Can you spot me in the picture above? Last week I wrote about the San Diego Zoo, and although that was one of the highlights from my trip to California, the Trail of 100 Giants was by far my top highlight. Located at the Sequioa National Forest, situated 190 miles north of Los Angeles, the Trail of 100 Giants is a must see if you are in the area.
The sequioa trees, also commonly known as redwoods, are the tallest trees in the world. And let me tell you, they are massive!
The Drive from Los Angeles
The drive from Los Angeles took us about 4 hours. Now you may think that we are crazy for driving all that way for one afternoon just to see some trees, but it was well worth the drive! The drive is very curvy from Bakersfield to the trail, and can be intimidating if you have never driven through mountains before, but you get used to it pretty quickly.
On our way there we stopped in a town called Lake Isabella (lake is pictured above) to use the restroom at Nelda’s Diner, and good thing we did! While we were inside, I asked one of the staff members if we were on the right track to see the redwoods. She called over one of her colleagues who was a retired forest ranger that had spent many years working at the Sequioa National Forest. He took a look at the map that Google Maps provided us with and he informed us that the directions were all wrong. After chatting with him for a bit and getting our directions, we continued on the right path towards the friendly giants.
Side note: On our way back to LA, we stopped to have dinner at Nelda’s Diner and the food was delicious! If you are there, you should definitely order one of their many milkshakes. They are to die for! By far the best milkshake I have ever had in my life!
The Trail of 100 Giants
You can find sequioa trees in many parts of California (as well as in British Columbia). I believe the most popular of these sequioa trees is the General Sherman Tree, however, we did not see this tree as it is further north from where we were.
The Trail of 100 Giants is accessible to everyone, and it is not a challenging walk at all. I stayed mainly on the trail, primarily because I was scared of being attacked by a bear and because I did not want to get lost in a forest with no proper survival supplies.
They say that “a picture is worth a thousand words”, so I will let these photos speak for themselves.
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3 Tips from this Trip
- Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Although it usually pretty warm, you may want to bring a sweater just in case as it can get cool in the forest.
- Stay hydrated and bring your own reusable water bottle. Don’t litter!
- If you are in Lake Isabella, be sure to stop at Nelda’s for a delicious milkshake!
Happy Travels Everyone!
Andrea
Looks like something out of a fairytale, I SO want to go there!!!
It really is a great place. You can also camp there and stay a bit longer.