These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
There is a reason why the General Grant Tree Trail is one of the most popular trails in Kings Canyon National Park. For such a short and very easy trail, the General Grant Tree Trail has so much to offer. On this trail, you’ll see the General Grant Tree, the 2nd largest tree by volume in the world. In 1926, President Coolidge proclaimed it as the National Christmas Tree. Besides the grove’s namesake, you can also walk inside the Fallen Monarch sequoia, visit the historic Gamlin Cabin, and immerse yourself in the enchanting giant sequoia forests.
General Grant Tree Trail trailhead
36°44’48.9″N 118°58’23.6″W
There is a decent-sized paved parking lot in front of the trailhead. If that full, there is an overflow lot up the road.
Kings Canyon National Park charges a fee to enter. The fee varies depending on the vehicle used to enter the park (car, motorcycle, bike, on foot, or on horseback). For more information, click here. If you have an America the Beautiful Pass, you can use that instead.
0.7 mi Loop
32 ft
Easy
Takes about 20 minutes (But it took us 1 hour 😅)
General Grant Tree is a very popular trail. So, we recommend getting there early if you want some peace and quiet.
Vault toilet at General Grant Tree Parking Lot
Pets are not allowed on the trail!
The trailhead for the General Grant Tree Trail is located toward the end of Grant Tree Road. There is a big paved lot at the beginning of the trailhead. If that is full, you can drive further down the road to the overflow parking, where the North Grove Trail starts.
The General Grant Tree Trail is a loop. So, at the start of the trailhead, you can go in either direction. If you just want to see the General Grant Tree, the right trail is the fastest route. We decided to go to the left, though. By the way, you can purchase a trail guide at the trailhead for $1.50 (cash only). This trail guide has 15 entries corresponding with the numbered markers along the trail if you want to learn more about this place. Even without the trail guide, you won’t have any issues finding all the important stops along the trail.
After leaving the trailhead, we went left to head up the hill. The General Grant Tree Trail is wide and nicely paved. At about 0.1 miles, we came upon the Fallen Monarch. The Fallen Monarch is an upturned root of a burnt sequoia tree. 300 years ago, this tree was hallowed out by the wildfires and then fell. It then became a tunnel that you can walk through. Make sure to take your time walking through this unique tree tunnel. We had a blast going back and forth along this tunnel. Apparently, in the past, this tree was used as temporary lodging by the Gamlin brothers, a pair of loggers, while they built their cabin. It was also used as a hotel and saloon and later, as a stable for the U.S. Cavalry.
By the way, the General Grant Tree Trail can be confusing with all the interconnecting trails. However, it is well-marked. So, as long as you pay attention, you won’t get lost. Also, the Fallen Monarch tunnel connects to the other side of the General Grant Tree Trail loop. Since we wanted to streamline our hike, we decided not to connect the tunnel. Instead, we kept going straight on the left side of the General Grant Tree Trail loop.
Once leaving the Fallen Monarch, the General Grant Tree Trail meanders along the majestic tall tree grove. It eventually reached another important spot, the Centennial Stump. In 1875, this tree was cut down. A 16-foot section was sent to the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition. Since the tree was cut, sectioned, and reassembled at the exhibit, the Eastern people didn’t believe it was all part of 1 single tree. Hence, they called it a “California Hoax.”
A short distance after the Centennial Stump, we came to the Gamlin Cabin. This cabin was built by the Gamlin brothers in 1872. They stayed here for about 6 years while grazing cattle in the mountains. After the General Grant National Park was established, the cabin became a storehouse by the U.S. Calvary. Later, it became the quarters of the first park ranger stationed here. For over 140 years, the cabin has been reconstructed and relocated 3 times. Unfortunately, you can’t go inside the cabin.
