Crescent Meadow Day Hike

Sequoia National Park

Crescent Meadow trails provide a variety of routes to enjoy meadows, forests, and wildlife in Sequoia National Park near the Giant Forest Museum. Visitors can plan a variety of routes around the meadows, passing Giant Sequoias and taking in popular attractions. Many trails are paved and nearly level. Most often visited is Tharp's cabin, built in the mid-1800s inside a hollow Sequoia log.

Other points of interest include the Cleveland Tree, the Dead Giant, and Chimney Tree. For a unique perspective, hikers can stand inside the burned-out Chimney Tree. While circling the meadows keep an eye out for deer, bears, and other wildlife which appear from time to time.

Crescent Meadow Trailhead

The Crescent Meadow Trailhead is 2.6 miles from the Giant Forest Museum via Crescent Meadow Road. The road offers the option of taking a passageway through a fallen Sequoia log or driving around on a short bypass. At the trailhead find restrooms, picnic tables, bear boxes, and informational signs. There is no drinking water, however.

Those leaving their car for any period of time are required to put food and scented items in the provided bear boxes.

Summer Weekends at Crescent Meadow

On summer weekends the road to Crescent Meadow and Moro Rock is closed to private vehicles and visitors must use the free shuttle from the Giant Forest Museum to reach these points of interest.

Crescent Meadow Trail

Our suggested route is paved all the way to Tharps Log. Head south from the trailhead for a short distance on the High Sierra Trail and then branch off and loop around the end of Crescent Meadow. Soon turn onto Tharp's Log Trail which passes up the west side of Log Meadow. Beautiful views of the meadow are found along this stretch of trail.

Hale Tharp's cabin has been preserved much as he used it as a summer outpost during the latter half of the 19th century. The cabin was built into the hollow end of a fallen Giant Sequoia. Inside are a crude bed, table, and bench.

Beyond Tharp's Log Cabin, loop back to the west, passing Chimney Tree at the head of Crescent Meadow. Then follow the trail back along the western side of the meadow to the parking lot. Of course, a variety of other hiking itineraries can be followed on the network of trails around Crescent Meadow.