjoyed very much, yet none of them seemed really must-see, or at least of a level not so superior to destinations for which a transatlantic flight is not required. Indeed, some landscapes seemed to me similar to others I have seen in the Dolomites, with the subtle difference that the latter are located a couple of hours’ drive from my home.
Regarding Sequoia, I have to say that of all the parks I visited on my road trip, it is the one I was least excited about. Hugging a giant sequoia is certainly a remarkable experience, but in general the park seemed a little too touristy for my taste, starting with the line for the ritual photo with General Sherman and ending with the tunnels carved into the sequoias that seemed a little too artificial.
That said, there is certainly room for my ranking of the spots I found most interesting, coincidentally all within Yosemite:
- Mirror Lake, of all places, the point I remember most fondly also for the relaxing stop
- Glacier Point, which I must admit offers an absolutely spectacular panoramic view
- The Yosemite falls, truly imposing and set against the backdrop of a beautiful green landscape
Cost note: As encountered almost everywhere on our trip, we spent more than affordable money. For our accommodations in Oakhurst and Tulare, we spent a total of about €87 and €56, respectively, for a triple room (€29 and €19 per person, respectively!), and I guarantee that the facilities were absolutely decent.
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