The first time I saw one of the largest trees on Earth was by accident. I took a southern route from the East Coast to Lake Tahoe, stopping for an afternoon in Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove. Without knowing it, I chose a trail that passed one of California’s earliest tourist attractions: the now-fallen Wawona Tree, a giant sequoia so large it had a wagon tunnel carved through it in 1881 to lure visitors.
Since then, I’ve learned more about California’s natural giants—the massive giant sequoia and the towering coast redwood—and where to find the most extraordinary ones. Some are easy to locate, like the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park, with a trunk roughly three times the volume of a blue whale. Others are intentionally hidden, like Hyperion, the world’s tallest tree, whose exact location in Redwood National Park is so secretive that hikers can be fined for attempting to find it. Some are accessible but unmarked, like the redwood pictured on the cover of a 1964 issue of National Geographic, a photo credited with launching California’s monumental forests into the global spotlight.
Redwood forests and sequoia forests are each stunning in their own way, but they’re very different. When it comes to where the trees grow, “There’s no natural overlap between the two,” says Ben Blom, director of Stewardship and Restoration for the Save the Redwoods League, founded in 1918 to protect California’s trees from logging. Fortunately, there’s a national park dedicated to each, although the 10-hour-minimum drive time between the two means you’ll likely want to decide which park to visit first.
Here’s a comparison of the parks, hotels, and activities visitors can experience for redwoods versus sequoias, to help make that decision easier.
First, what’s the difference between redwoods and sequoias?
Both redwoods and sequoias are in the same subfamily, Sequoioideae. Where they differ botanically is their genus: Coast redwoods are Sequoia sempervirens (the sole living member of the genus Sequoia), while giant sequoias are Sequoiadendron giganteum. Both are technically considered types of redwoods, and sequoias used to be called “Sierra redwoods.” Redwoods have a typical lifespan of around 800 to 1,500 years, whereas some sequoias have lived at least 2,000 years.
Redwoods are the tallest trees in the world, with some measuring at 350 or more feet high. Yet sequoias can also grow very tall. Sequoias more than 300 feet tall aren’t uncommon, and from a human scale, it can be hard to gauge the difference between a tree 300 or 350 feet tall. Giant sequoias, however, “are the largest trees by volume in the world,” says Blom, “and their trunks are typically far wider.” From a ground-level vantage point, massive width can be a little easier to appreciate than massive height.
Unfortunately, it’s not easy to tell them apart just by appearance, making geography the most fool-proof way to know which you’re standing beneath. One way to tell for certain is by looking at the cones: Redwood cones max out at about one-inch long. Anything larger than that, and you’re probably looking at a sequoia.
Both species face steep conservation challenges. According to Blom, old-growth coast redwoods now cover 110,000 acres—just 5 percent of their original 2.2 million acre range. “But there are even fewer giant sequoias remaining,” he says. “Approximately 26,000 acres.” The greatest threat to sequoias is no longer logging, as it was in the early 20th century, but catastrophic wildfires.
The giant sequoias in Yosemite are faster to access than coast redwoods because the trails are short and easy.
Photo by Iv-olga/Shutterstock
How to reach Redwood National Park versus Sequoia National Park
For maximum tree viewing with minimal effort, plan to see sequoias in Sequoia National Park. Redwood National Park may be a better pick for those who value silence and space and are willing to go the extra mile to find them.
Redwoods
Coast redwoods have a large range, stretching from Santa Cruz, California, to Brookings, Oregon. But that doesn’t mean these tallest of trees are easier to reach. Getting to Redwood National and State Parks requires a roughly six-hour drive from San Francisco International Airport, the park’s closest major airport.
Of course, that’s the timing needed just to reach a park; actually getting to the trees requires literal legwork. Major groves like Grove of Titans and Stout Memorial Grove require one- to two-mile hikes. To reach the famed Tall Trees Grove, you’ll need to acquire a timed permit and hike 4.5 miles round trip, with an elevation change of 800 feet over one mile. However, Redwood National and State Parks does have a 10-mile scenic drive for those who prefer to stay in the car.
Sequoias
There are fewer sequoias in the world, but they’re easier to reach both by car and by quick hikes.
