Parking
Crescent Meadow Picnic Area at the end of Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road. The small lot may fill; seasonal restrooms and picnic tables are at the trailhead.
Overview
About Crescent Meadow Loop
Why go
- An open meadow framed by giant sequoias
- Short, gentle loop with varied tread
Heads up
- Small parking area can fill; summer weekend access is shuttle-only
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation6,676–6,773 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
8 active Sequoia alerts
- CautionStage 1 fire restrictionsStage 1 fire restrictions are in effect due to high fire danger and catastrophic-wildfire risk; the restrictions reduce the possibility of accidental human-caused fires that could threaten visitors…Official details
- ClosureGrant Grove trails and areas closed for prescribed burnSome trails and areas around Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree are closed for safety during a prescribed burn and until they are cleared of hazards.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
Your drive to Crescent Meadow Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sequoia National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Sequoia audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Crescent Meadow and Tharp’s Log0:00 / 0:33
“Crescent Meadow is coming up, an open wetland ringed by giant sequoias, with picnic tables near the trailhead. Stop here if you'd like a gentler outing with room to see the red trunks against the meadow grass.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Tunnel Log
- Parker Group and Buttress Tree
- Moro Rock
- Hanging Rock
- 71 audio storiesacross Sequoia’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Black Bear, Mountain Lion, Bobcat, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 99 trails, 68 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“…The kids and my husband and I all agree that the narration really added to our experience driving through the parks. We learned so much about the history and the flora & fauna.”
Trail guide
Hiking Crescent Meadow Loop
A short loop at the meadowCrescent Meadow Loop is an easy, roughly 1.
Crescent Meadow Loop is an easy, roughly 1.4-mile circuit from the picnic-area trailhead, skirting a meadow beneath giant sequoias. Plan about an hour so you can pause at the meadow edge and look for birds or seasonal flowers. The route sits high in the grove, around 6,700 feet, but it is short and mostly gentle.
Route and footingFrom the Crescent Meadow access, the path briefly shares the High Sierra Trail before the loop…
From the Crescent Meadow access, the path briefly shares the High Sierra Trail before the loop turns toward the meadow. Follow the loop around its edge; several junctions lead toward longer hikes. The short route mixes packed dirt with partly paved stretches and a short wooden bridge. It is not a uniformly paved path. Some branches lead farther toward Log Meadow and Tharp’s Log; those are longer outings beyond this loop.
Meadow viewsThe main draw is the contrast between the open green meadow and the red trunks around it.
The main draw is the contrast between the open green meadow and the red trunks around it. Early light makes that color difference stand out. Wildflowers are seasonal, and birds are often heard around the meadow, but neither is guaranteed on a particular visit. If you photograph the scene, frame the meadow against the sequoia trunks rather than treating the forest alone as the whole view.
Choosing the short routeThis entry follows the standalone loop: the mapped line measures about 1.
This entry follows the standalone loop: the mapped line measures about 1.32 miles, rounded here to 1.4. Independent loop descriptions range from about 1.3 to 1.5 miles. A roughly 1.8-mile round-trip figure is also used for an outing whose directions continue toward Log Meadow and Tharp’s Log; that may include the longer connection. The route here does not add that extension.
Wildlife and accessBears are sometimes seen in meadows, particularly in spring and early summer.
Bears are sometimes seen in meadows, particularly in spring and early summer. Keep well back and never approach or feed wildlife. Dogs are not allowed on the trail. The path is partly paved and may work for some visitors, but the dirt sections mean accessibility depends on individual ability.
Trailhead logisticsThe trail begins at Crescent Meadow Picnic Area at the end of Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road.
The trail begins at Crescent Meadow Picnic Area at the end of Moro Rock / Crescent Meadow Road. The small parking area can fill; during summer weekends, private vehicles cannot use the road and visitors reach the meadow by shuttle. Snow closes the road in winter, when access is on foot, skis, or snowshoes. Picnic tables and seasonal restrooms are at the trailhead.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Sequoia
691 sightingsBlack BearMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
17 sightingsMountain LionMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
18 sightingsBobcatMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
24 sightingsCoyoteMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
15 sightingsGolden EagleMost seen around 11 AMSighting map
20 sightingsSpotted OwlMost seen around 7 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sequoia. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
