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Last week, we went on a family trip to Sequoia National Park with kids. If you are looking for a place within a 4 hour drive from Los Angeles, then head over to Sequoia National Park with kids. The kids were excited to see the huge trees and most especially, the biggest tree on earth. I didn’t even know that the world’s biggest tree was located in Sequoia National Park.
When Did We Go There
We visited Sequoia National Park with kids in June and we spent two nights here.
What Was The Weather Like
Summer time weather, so in the high 70’s and low 80’s the entire time we were there. Not too hot and not too cold either, the weather was perfect! Make sure to pack a light sweater!
How Did We Get There
We rented a Jucy RV Campervan and drove there from the Los Angeles area. It took us about 3.5 hours total.
How Did We Get Around
We got around by using the campervan we rented from Jucy RV. If we had rented an RV getting around would have definitely been harder to drive around, for me at least. Having a campervan made getting around so much easier. My husband couldn’t join us on this trip, so driving an RV was not an option for me.
Where Did We Stay
We stayed at Sequoia RV Ranch. When I realized that I wasn’t going to be able to get a campsite within Sequioa National Park, I immediately started searching for options around the park. After reading a few reviews on Trip Advisor, I decided on Sequoia RV Ranch and I was very pleased with my choice. They have bathrooms, showers and a river where you can swim. They allow tent, campervan and RV camping. They offer deluxe river sites, premium pull through sites, water and electric sites and dry camping sites which costs between $31 to $66 per night. Each campsite has a platform a picnic table and fire ring.
My plan was for us to stay in Sequoia National Park, however all the camp grounds were already taken.
Tip: If you plan to camp at any of the National Parks, you have to reserve a spot immediately it becomes available on the recreation.gov website. Campsites usually fill up the same day that they are released.
We picked a dry camp site because we were using a campervan with no electric or water hook up and paid $62 for two nights. This was our first every experience camping and it was perfect.
We don’t have a dog, but they met some friends with a dog and were so excited to walk the dog around while the dog chased squirrels.
What Did We Do
Sequoia National Park
The price to enter Sequoia National Park s $20 per car. Because we planned to visit a few national Parks, it made sense to buy the National Parks yearly pass which cost me $80. I didn’t realize this prior, but getting into the park is one thing, however getting to where the trails are located takes quit a while. It took us about an hour and a half to get to the Giant Forest Museum after we left the visitor’s center. After the visitor’s center, we stopped at Tunnel Rock, Hospital Rock, the Giant Forest Museum, the General Sherman Tree Trail and then on our way out of the park, we stopped at a scenic point from which we could see Moro Rock, and then finally headed back to Sequoia RV Ranch. The drive into the park and out of the park were both very scenic.
1. Foothills Visitor’s Center
When visiting any National Park, stopping by the visitor’s center with kids is very important. You can pick up Junior Ranger books here, and shop in the little gift shop they have. The kids picked up their Jr. Ranger books and listened to a presentation from one of the park rangers about animals found in Sequoia National Park.
2. Tunnel Rock
Climbing was a little hard, but my sister helped the kids up to the top. They got dirty in the process and they loved it.
3. Hospital Rock
We were able to see petroglyphs engraved by Potwisha Native Americans at this stop.
4. Giant Forest Museum
I highly suggest going in here before heading out to see the big trees. The kids loved learning about the trees and all the facts. It is a small museum, however very informative.
5. General Giant Tree Trail
This trail has really huge Sequoia trees. It is also the trail on which you can see the largest tree on Earth. This photo below of the kids and I in front of the General Sherman Tree doesn’t do it any justice. I say so because the tree looks much larger in person than in the photos.
6. Moro Rock
We didn’t hike up Moro Rock, however on our drive down from Sequoia National Park, we pulled over to admire the view and snap a few photos from the back.
Swim In The River At Sequoia RV Ranch
This was the first time the kids have ever swam and played in a river. It was a new and exciting experience for them! They made several friends here at the river and didn’t want to get out of the water. This river was perfect for cooling off after a hot day.
What Did We Eat
Before our trip, I spent some time cooking and freezing meals so we would have plenty of options. My goal was to ensure that we have enough food to eat without needing to eat out.
Cooking Utensils – [ Cast Iron Skillet | Frying Pan | Coleman Stove | Cuisinart Charcoal Grill | Grilling Sticks]
Eating Utensils – [ Kids Trays |Kids Bowls | Kids Water Bottle ]
Other – [Kids Camping Chairs | Kids Flashlight | Ice Chest ]
Breakfast
I packed organic pancake mix and bacon and cooked it on our Coleman stove. The kids loved it !!!
Lunch
The kids had lunch during the drive up to Sequoia National Park. For lunch they each had bread and nutella sandwiches, bananas and tangerines.
Dinner
The kids had rice and fried plantains, and my sister and I had meat packets that I prepped and stored in our ice chest. We cooked it on our Cuisinart Charcoal Grill.
Desert
Sm’ores of course !! The kids loved it, me too !! They couldn’t wait for this.
We only spent a total of 2 days on this trip to Sequoia National Park. I really wish we had spent more time. Because it was my first time ever camping, I was hesitant to book a longer stay just in case I didn’t like the campground or something went wrong. However, I am glad we all had such a positive experience because we plant to visit again. This time get a camp site in Sequoia National Park itself, as well as as stay a few days so we can explore more of Sequoia and admire the huge trees. There were so many trails that we didn’t get a chance to hike.
