Hiking the Dead Giant Trail in Sequoia National Park
Distance (One Way): 0.4 miles / 0.6 km
The Dead Giant Trail in Sequoia National Park is one of the park’s best-kept secrets, and it’s not for reasons that are inherently obvious.
I say this because the Dead Giant Trailhead begins off Crescent Meadow Road, which includes very popular destinations such as Moro Rock, Hanging Rock, Tunnel Log, and Crescent Meadow, to name a few.
That being said, the Dead Giant Trail is often missed by most who drive or take the free Sequoia shuttle, as the trailhead off Crescent Meadow Road is one of the easiest to miss, and the trail is not very convenient to get to from other nearby day hikes.
In any case, I highly recommend visiting the quick and easy Dead Giant Trail, as the hike takes very little time and effort to enjoy, and it’s the easiest route to get to the old Squatter’s Cabin, located where the Dead Giant Trail meets the Huckleberry Trail at the end.
Dead Giant Trailhead Parking
As previously mentioned, finding the Dead Giant Trailhead can be fairly obscure, which also means that parking for the Dead Giant Trailhead is not in a very obvious location off Crescent Meadow Road.
That being said, parking for the Dead Giant Trail can be found in one of a few small turnouts off Crescent Meadow Road, about 0.3 miles (0.5 km) away from the High Sierra Trailhead in Crescent Meadow.
Google Maps Directions: Dead Giant Trailhead
Hiking Checklist - Sequoia-Kings Canyon
Here is a complete list of must-have things that you will want for any hike in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park.
That being said, bear spray is purposefully excluded from this list because, while the Sierra Nevadas are home to a large black bear population, bear spray is not allowed in either Sequoia or Kings Canyon National Park.
Hiking the Dead Giant Trail
In my experience, the Dead Giant Trail begins at this unmarked trailhead off Crescent Meadow Road.
However, the trailhead may only be temporarily unmarked because of the damage from the 2021 KNP Complex Fire.
Almost immediately after the trailhead, the Dead Giant Trail becomes much more distinct, as this is a trail maintained by the National Park Service, regardless of the obscure trailhead.
Dead Giant
After just 0.2 miles (0.3 km) from Crescent Meadow Road, the trail reaches the 'Dead Giant,' a giant sequoia that fell victim to wildfire many years ago.
That being said, even dead sequoias still play an essential role in these ecosystems, most notably as a habitat and shelter for animals such as squirrels, woodpeckers, and owls, among many other less obvious ecosystem benefits.
After the Dead Giant, I recommend continuing for just another 0.2 miles (0.3 km) to reach the Squatter’s Cabin at the end of the trail.
Squatter’s Cabin (Dead Giant-Huckleberry Junction)
The end of the Dead Giant Trail is the Squatter’s Cabin, located just 0.4 miles (0.6 km) away from the trailhead off Crescent Meadow Road.
With that in mind, this T-intersection is likely the end of the adventure for most hikers interested in hiking back to the road in order to park elsewhere, like Crescent Meadow. However, one of the best things about Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park is the free shuttle, which allows you to continue one way in either direction without having to consider the return hike.
That being said, the Huckleberry Trail to the west leads toward the larger complex of trails near the Giant Forest Museum, and the Huckleberry Trail heading east leads out to Crescent Meadow and the High Sierra Trailhead.
Furthermore, a short loop could easily be created by hiking east toward Crescent Meadow, as it is only a 0.3-mile (0.5 km) walk back on the road to return to the Dead Giant Trailhead, creating a roughly 1.3-mile (2.1 km) loop along the west side of the Crescent Meadow Loop Trail.
Read My Separate Post: Crescent Meadow Loop Trail
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
