Crescent Meadow and Tharps Log

Crescent Meadow lies at the end of Crescent Meadow Road, about three miles from the Giant Forest Museum, and it is one of the loveliest places in the park for an easy walk. The naturalist John Muir is often quoted calling it the gem of the Sierra, and the setting supports the praise: a long, curved meadow of grasses and wildflowers fringed by giant sequoias and mixed conifers, with deer, birds and sometimes black bears feeding at the edges. A loop trail of roughly 1.5 miles circles the meadow, mostly flat, on dirt paths and short boardwalks, and takes an hour or so at a relaxed pace. The loop passes Chimney Tree, a sequoia hollowed out by fire so that it stands like a chimney, and links with a short side trail to Tharp's Log. Hale Tharp, an early cattle rancher in the area, made a summer home inside a fallen sequoia in the 1860s by hollowing the trunk and adding a door, a fireplace and windows. The log cabin is still there and you can step inside and see the fitted chinking and furniture. It is one of the most unusual historic buildings in the national parks. Crescent Meadow is also the trailhead for the High Sierra Trail, a long backcountry route that crosses the Great Western Divide, although day visitors usually walk only the first mile or two for the views. Road access follows Crescent Meadow Road from the Generals Highway and, as on the Moro Rock spur, vehicles over 22 feet are not allowed. In busy periods the road may be closed to private vehicles and a free shuttle used instead.

Seasons. Wildflowers peak in early to mid summer, when the meadow turns green and yellow and red columbine and lupine appear near the edges. Autumn brings gold grasses and crisp air, with fewer visitors. In winter the road may be closed beyond the Tunnel Log area, but snowshoers and skiers can reach the meadow on the closed road, and the sequoias under snow are a highlight of the park.

Wildlife and etiquette. Bears are active in the meadow in summer and fall. Keep your distance, never feed or approach them, and store food properly in the lockers provided at trailheads. Stay on trails to protect wet soil, and do not climb on fallen logs or damage the cabin. Mosquitoes can be thick in early summer, so insect repellent helps.

Building a visit. Crescent Meadow works as the final stop of a Giant Forest day, after the Sherman Tree, the museum, Moro Rock and the Tunnel Log. Allow about two hours for the meadow loop and Tharp's Log together. If you are fit and have time, continue a mile or two along the High Sierra Trail toward Eagle View, where a ledge looks over the Kaweah canyon, then return the same way.

The meadow is an excellent picnic spot, but there is no food service nearby, so bring supplies from the Lodgepole market or the Giant Forest Museum store.

Quiet corners. Most visitors walk the main loop in the same direction, so going the other way can feel like having the meadow to yourself on a busy day. Look for the small seasonal ponds, the carpets of ferns in damp corners, and the stumps and logs that show how the forest recycles itself. Photographers favor the edge of the meadow near sunset, when the sequoias throw long shadows across the grass and the light turns copper. Carry a light layer, because temperatures fall quickly after sundown at this altitude.