Sequoia National Park, CA
Views from a rocky outcrop lead into a quieter sequoia loop.
Overview
The Wolverton Cutoff Loop is a 9.6-mile circuit from Crescent Meadow, linking the High Sierra Trail, Wolverton Cutoff and Giant Forest trails. It climbs about 1,490 feet; allow around six hours for the full walk. The mapped line measures about 9.8 miles, close to the listed distance. Expect an open mountain-view climb followed by a long sequoia-forest return. This is a linked-trail loop from Crescent Meadow, not the separate point-to-point hike that starts at Wolverton.
Map & elevation
Plan your hike
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sequoia Tour Guide
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 area
Crescent Meadow and Tharp’s Log“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 near this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
“…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
From Crescent Meadow, follow the paved start of the High Sierra Trail for a few hundred yards, then turn right to climb. At the saddle, turn right again to remain on the trail. The route crosses sunny, open pine forest before Eagle View opens toward the Middle Fork Kaweah valley, Castle Rock and the Great Western Divide. For a photo, frame the valley and the high peaks together, with a bit of the rocky slope or trail for scale. The first several miles are mostly pine forest; the sequoias come later.
After the view, the High Sierra Trail enters denser forest and the mountain views fade. Turn left onto the narrower Wolverton Cutoff, which climbs steeply by switchbacks through pine woods. Later, the trees open around a rock outcrop near the route’s high point. Take a breather there: the broad view runs up and down the Middle Fork valley toward the Great Western Divide.
Past the outcrop, the trail alternates between sequoia groves and ordinary pine forest. Look for open stands with fern carpets, a ravine with large trees, and a small fern-filled meadow near the Alta Trail junction. Lupines can bloom there in early summer, while ferns may grow chest high by late summer. The loop then reaches the paved Congress Trail, where the largest sequoias on this route stand close to the path, and continues by Alta and Washington Tree trails toward Circle Meadow.
The return passes Circle Meadow and comes back to Crescent Meadow on its longer eastern side. That path adds about half a mile compared with the west-side return, but gives a more attractive finish around the meadow. The route uses several named trails, so follow the junctions rather than expecting one continuous, signed “Wolverton Loop.”
Crescent Meadow is the start and finish for this version. The road and lot close with winter snow; during summer shuttle season, weekend and holiday vehicle restrictions can affect access, so check the park’s current road and shuttle information before leaving. Pets are prohibited on park trails; service animals are allowed.
Wildlife
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.
Keep exploring
ChallengingSevenmile Loop14.9 mi · 10 hr · At the trailheadA 14.9-mile loop from Sierra Crest views into the Giant Forest.
EasySugar Pine Trail1.5 mi · 1 hr · At the trailheadA shaded forest connector with a steep spur to Bobcat Point.
ChallengingHigh Sierra Trail48.9 mi · 1.7 days · At the trailheadA 49-mile wilderness crossing from Giant Forest to the John Muir Trail.
ModerateTrail of the Sequoias3.3 mi · 2.3 hr · At the trailheadQuiet sequoia traverse from Crescent Meadow to the Congress Trail.
ChallengingHamilton Lakes Trail30.2 mi · 18 hr · At the trailheadA high granite lake, reached by an exposed Sierra traverse.
ModerateCircle Meadow Loop4.3 mi · 2.5 hr · At the trailheadA meadow circuit through Giant Forest's wildflowers and sequoias.
ChallengingBearpaw Meadow via High Sierra Trail22.8 mi · 16 hr · At the trailheadA long Sierra traverse opens to Kaweah canyon and Bearpaw Camp.
ChallengingTamarack Lake Trail31.8 mi · 16 hr · At the trailheadA 32-mile out-and-back to a lake at 9,215 feet.
Sight · 0.1 mi awayCrescent MeadowAn open meadow framed by giant sequoias, with two memorable tree stops.
Sight · 0.4 mi awayChimney TreeStep inside the hollow left by a 1914 fire.
Sight · 0.4 mi awaySquatters CabinA tiny log cabin anchors a larger Kaweah Colony story.
Sight · 0.5 mi awayTharp's LogA 70-foot sequoia log became a summer cabin.
Sight · 0.6 mi awayEagle ViewA short climb to a long look across the high Sierra.
Sight · 0.7 mi awayTunnel LogDrive through a fallen giant sequoia on Crescent Meadow Road.
Sight · 0.9 mi awayParker GroupEight sequoias, close enough to study their fire scars.
Sight · 1 mi awayButtress TreeA fallen giant sequoia with an astonishingly broad root plate.Parkwolf’s Sequoia ranking
The audio tour guide for the drive, plus offline maps, trails, and wildlife heatmaps for when the signal drops.
