California's Giant Wonders： 10 Places to See Big Trees in the Golden State

California is blessed to be an amazing place to see massive trees. Along the northern coast we have the coastal redwoods of Redwoods National Park and along the western part of the Sierra Nevada range we have the giant sequoias. These types of trees are some of the largest and tallest trees in the world and there's tons of groves all around the state to see them. While of course I haven't been to every grove in the state, I have been to a lot and I wanted to share 10 of my favorite places in California to see big trees. Let's jump into it and let me know what I left off in the comments. I wanted to start this list in Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park which is home to two of the largest trees in the world. The first of these trees is General Sherman which is the world's largest tree. It's accessible via a short hike and it is majestic to see. The grove surrounding it also has a few more of the top 10 biggest trees in the world as well. If you can only see a couple of the groves on this list then make sure General Sherman and General Grant are two of those. Next up General Grant is the world's second largest tree and the grove is only a short drive from General Sherman. This grove is probably my favorite in the state as it has lots of massive trees and a cool fallen tree that you can walk through. Plus General Grant is the nation's Christmas tree making it really fun to see during that time of the year especially when there's snow. The hike through the grove is relatively short but there's a lot to see around General Grant in this grove. South of the previous two recommendations we have the Trail of 100 Giants in Sequoia National Forest. This grove has dozens of giant sequoias with many estimated to be over 1500 years old. The 1.5 mile paved trail takes you through the grove and up close to many of the big trees. The grove was dedicated in 2000 and its largest tree is 20 feet in diameter and over 200 feet high. The trail is a little out of the way but it's still a great place to see big trees that's relatively close to Southern California. My next recommendation moves north to Yosemite National Park and the Mariposa Grove. Yosemite has so many amazing places and groves to explore such as the Mariposa Grove at the south entrance and the Tuolumne Grove at the north entrance. The grove protects hundreds of giant trees and a few of the highlights are the fallen monarch that's cool to see the roots of and the tunnel tree. You have to take a shuttle to the start of the trail so the grove's best accessible during the summertime. Definitely check this out if you're in Yosemite. Next up is Muir Woods. Muir Woods is the closest major grove to San Francisco and because of that it's one of the most visited on this entire list. It's a great grove with lots of old growth coastal redwoods but I prefer many of the others on this list if you get a chance to somewhere else. That being said if you're staying in San Francisco it's a great spot to explore and to see redwoods while in California. The main hike there is only a few miles long and it'll take you through three different groves that you can see. Next up Handywood State Park is located in the Anderson Valley about two hours north of San Francisco. This park doesn't get very many visitors so it's a great place to see big trees with some solitude. Also some of the trees are over 200 feet tall and are over a thousand years old. The short one and a half mile loop will take you through some of the best groves. Heading north on Highway 101 the next grove is in the Avenue of the Giants. This drive has dozens of groves you can see at its many pullouts but the highlight for me is the Founders Grove. Hiking through the grove is about a mile and a half and it has some large trees standing up but the highlight are the massive trees that have fallen over. Seeing these redwood trees lying on the ground really helps you to understand how big these trees truly are and it's pretty amazing to experience. You can walk all along the fallen trees and get up close and personal with their massive roots. This is one of those places I'd never pass on a coastal road trip as it's so amazing. The last three recommendations are in Redwood National Park with the first being the park's most popular trail to Lady Bird Johnson Grove. Named after the famous First Lady, hiking through this grove is a mile and a half round trip and it's a great way to get an introduction to the park. The trees here are coastal redwoods and while they're still big around the base they are also very tall. This trail also has an interactive booklet that you can get near the entrance to learn more about the grove as you explore it. Many road trippers only go to this grove in the park but there are two others I wanted to recommend if you have the time. First up, about a 20 minute drive from Lady Bird Johnson is Tall Trees Grove, my favorite hike in the park. This grove requires a lot more work to get to as it's accessed by a five mile round trip that's behind a locked gate and you have to get a code from the visitor center to see it. It's worth the effort though if you're up for a hike as the trail is stunning and it feels very remote even though you're in the national park. The grove you get to at the end has some amazing coastal redwoods but it also has a lot of really cool other trees as well. I have a video just on this hike in the description that you can see if you want more information. Stout Grove is my last on this list and it's one of the best. Stout Grove is located at the top of Redwood National Park in Jedediah Redwood State Park. The parking area for this grove is at the end of a small two-lane road and the hike is less than a half mile. Basically from the start you'll immediately see some gigantic trees and it doesn't let up the entire time you're walking around the grove. To me it's probably one of the most impressive groves in Redwood National Park as you get a lot of bang for your buck seeing some amazing trees with very little effort. If you can only go to one grove in the park and you're heading up that way I would definitely check out Stout Grove. So there you have it some of my favorite places to see big trees in California. Let me know if I left off one of your favorite places in the comments and we will see you on the next video.