“Giant sequoias are rare,” says Amber Sprock, California State Parks Central Valley District Public Information Office manager, noting that they only grow in a small elevation range between 4,000 and 8,000 feet above sea level on the slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains. That means you’ll only find them in places like Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, small sections of Yosemite National Park, and a few nearby California state parks.
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks sit approximately 3.5 hours by car from San Francisco International Airport or 4 hours from Los Angeles International Airport. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park’s six sequoia groves are among the easiest to explore, with some of the most famous trees reachable via fairly flat trails of less than half a mile.
Which park has the best hotel and restaurant options?
Redwoods are more remote and wild, whereas areas around sequoias have more tourist infrastructure.
Redwoods
There are no hotels in Redwood National and State Parks. Most visitors stay in low-key inns, cabins, rentals, or motels (like Roosevelt Base Camp) in surrounding towns like Orick, Klamath, and Trinidad, which are all less than 30 minutes driving from the nearest redwood trails. Camping is the only option for visitors who are keen to stay inside the park.
This part of California isn’t well known for dining or high-end tourism, but you’ll find the most dining options in Trinidad, including Moonstone Crossing Winery and the Oceanview Seascape Restaurant.
Sequoias
At Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, you don’t need to camp to stay within the park borders. The Sequoia side is home to the stone-and-cedar Wuksachi Lodge, while Kings Canyon has the John Muir Lodge, Grant Grove Cabins, and seasonal Cedar Grove Lodge. Add in the Yosemite area’s higher-end options, like the in-park Ahwahnee or Rush Creek Lodge and Spa, and visitors will find that sequoias sit closer to more luxe lodging options.
Similarly, dining options are more abundant near sequoia groves. Wuksachi Lodge has an elegant on-site restaurant (reservations recommended), with a dozen or so casual eateries lining Sierra Drive outside the park. However, most fine dining, like the Vintage Press restaurant or Elderwood cocktail lounge, are roughly 40 minutes from the park entrance in the city of Visalia.
Giant sequoias are near day-trip landscapes like Mammoth Lakes; coast redwoods are near Willow Creek, which is the Bigfoot capital of the world and has a museum dedicated to the cryptid.
Photo by Mark Thomas/Unsplash (L); photo by Paul Juser/Unsplash (R)
Best activities around redwoods versus sequoias
Redwoods offer easy access to coastal draws, while sequoias have more small town entertainment options.
Redwoods
Close to California’s far-north redwoods are beaches teeming with tide pool opportunities, famous trails like Fern Canyon, and quirkier draws like the Willow Creek Bigfoot Museum and gondola ride through the “Trees of Mystery.”
Sequoias
In the Sierra Nevada, you’ll find more non-outdoorsy activities, although hiking and natural beauty are still the main draws. Visitors can hop aboard a historic railway to jazz concerts in the woods, go underground at Crystal Cave, glamp in the wilderness, or even add on quick detours to livelier tourist destinations like Mammoth Lakes or Lake Tahoe.
What wildlife and surrounding nature can visitors see?
Redwoods have more damp environments, and sequoias grow in more mountainous areas.
Redwoods
Coast redwoods thrive along foggy shorelines, creating forests rich with ferns, lichens, moss, and plenty of mushrooms in the fall. These forests support wildlife like Roosevelt elk and the occasional black bear, although bright yellow banana slugs are most closely associated with the towering trees.
Sequoias
The sequoia climate is dryer, though extremely snowy winters make accessing groves difficult between November and April. Black bears and coyotes are common, while animals like mountain lions, bighorn sheep, and even gray wolves may make the occasional appearance.
All things being equal, which trees are the most impressive?
For Sprock, it’s hard to beat the majesty of a giant sequoia, given that many are older than the Roman Empire. “Standing next to a giant sequoia is almost like traveling to the past,” she says. “Imagine how the world changed while that tree continued to grow.”
Blom agrees that “standing next to the base of a giant sequoia tree can be awe-inspiring.” But he also acknowledges that “being among coast redwoods on a foggy day is something very magical.”
Choosing one type of tree over another is nearly impossible—both inspire awe in their own way. The Save the Redwoods League works to emphasize that both species are crucial to a healthy planet, noting that both types of forest store more carbon per acre than any other type on Earth. “They filter water, purify air, and provide critical habitat for thousands of species,” Blom notes. “Protecting them isn’t just about beauty—it’s about resilience.”
