A couple of weeks ago we took a fall hike in Merced Grove, one of three sequoia groves located in Yosemite National Park. This is both the smallest grove in the park and the only grove that is not accessible by car. Because of this, the crowds are small and it is therefore it is a Barlow family favorite.
Distance and Trail Conditions:
We completed this three mile round trip hike with a four year old on foot, a two year old in a child carrier, and a 6 week old travelling in a Baby Bjorn. The first half mile of the hike is flat, and the next mile descends a few hundred feet into the grove.
The trail is well marked and in great condition. Hiking down to the grove is the easy part. Our four year old was challenged by the one mile climb back up to the flat section, but in the end she made it and had a great time. All around, this is a great family hike.
Action Scenery:
At Trailmix.net, we are generally advocates of selecting hikes for children with action scenery. Big trees are not exactly action scenery and you want to keep younger kids from getting bored along the way. By keeping your eyes open for wildlife and talking to your kids about "the big trees" you can easily turn the hike into an expedition to find them. With this approach, it's not hard to keep little minds engaged for the 1.5 mile walk in.
The Sequoia
The Giant Sequoia is the largest tree in the world in terms of total volume. Our kids were fascinated by the overall size of the trees, the texture of the bark which is unusually soft, and the small size of the pinecones.
Getting There
You can access the Merced Grove Trailhead off of highway 120 about 3.8 miles south of the Big Oak Flat entrance (before the Crane Flat Campground).