I will never forget the first time I saw a tree big enough to drive through. I was only five years old and beyond thrilled that our family road trip not only took us through the redwoods, but actually THROUGH a redwood tree.

If you are planning a family road trip to or through California, I hope you’ll be able to visit some of its oldest–and largest–inhabitants: giant sequoias and giant redwoods. Here is a quick guide to five of our family’s favorites destinations for seeing these beauties.

1) The Chandelier Tree, a.k.a. the “drive-thru tree” (Leggett, CA)

Making our way through the Chandelier “drive-thru” tree at Leggett, California.

While cutting a car-size hole through ancient redwoods is, thankfully, no longer permitted, you can still drive your kids through the Chandelier Tree (above) at Leggett, California, where this enormous redwood continues to stand and grow in spite of its drive-thru traffic. Just be sure to turn your side mirrors in to avoid spending more time in there than you’d like. The Chandelier Tree is just south of the intersection of Highway 101 and Coastal Highway 1, not far from the famed “Avenue of the Giants,” included below.  Follow this link for more information about the Chandelier Drive-Thru Tree.

2) Calaveras Big Trees State Park (Angel’s Camp, CA)

Calaveras “Big Trees” State Park lives up to its name.

We are very fond of “Big Trees” as it’s easy to reach in less than 3 hours from San Francisco or Berkeley, and has giant sequoias that simply do not disappoint. The North Grove walking loop gets you up close to–and even inside of–jaw-droppingly delightful trees, and is easy enough to do with toddlers on foot, or you can push a buggy or stroller through if you like. If you plan well in advance, you may be able to get a camping reservation here as well (see my tips for Camping at Big Trees here). Otherwise, you can book a hotel room in nearby Angel’s Camp (my kids would recommend the Best Western Cedar Inn & Suites with swimming pool and complimentary hot breakfast). Read more about Calaveras Big Trees State Park in my blog post here, and access the CA State Parks pages for the park here.

3) Humboldt Redwoods State Park

Humboldt Redwoods State Park is home to the 31-mile “Avenue of Giants.” As you can see… they are.

If it’s giant redwoods you want to see on your Northern California road trip, look no farther than Humboldt Redwoods State Park, where you’ll find plenty of shady groves to explore and the 31-mile scenic detour beside 101 called the “Avenue of Giants.” If you’re not sure how your little ones will do on the meandering route, know that you can tour small sections of the Avenue of Giants without committing to the whole tour. There are plenty of places to stop and picnic and explore the giants along the way. For a printable map of the Avenue of the Giants, click here, and to see descriptions and details of hikes at Humbolt Redwoods, click here. For more information about Humboldt Redwoods State Park, including details about camping in the park, click here.

4) Mariposa Grove, Yosemite National Park

The “Grizzly Giant” is a clear stand-out at Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove.

With so many other spectacles competing for your attention within Yosemite National Park, you might lose sight of its majestic resident trees. Some of our favorites are the giant sequoias near the south entrance in the Mariposa Grove. The massive “Grizzly Giant” can be seen on a 1.6-mile roundtrip hike from the parking area. Or, if your family’s up for it, you can do a 6-mile roundtrip hike from Yosemite’s historic Wawona Hotel (my review here).  Click here to see a map of the Mariposa Grove area trails. Find more help and inspiration for your Yosemite family vacation on my Yosemite board on Pinterest and in my reviews of Curry Village and Evergreen Lodge.

5) The Parker Group, Sequoia National Park

The Parker Group: Off the beaten path and accessible to all who would hug them.

If you want to see giant sequoias on the grandest scale there is, do not pass Go, but head directly to Sequoia National Park. Not only is Sequoia home to the world’s largest tree (based on volume), the General Sherman tree shown atop this post, but it has mammoth sequoias and giant redwoods throughout the park. While many are prominently mapped and made as accessible as possible, our favorites remain this stand called “The Parker Group” that is off the most beaten path, not far from Moro Rock, which you’ll want to be sure and visit while you’re there (see my tips for hiking Moro Rock with little kids here). For help planning your trip to Sequoia National Park, click here to see the latest Park Newspaper with maps and updates (scroll down for the latest edition). Be sure to also read my important(!) tips for visiting Crystal Cave while you’re there. Only a few campgrounds in Sequoia accept reservations, with most being available on a first-come, first-served basis. More camping info here. For a detailed review of our family’s stay at Sequoia’s Wuksachi Lodge, click here,and by all means if you’re on Pinterest, check out my Sequoia National Park board.

Well, I’d like to think I’ve done my Arbor Day good deed now by planting these seeds for your future travels – and here’s a map with all five of these destinations to help with your planning.

So how about it? Do you want to add any of these stops to your California bucket list? Have you visited any of these gorgeous trees yet? And by the way, where are YOUR favorite trees? Please leave me a comment below!

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Safe journeys,

Shelly Rivoli, author of the award-winning Travels with Baby and Take-Along Travels with Baby 

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