Sequoia National Park

On one of our road trips through California, we stopped at Sequoia National Park to see the General Sherman Tree.

Once we discovered the beauty of our national parks, we would seek them out and add these sites to our family travels. They often became the reason we would travel to a particular area, shaping our trips around the opportunity to experience places like this.

You hear about this tree before you see it, the largest tree in the world by volume, but nothing quite prepares you for standing at its base. The sheer size is difficult to comprehend. The trunk seems to rise endlessly, its bark thick and deeply grooved, carrying with it over 2,000 years of history.

This tree was already ancient long before our country was formed, and it continues to stand, growing slowly, season after season. This is not just a natural wonder, but a living connection to the past.

Sequoia National Park was established as a national park in 1890 by Benjamin Harrison, one of the earliest efforts to preserve this remarkable landscape.  

Standing in this space, it is hard not to feel small. Moments like this are a reason to travel, to stand in places that put everything into perspective.