Bear Hill Trail

Bear Hill Trail is a point-to-point forest hike from the Giant Forest Museum area to Moro Rock Loop Road beside Hanging Rock. The marked trail is about 1.7 miles one way; allow 1.5 to 2 hours, including the short access walk from the museum parking. The first 0.6 mile climbs steeply on broad dirt tread. After Bear Hill, the path rolls briefly, then descends through sequoias and mixed conifers to the road. It doesn't loop, so arrange a pickup or retrace the route for about 3.5 miles on the trail. Dogs aren't allowed.

Start at Giant Forest Museum and follow the short access to the Bear Hill path at the Alta Trail junction. The trail climbs south toward Bear Hill, then crosses a short connector along Old Bear Hill Road before continuing on the Bear Hill tread toward Hanging Rock. Keep the two named routes distinct: Old Bear Hill Road's one-mile winter ski route is a separate route. A longer 2.6-mile figure uses a different endpoint; this entry follows the shorter path to Hanging Rock shown on the current park map.

The trail passes near Colonel Young Tree, named for Charles Young, a Buffalo Soldier officer who patrolled Sequoia. A short spur reaches the fallen Auto Log sequoia. It's an easy place to appreciate the scale of these trees even when one has come down.

In the early 1920s, visitors sat on bleachers and watched black bears forage on piles of food at Bear Hill. The park ended the practice as its wildlife management changed; it's part of the hill's history, not a reason to expect bears today.