Hiking the General Grant Tree Trail in Kings Canyon National Park
Distance: 0.7 miles / 1.1 km
Known for being the third-largest tree on Earth, the General Grant Tree Trail is the most popular day hike in Kings Canyon National Park.
That being said, the General Grant Tree Trail is also one of the easiest hikes in Kings Canyon, as the entirety of the trail to the General Grant Tree is paved, much like other easy day hikes in the park, such as Roaring River Falls and the nearby Panoramic Point Trail.
For these reasons, Grant Tree Trail, like the General Sherman Tree in Sequoia, is often very busy from mid-morning until sunset. Therefore, I highly recommend arriving early in the day, so that you can enjoy the best of this short trail, while saving other, less busy adventures for later in the day.
General Grant Tree Trailhead Parking
Since the General Grant Tree is the most popular destination in Kings Canyon National Park, parking at the trailhead is typically more challenging than in other areas of Grant Grove.
However, the General Grant Tree Trailhead is also adjacent to the North Grove Loop and Dead Giant Loop Trailhead, meaning that parking is typically easier to find on the left-hand side the trailhead in this farther lot.
Google Maps Directions: General Grant Tree 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 General Grant Tree Trail
At the trailhead, the Grant Tree Trail splits into a loop, with the fastest route to the General Grant Tree being the path to the right.
Given that the fastest and most popular route to the General Grant Tree is by hiking the loop counterclockwise, I chose to go right.
Fallen Monarch
After just 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the Grant Tree Trail reaches this fallen Sequoia, known today as the Fallen Monarch.
In short, the Fallen Monarch is a Giant Sequoia that was hollowed out by fire before serving as a shelter for some of the park’s earliest settlers.
Today, visitors can walk through the Fallen Monarch to the other side of the trail, which is the return side of the loop as if I had gone left at the trailhead.
That being said, I recommend walking back through the Fallen Monarch to continue the Grant Tree Trail in the counterclockwise direction, as it is the fastest route to the tree from this point.
Past the Fallen Monarch, the paved Grant Tree Trail simply continues through Grant Grove until it reaches the junction with the Michigan Tree Trail shortly ahead.
General Grant Tree-Michigan Tree Junction
This split is where the General Grant Tree Trail and the Michigan Tree Trail split.
That being said, go right to continue hiking to the General Grant Tree. However, if you're interested in learning more about the short Michigan Tree Trail that begins on the far eastern side of the same parking lot, I recommend clicking the link below to skip ahead to the section at the end of this article.
Skip Ahead: Michigan Tree Trail
General Grant Tree
Once at the General Grant Tree, hikers have the option to either go left toward the main viewpoint or right up the stairs around the back side of the tree.
In summary, the General Grant Tree, also called as the "Nation’s Christmas Tree" by President Calvin Coolidge, is renowned for being the third-largest tree on Earth, behind only the General Sherman Tree and the President Tree, both of which can be seen by hiking the Congress Trail in Sequoia National Park.
Furthermore, the General Grant Tree has held this name since 1867, when it was named after Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th President of the United States.
General Grant Tree Loop Trail
This is the short loop around the backside of the Grant Tree, including the optional section at the end to hike up to the Fire Scar.
Fire Scar Trail
Almost directly behind the General Grant Tree, hikers can find a short spur trail that branches up the hill.
Here, visitors have the option to hike up to another fallen Sequoia, much like the Fallen Monarch from the beginning, as well as see a hidden Sequoia cluster that most who hike the Grant Tree Trail don’t go out of the way for.
Once back on the loop around the General Grant, I simply continued on to the main trail, as shown below.
General Grant Tree Loop Junction
This is where the short loop around the General Grant Tree returns to the main trail.
That being said, this far side of the loop is the easiest way to get to the back side of the General Grant Tree, as opposed to the stairs on the other side if accessibility is something that you need to consider.
In any case, go right to continue counterclockwise around the Grant Tree Trail.
Gamlin Cabin (Grant Tree-North Boundary-Lone Pine Junction)
After leaving the Grant Tree, the loop arrives at the Gamlin Cabin, a cabin built by the park’s first settlers for the purposes of grazing cattle before it subsequently served the needs of the later-established General Grant National Park in 1890.
Yes, there was a different National Park named after Ulysses S. Grant before it became known as Kings Canyon National Park in 1940.
In any case, the Gamlin Cabin also serves as the junction between the Grant Tree Trail and the North Boundary-Lone Pine Loop just up the hill.
With that in mind, go left to continue on the Grant Tree Trail back to the beginning.
Read My Separate Post: North Boundary-Lone Pine Loop Trail
Centennial Stump
Then, the Grant Tree Trail passes by the Centennial Stump, which shares a strikingly similar story to that of the Mark Twain Stump on the Big Stump Loop Trail just south of here.
Fallen Monarch
As the General Grant Tree Loop nears the end, it once again passes by the Fallen Monarch before returning to the trailhead.
This is where the General Grant Tree Loop Trail returns back to the beginning.
Michigan Tree Trail
Distance: 0.2 miles / 0.3 km
Other than the split in the Grant Tree Trail just before the tree itself, the Michigan Tree Trail is a bit of a hidden gem, as most hikers don‘t go out of the way for this quick and easy adventure on the far side of the parking lot.
That being said, the hike to the Michigan Tree takes nothing more than a few minutes to see, which is why I highly recommend checking it out after completing the main loop.
Michigan Tree
After only 0.1 miles (0.2 km), the trail reaches the Michigan Tree, a Giant Sequoia with a unique story about how the stream that made it thrive was also the reason for its demise.
Once here, I recommend turning back, as the trail simply continues to the same junction shown previously.
Michigan Tree-Sunset Junction
If you decide to hike further, the trail splits immediately after the Michigan Tree, with the Sunset Trail leading from here to Grant Grove Village, about 0.7 miles (1.1 km) away.
Regardless, go left for about 0.1 miles (0.2 km) to reach the Grant Tree Trail.
General Grant Tree-Michigan Tree Junction
This is where the short 0.2-mile (0.3 km) Michigan Tree Trail meets the Grant Tree Trail.
That being said, the Michigan Tree Trail can be a nice, less busy alternative compared to the main loop shown at the beginning.
All said, click the link below to return to this same junction on the Grant Tree Trail.
Skip Back: General Grant Tree-Michigan Tree Junction
Sequoia National Park
Kings Canyon National Park
