Parking
Start at Wolverton Picnic Area at the end of Wolverton Road. The access area has parking for autos and buses or RVs, picnic tables, flush toilets, an information kiosk and a shuttle stop.
Overview
About Wolverton Meadow Loop
Why go
- The wet meadow and its seasonal flowers make this a different outing from the grove walks.
Heads up
- The two stream crossings can run high early in the season.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sequoia map
Full mapElevation7,228–7,490 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 Wolverton 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
Wolverton Meadow and Lakes Trail0:00 / 0:28
“Wolverton is coming up, with picnic tables beside a wetland meadow. It's a good lunch stop without committing to the big hikes that start here.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Sequoia Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Lodgepole Village
- Lodgepole and Tokopah Falls
- The Songbird That Dives
- The Red Plant Without Chlorophyll
- 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 Wolverton Meadow Loop
A meadow loop from WolvertonWolverton Meadow Loop is an easy 2.
Wolverton Meadow Loop is an easy 2.8-mile circuit from Wolverton Picnic Area: a short approach on Lakes Trail, a circuit around a wet meadow, and a return by Wolverton Road. The complete mapped route is about 2.76 miles, rounded to 2.8. Allow about 1 to 1½ hours at a walking pace. It is a meadow outing rather than a giant-sequoia grove hike.
Follow the loopFrom the Wolverton access area, follow Lakes Trail briefly, then take the paths that circle…
From the Wolverton access area, follow Lakes Trail briefly, then take the paths that circle Long Meadow. The full circuit comes back toward the trailhead by a service road and Wolverton Road, so the road return is part of the distance. The open wetland and its forested edges are the route's main change of scene; this is a short walk, not a climb to a high-country overlook.
Stream crossings and flowersExpect two stream crossings, usually described as easy; water can be high early in the season.
Expect two stream crossings, usually described as easy; water can be high early in the season. Give the crossings extra attention when flows are up. The meadow changes through the growing season: its wildflowers in May, June and August are not the same, so the best flower display depends on timing.
Wildlife and accessBlack bears often feed in the Wolverton meadows in late spring and early summer.
Black bears often feed in the Wolverton meadows in late spring and early summer. Shy pine martens may be high in the trees, but can be hard to spot. Start and finish at Wolverton Picnic Area, where the park lists parking for autos and buses or RVs, picnic tables, flush toilets, an information kiosk and a shuttle stop. Pets are not allowed on park trails.
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.
