Events & What’s Happening
Annual juried art show in the gateway community of Three Rivers featuring local and regional artists, live demonstrations, and art activities for families near the Sequoia park entrance.
💡Kids' art activity stations are set up near the main exhibit area — budget about two hours and combine with a stop at the nearby river for kids to play.
Summer evening astronomy programs hosted by rangers and astronomy clubs at Lodgepole Campground and Wuksachi Lodge, taking advantage of the park's exceptional dark skies.
💡Bring a red flashlight and a blanket for kids to lie on while stargazing — programs are usually family-paced and last about 90 minutes.
Annual celebration of Sequoia National Park's founding on September 25, 1890, with special ranger programs, interpretive walks, and educational events honoring the park's history.
💡Attend the special evening program at the Giant Forest Amphitheater — it's free and a memorable way to connect kids to the park's conservation legacy.
Fall community festival in Three Rivers with local food vendors, live music, craft booths, and family activities celebrating the harvest season and gateway community culture.
💡Parking fills up fast along Sierra Drive — arrive before 10am and walk the vendors before the crowds build around midday.
Free ranger-led snowshoe walks through Giant Forest offered on weekends when snow conditions allow, exploring the winter ecosystem among giant sequoias.
💡Snowshoes are loaned free of charge; children must be at least 8 years old and able to walk 1.5 miles — dress in warm layers and arrive early at Lodgepole Visitor Center.
Seasonal ranger-led wildflower identification walks in the Foothills area of Sequoia National Park when poppies, lupine, and other native blooms are at peak color.
💡The Foothills Visitor Center has flower ID cards for kids to take along — the trail is mostly flat and great for young children.
Sequoia National Park celebrates National Junior Ranger Day with special ranger-led activities, badge-earning activities, and hands-on programs for children throughout the park.
💡Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet at the Foothills or Lodgepole Visitor Center — kids earn an official badge upon completion.
Weekly Saturday ranger-guided walks departing from the Giant Forest Museum, exploring the world's largest trees and the surrounding meadow ecosystem.
💡The walk covers about 1.5 miles on paved and dirt trail — a child carrier backpack is handy for toddlers who may tire halfway through.
Weekly story time for young children at the Tulare County Three Rivers Branch Library featuring picture books, songs, and simple crafts for toddlers and preschoolers.
💡Best suited for ages 2–6; arrive a few minutes early as the small room fills quickly — a great rainy-day or off-peak-season option near the park.
Free weekly ranger-led campfire programs at Lodgepole Campground amphitheater covering wildlife, geology, history, and conservation of Sequoia National Park.
💡Open to all park visitors, not just campers — bring a jacket because temperatures drop quickly at 6,700 feet elevation even in summer.
Sunday drop-in hands-on activity tables at the Foothills Visitor Center where kids can explore wildlife specimens, plant samples, and earn stamps toward their Junior Ranger badge.
💡Stop here first before driving up to Giant Forest — rangers can advise on road conditions and current wildlife activity to look for that day.
Planning Your Visit
Neighborhoods & Areas
Local Tips for Families
- 💡The free Giant Forest Museum near Round Meadow opens at 9am and has hands-on exhibits including a cross-section of a sequoia you can touch — do this first before heading to General Sherman to give young kids context for what they're about to see.
- 💡Crystal Cave tours sell out weeks in advance online through Recreation.gov; tickets cannot be purchased at the cave itself. The 50-minute Discovery Tour is the only option for children under 4 feet tall and is the best fit for families with kids under age 10.
- 💡The Tunnel Log on Crescent Meadow Road is a fallen sequoia with a car-width hole carved through it — you can drive your car through it, and it's free. Kids under 10 consistently rate this the highlight of their trip, and there's never a line before 9am.
- 💡Park at the Dorst Creek Campground area on summer mornings and take the free Sequoia Shuttle directly into the Giant Forest; this avoids the Wolverton lot filling by 9:30am in July and August and saves 20 minutes of stressed parking-loop driving.
- 💡The Marble Fork of the Kaweah River near Lodgepole Campground has cold but swimmable pools directly accessible from the campground — locals cool off here on hot afternoons rather than driving down to Three Rivers, and it's free with park entry.
- 💡Wuksachi Lodge's dining room serves a $14 kids' breakfast plate with eggs and pancakes; arrive when it opens at 7am on weekdays to avoid the 30-minute wait that builds by 8am during peak summer weeks.
- 💡If you're visiting in late September or October, the Congress Trail in Giant Forest has dramatically less foot traffic and the low-angle autumn light through the sequoia canopy is far more photogenic than summer's flat overhead sun — and the trail is never muddy in early fall.
- 💡Moro Rock is best climbed just before sunset when the shadow patterns across the San Joaquin Valley and the High Sierra crest glow orange — park at the Moro Rock parking area off Crescent Meadow Road by 6pm in summer and plan 30 minutes for the 350-stair ascent.