The 5 Largest Trees In Sequoia National Park Are Ethereal Beauties You Need To See For Yourself

Amid the snow-capped peaks and verdant alpine scenery of California's Sierra Nevada mountains, visitors flock to see some of the most renowned landmarks, like Lake Tahoe and Yosemite, alongside another one of nature's wonders — the humbling and towering sequoia trees. As the largest trees by volume on Earth, these giants are native to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, reaching heights that climb over 300 feet towards the clouds. And anyone seeking their pine-scented splendor often heads to Sequoia National Park, which one visitor on Google says feels "like stepping into another world."

Conjoined with the neighboring Kings Canyon, Sequoia National Park (known lovingly as the "Land of the Giants") is the second-oldest in the country, designated in 1890 to protect these centuries-old trees from logging. Today, visitors who want to stand in awe of these massive beings often find themselves at the very place where they were first preserved: the over 2,000-acre Giant Forest. This shady spot has over 8,000 of these awe-inspiring trees and some of the largest sequoias on Earth. Naturally, when it comes down to listing the grandest (and the most gorgeous) of the sequoias, the Giant Forest and its network of easy strolls dominates.

Below, starry-eyed visitors will find a list of the largest trees (by trunk volume, not height) in Sequoia National Park, per data from NPS. There are a few massive giants tucked away in the forest that aren't accessible to the public, so we focused on the largest trees in the park that are reachable by an official trail. 

General Sherman is named after a Civil War general and is the hero of these treasured woodlands. At 36.5 feet in diameter at the base (about the width of a double tennis court) and almost 275 feet in height, it's the national park's and the world's largest living tree. Its presence is such a highlight that the tree has its namesake paved trail, totaling about 1.1 miles, leading visitors to the magnificent sequoia. 

Pro tip: arrive before 9 a.m to beat the crowds. "After seeing the zoo at the parking lot at 2 p.m., came back the next day at 6 a.m. — and had General Sherman all to myself," writes one Google reviewer.

The President is one of the oldest living sequoias, along with being the second-largest tree in Sequoia National Park. It has a trunk volume of over 45,000 cubic feet. While General Sherman is fenced off, the President allows for some full-hearted tree-hugging and hence, makes for an ultimate photo op for visitors. 

You can see this looming giant on the forest's popular Congress Trail — which threads for 2.2 miles through some of the biggest sequoias in the park. Though an easy trek with incredible scenery, the higher elevation can be challenging (per visitors), and you can acclimatize yourself by brushing up on these handy prep tips to fight altitude sickness before traveling.

If you're looking for a sequoia that's impressive in size but off the typical tourist trail, the Lincoln Tree may be your best bet. As the third-largest sequoia in the park, it has an astounding base circumference of about 98.3 feet and a distinguishing burn scar for particularly picturesque views. 

While this sequoia itself is located on the 13.5-mile Alta Trail, you have an easier alternative to admire its views. Take a 0.25-mile spur trail from the Congress Trail to a portion of the Alta Trail (right around where the McKinley tree is located) and find the imposing sight of Lincoln Tree right ahead of you.

Franklin is another secret spot in Sequoia National Park that most tourists miss. It's a tree that won't just be worthwhile for its dizzying height and stocky trunk (with a 94.8-foot base circumference) but also for its wildflower-filled meadows that lead you up to it. 

Discover another side of Giant Forest on the 4.7-mile, moderately challenging Alta, Huckleberry, and Washington Tree Loop, featuring twisting creek waters, sequoia-dotted grasslands, and forested glens. The Franklin is somewhere around the 3-mile mark, on the Washington Tree spur trail. You can recognize it by the huge burn scar on its spongy bark — a sign of the world's eighth-largest tree's resilience against forest wildfires.

The next neck-craning giant to add to your list is the Chief Sequoyah, which takes the honor of being the ninth-largest tree of the Giant Forest. It's located on a short spur path on the Congress Trail, only a few steps from the President. 

"The Chief Sequoyah Tree is definitely my favorite Sequoia tree... has some cool big old knots which you don't see on a lot of other trees," writes one visitor on the Facebook group Big Tree Seekers. Boasting a 28.7-foot base diameter and an approximate 228-foot height, it is worth a stop to see its ancient grooves and rugged canopy.