While the Sequoias themselves give this park its name, the southern Sierra Nevadas are just as mesmerizing. There are several trails that lead to stunning outcrops and overlooks to see layer after layer of mountains. However, there is one that has the most bang for its buck, if you will, in terms of distance versus payoff and that is the Moro Rock hike.
Quick Info About the Moro Rock Hike
TRAIL LENGTH: 0.5 miles total, round trip. This is an out and back trail.
TRAIL DIFFICULTY: I would rate this as moderate, depending on how you do with stairs as the trail is 95% stairs.
SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK ENTRY INFO: The cost to enter Sequoia National Park is $35 for a private vehicle, $20 per person for a pedestrian or bicycle or $30 for a motorcycle. Or, if you’re planning to visit multiple national parks, I highly recommend their annual “America the Beautiful” National Park Pass.
TRAIL HIGHLIGHTS: Stunning 360 mountain views.
KID FRIENDLY? I would not let my really small children hike this trail until I had a lot of confidence that they can handle a hike with sheer drop offs. We hiked with our kiddos, but they were in our Deuter Kid Comforts. (Read why we love our Deuters here.)
SEASONAL CLOSURES: This trail is closed in the winter because of ice and snow along this trail, even though there are ski trails that do lead to the trailhead.
DOG FRIENDLY? You cannot take your dog on this trail, so you’ll want to leave your furry friend at home.
Our Experience on the Moro Rock Hike
Moro Rock is tucked off the main drag of Generals Highway, but it is still easy to find and navigate. Apparently, during summer months, a shuttle runs down here, and it’s even closed to private vehicles over the weekends of summer months. Luckily, we were there in off-season and we could drive right to the trailhead. There is a small parking area there, but I can definitely see why the shuttle would be a good option during busy season.
Immediately upon parking I saw the scale of this bald granite dome and it looks insane. Luckily, although it’s almost 7000 feet high, the trail only demands 350-ish feet of incline to reach the summit. The trail up Moro Rock is essentially stairs made of concrete and rock, so it’s definitely not easy on the knees… or the lungs.
We had our little ones with us, which meant that we strapped on our Deuters to make the climb up the mountain. Like I mentioned before, this is essentially a staircase – it just happens to climb up 17 stories, with a couple flat stretches in between. The trail can be quite narrow in places, and there are a few rock overhangs that would be easy to smack your head on. So, just be a bit mindful of the way that you maneuver up this rock.
The path up is very straightforward. It took us less than 30 minutes to the top, even with kids on our backs – that said, there was huffing and puffing going on. The 360 view at the top, though, is worth every strained breath.
When we were there, wildfires had broken out about a week before and they were doing controlled burns as well to maintain the area that was ablaze. Unfortunately for us, this meant that some of the hikes we did were smoky or we had obstructed views or both. This was a both situation for us. Even so, the views from the top were still absolutely incredible and I cannot it enough!
Other Things to See Near Moro Rock
This is a really cool area with lots of different things to see all in one space. We didn’t get to all of them, but here are a handful of options to check out while you’re tucked back in this section of Sequoia National Park.
Tunnel Log: Tunnel Log is a drive-under-the-log experience. No holes are carved for cars to drive through Giant Sequoias anymore, thankfully, but this is a fallen Sequoia, that actually fell in 1937, and the hole was cut afterward. Since, it’s been a visitor attraction. We drove through it a couple of times and it’s pretty fun. It can get super backed up, though. Be patient and be efficient when taking photos or videos.
Parker Group: Named for a past superintendent of Sequoia National Park, this collection of 8 giant sequoias seem to be huddled together like a close-knit family. What I love about stopping here, is that you get to be up close with these giants. You can touch them, stare up at them and be dwarfed by them. It’s well worth a stop there.
Buttress Tree: This tree unexpectedly toppled in 1959, showing off part of the impressive but shallow root system of this Giant Sequoia.
One of the Many Other Trails in the Area: Hanging Rock, Soldiers Trail, Crescent Meadow, High Sierra Trail and others are all concentrated in this area and vary in length.
Giant Forest Museum: We didn’t make it to the Giant Forest Museum, but it’s supposed to be a great introduction to these massive trees and the human history surrounding them.
Moro Rock is such a special trail because of the mini-adventure that leads to the top, the stunning views when you reach the summit and the many adventures you can have in the immediate area surrounding it.
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