Fairy Trail

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, which tree in the world is the largest of all?" At 275 feet tall and with a diameter of 36.5 feet, the General Sherman tree is the biggest living thing on Earth. Summer is when tourists buzz around this behemoth beauty, which keeps company with the other largest trees in the world. To have these natural skyscrapers all to yourself strap on snowshoes and follow the yellow triangle markers through the Giant Forest. The only sound you'll hear is the crunching of your snowshoes as you make your way along a trail that meanders for 2.5 miles (one-way)—beneath 200-foot-tall trees—to Crescent Meadow. Inaccessible by car, the meadow is a dreamy winter landscape that John Muir described as the "gem of the Sierra." Make a snow angel or two before heading back the way you came...through the land of giants.

Rent snowshoes from Wuksachi Lodge. Pick up a trail map titled Cross Country Ski Trails of Sequoia National Park at the lodge or visitor center for $3.50. Follow the directions on the map for the Crescent Trail.