Sunsets in the Sequoias are worth the effort to find prime viewing spots. The good news is there are two places that are easy to reach, and hard to beat.
Touchdown!: You'd think more people would make the short .7-mile hike out to Sunset Rock (pictured), but fortunately, it hasn't made it onto the tourist to-do list. All the better to enjoy this expansive granite slab—the size of a football field—on your own. Pack a pre-dinner snack and take a seat on one of the park's grandest benches to watch the sun sink behind the mountains.
To Moro: Moro Rock is a Sequoia staple. The quarter mile (300-foot vertical) ascent to the top of this dome-shaped granite monolith rewards with unobstructed views of the Western Divide, from the tall and pointy tips of Sawtooth to the Triple Divide Peak. Go an hour before sunset to catch Mother Nature's late-day show.
There are a few drive-in campgrounds in the park. Lower-elevation ones like Potwisha and Buckeye Flat can get firecracker-hot. Try to get a spot at Lodgepole's tent-only sites (we liked riverside sites like 38 – 45, 97 – 101, 121 – 144). Or get a room at the tastefully appointed Wuksachi Lodge. Built just 10 years ago, the lodge is made up of four separate buildings. Get dinner at the on-site glass-walled restaurant, which combines upscale and rustic décor, a giant fireplace, friendly staff, and earth-friendly food.