Long Meadow Trail, Sequoia National Park
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Long Meadow Trail
This pleasant trail loops right around the edge of Long Meadow, which has trees growing along the perimeter, and sparsely wooded, rockier slopes above. The meadow itself is boggy and overgrown. A small section of the loop is along Wolverton Road, which is used to reach the trailhead. There are no ancient sequoias here
Length: 2.5 (loop)
Elevation change: 180 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Type: Loop
Usage: Low
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Trailhead: Wolverton parking area
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Elevation change: 180 feet
Difficulty: Easy
Type: Loop
Usage: Low
Season: Spring, summer, fall
Trailhead: Wolverton parking area
Rating (1-5): ★★★★★
Unlike three other meadow trails in the Giant Forest area of Sequoia National Park (Circle, Crescent, Round), the Long Meadow Trail does not encounter any old-growth sequoias; instead it passes through more traditional mixed conifer woodland, the trees small to moderate in size, while looping all around a moist, tall-grass meadow, 0.8 miles in length and about 150 feet wide.
As a consequence, the trail is much less traveled than the other three, and so is a good place to spot wildlife, including bears. The hike starts from the Wolverton parking area, a spacious place, usually with just a few vehicles, used mostly by backpackers heading for long hikes in the high country to the east.
A small stream runs through Long Meadow, which is generally too marshy and overgrown to explore; instead the trail runs through the trees at either side. The meadow sits along the floor of a valley, the slopes rising quite steeply to the east and west.
This hike should not be confused with that through the Long Meadow Grove in the Sequoia National Forest.
Giant Forest area map.
39 views of the Congress and Long Meadow trails.
The path, which is not obviously signposted from anywhere, starts at the east end of the parking place, opposite an NPS building, along a little track; it enters the woods, crosses a small stream, Wolverton Creek, then gently descends towards a narrow strip of grassland, separated by the trees from the main part of the meadow to the west. The trail re-enters the forest, continuing south with just occasional glimpses of the main grassland, all the way to the far end of the meadow, where the ground is more generally boggy, and crossed by many fallen trees. The route becomes rather indistinct for a while.
After crossing the tiny stream that flows into the meadow from the south, the path starts the return leg, heading north along the west side of the valley, rising a little and winding through generally shadier woods where the trees are larger; traversing a steepish slope, which has patches of bare granite above, these becoming more noticeable as the trees thin out and become smaller. The surroundings change to sandy grassland, plus scattered aspen, as the path approaches the north end the meadow, where it runs past some NPS maintenance buildings, which are linked by a little track to Wolverton Road. The hike is completed by walking half a mile east along this road, back to the trailhead; there is a shortcut across the meadow to the parking area, but this may be overgrown and not evident in summer.
As a consequence, the trail is much less traveled than the other three, and so is a good place to spot wildlife, including bears. The hike starts from the Wolverton parking area, a spacious place, usually with just a few vehicles, used mostly by backpackers heading for long hikes in the high country to the east.
A small stream runs through Long Meadow, which is generally too marshy and overgrown to explore; instead the trail runs through the trees at either side. The meadow sits along the floor of a valley, the slopes rising quite steeply to the east and west.
This hike should not be confused with that through the Long Meadow Grove in the Sequoia National Forest.
Location
Giant Forest area map.
Photographs
39 views of the Congress and Long Meadow trails.
Long Meadow Video
East Side of the Loop
The path, which is not obviously signposted from anywhere, starts at the east end of the parking place, opposite an NPS building, along a little track; it enters the woods, crosses a small stream, Wolverton Creek, then gently descends towards a narrow strip of grassland, separated by the trees from the main part of the meadow to the west. The trail re-enters the forest, continuing south with just occasional glimpses of the main grassland, all the way to the far end of the meadow, where the ground is more generally boggy, and crossed by many fallen trees. The route becomes rather indistinct for a while.
West Side of the Loop
After crossing the tiny stream that flows into the meadow from the south, the path starts the return leg, heading north along the west side of the valley, rising a little and winding through generally shadier woods where the trees are larger; traversing a steepish slope, which has patches of bare granite above, these becoming more noticeable as the trees thin out and become smaller. The surroundings change to sandy grassland, plus scattered aspen, as the path approaches the north end the meadow, where it runs past some NPS maintenance buildings, which are linked by a little track to Wolverton Road. The hike is completed by walking half a mile east along this road, back to the trailhead; there is a shortcut across the meadow to the parking area, but this may be overgrown and not evident in summer.
Long Meadow - Similar Hikes
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