Right after leaving the Gamlin Cabin, we came to an intersection. Going right will keep you on the main trail, while going left will give you a detour to see the Grant Tree fire scar. This section of the Grant Tree fire scar is more rugged, with some elevation gain. The trail becomes a dirt trail with protruding tree roots and rocks. It is still considered easy, and we highly recommend making a detour for this.
This section of the Grant Tree fire scar is quite beautiful. We could get more up close and personal with the towering sequoias than on the other section of the General Grant Tree Trail. Along here, we found another one of our favorite tree tunnels. There is no signage for this one, and it is more challenging to crawl through than the Fallen Monarch. However, since we love scrambling, we had a blast scrambling and crawling through this awesome tree tunnel. It felt like you were in a whole other world.
Once we left our favorite tree tunnel, the trail curved around and dropped down to join back with the main trail. Along the way, we could see more towering sequoias, with some of the trees burnt by the fire. From where we were, we could spot the General Grant Tree on the main trail. It was fit to be called the second-largest Sequoia in the world! There are a big sign and informational panels in front of the General Grant Tree, so you won’t miss it. This tree weighs over 1,254 tons, with a volume estimated at 46,608 cubic feet. The diameter of its base is 40ft, and it is 267ft tall (24-story building). Pretty crazy, right? Since the General Grant Tree is still considered young by the Sequoia standard at 1,700 years old, it is still growing!
From General Grant Tree, there are a few ways you can go back since there are a few interconnecting trails. We wanted to extend our hike a little bit more, so we decided to take a short detour toward the Michigan Tree. To do this, after leaving the loop for General Grant Tree, at the fork, turn left. There isn’t any signage here. We used our satellite map from Google to make sure we were on the right trail. Either way, though, you won’t get lost.
After turning left to follow the trail toward the Michigan Tree stump, the trail descended for a short distance before reaching another intersection. We could see the Michigan Tree stump on the right side of this intersection. So of course, we went right. The Michigan Tree is interesting. It was once known as the Spring Tree because of the spring running at its base. This is the same spring that caused the tree to weaken and fall in 1931. After the Michigan Tree, it was a short distance back to the parking lot of the General Grant Tree Trail.
Since you’re here at the General Grant Tree Trail, don’t forget to check out its neighbor hike, the North Grove and Sunset Loop. If you love big trees, we recommend checking out General Sherman Tree, the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park, and the Big Stump Trail in Kings Canyon National Park. Another cool one would be the Tunnel Log in Sequoia National Park. Most of the time, you can drive your car through it. In the winter, the trail here makes for a wonderful snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trail.
Happy Adventuring. Don’t forget to check out the related posts below for more inspiration on your upcoming adventures. While at it, follow us on Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel! We’ll love you forever!
These are the gear that we personally use and find helpful for this particular adventure. Don’t forget to check out our Recommended Gear section as well.
These hiking poles are sturdy, and great to help keep your balance on short or longer hikes
If you tend to have foot blisters on hikes, get this! We use this all the time.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
Our favorite hiking/travel jacket. It's warm and packable, perfect to bring on a hike or a road trip.
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
This jacket is packable into a super small and light little ball. Perfect for when you just need a little…
It's always good to bring a GPS tracker with you. We use the Garmin inReach.
This is Vy's favorite hiking bag! It has tons of room for snacks and water!
Our favorite biodegradable, eco-friendly, reef-safe sunscreen!
This is our go-to camera for all of our adventures. It comes with us everywhere!
Compact GoPro pole that extends to 25", perfect to bring on your adventure.
Nice to meet you!
Hi! We are Dustin & Vy, the proud creators of Live That Adventure. We created this website because we wanted to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest. On here, you’ll find everything from hiking, canyoneering, kayaking, and snorkeling to adventure and travel tips, gear reviews, and bucket list items such as bungee jumping or wing walking. We’ll show you the ropes so you can do them too!
Subscribe
Get our best adventure tips, guides and more send to you!
Recent Post
Subscribe
Get our best adventure tips, guides, and more send to you!