Sevenmile Loop

Sevenmile Loop is a 14.9-mile circuit from Crescent Meadow with about 2,820 feet of climbing. It follows the High Sierra Trail east for its first six miles, leaves it after the Mehrten Creek section, climbs into open chaparral, then returns west along the Alta corridor and through the Giant Forest. This is the longer high-country circuit, not the shorter Wolverton Cutoff loop. I’d choose it if you want a hard, varied day and are happy earning the sequoias near the end; if giant trees are your main goal, there’s a lot of hiking before you reach them. Set aside about ten hours, including stops.

Begin at the Crescent Meadow parking lot and follow the signed High Sierra Trail. The path is paved at first, then becomes dirt and climbs gently. A right turn at a saddle brings you onto an open, rocky hillside. Crescent Meadow Road has seasonal access limits: when summer shuttle service is running, private cars are barred on weekends and holidays and a free park shuttle serves the area from Giant Forest Museum. Dates change from year to year, and snow can close the road in winter, so check current access before planning a full day from this lot. There’s no drinking water at Crescent Meadow or along the road. Pets aren’t allowed on park trails, including paved ones.

The first stretch is mostly easy walking through pine and fir forest, with a short switchback climb. Eagle View is the first big payoff: the trees open onto a warm slope, with Moro Rock behind you, the Middle Fork canyon below, and the Great Western Divide ahead. After the Wolverton Cutoff junction, the trail starts a steady, gradual climb past small creeks. The memorable crossing is Mehrten Creek, where water runs down a broad, steep rock face. The route crosses the exposed rock and two branches of the creek. That’s a fine place to slow down, but early-summer snowmelt can make creek crossings hazardous.

After Mehrten Creek, take the left-hand trail marked “Wolverton 6 miles.” It climbs more steadily than the High Sierra Trail, but the tread is maintained and the grade is not especially steep. Pines thin to meadows and then open chaparral, bringing wide views across the high country. Turn left onto the Alta Trail and follow the open hillside toward Panther Gap. From there, continue on Alta for several miles. This gradual descent is the least scenic part of the loop, so treat it as the quiet middle of a long day rather than expecting a new overlook around every bend.

The scenery picks up as the route enters old-growth forest. Near its edge, a small meadow holds groups of unusually isolated giant sequoias, with a creek and a carpet of lupines in late July. At the Congress Trail intersection, continue on the paved path and take the first dirt trail left at the bench. The return winds through Circle Meadow and the Crescent Meadow area, with more large trees and open grass before a slight hill drops back to the parking lot. The last meadow is broad rather than densely wooded; the best sequoia clusters come just before it.