Moro Rock Guide
While not quite as famous as Yosemite's Half Dome, Moro Rock is another spectacular mountain of granite nestled in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Located in Sequoia National Park, Moro Rock's short but steep trail rewards hikers with a 360 degree view of the dense sequoia groves, snow capped peaks, and valley around them. It's not all about the big trees in Sequoia, and Moro Rock is one of the must-see attractions in this California park.
When to Visit
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Late spring, summer, and early fall are the best times to visit Moro Rock, though expect the summer months to be the busiest. As for winter, the road and trail to Moro Rock close due to the icy conditions. Speaking of weather, beware of summer thunder storms when it comes to Moro Rock: not only will the granite trail/staircase to the top be slippery, but it's a prime location for lightning strikes as it is completely exposed and quite high.
How to Get There
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Located in Sequoia National Park, Moro Rock is near many of the park's most popular attractions, and around 15 minutes from the hub of the Lodgepole visitor center. Take the General's Highway (Route 198) in the park until Crescent Meadow Road, staying right until it splits, with the road left heading to Crescent Meadow, and the one-way road on the right heading to the Moro Rock parking area. In the summer months, Moro Rock is one of the busiest attractions in the park, especially at sunrise and sunset, so expect the small parking lot to frequently be full; a free shuttle runs to Moro Rock from the Giant Forest Museum. On weekends in the summer, the road closes to traffic, and can only be accessed by shuttle.
Moro Rock
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Time: 1 hour.
Distance: .4 miles.
There is a longer hike (5 miles roundtrip) to Moro Rock for those that want it--find the well-marked trailhead just to the right of the Giant Forest Museum. This trail leads through some of the quietest sequoia groves in the park, before reaching the Moro Rock parking area. If you have the time and energy, by all means--it's a peaceful hike with views to match. For those with less time though, this details the .4 mile long hike beginning from the parking area to the summit.
There's maybe a dozen spots in the parking lot and a pit toilet as well. This is a popular hike, so in the summer, the free shuttle from the Giant Forest Museum just down the road might be necessary as the lot is frequently full. From here, the .2 mile long staircase to the top is right in front of you! .2 miles might not sound like much, but it's completely uphill, and if you're not acclimated to the higher elevation, don't be surprised if you run out of breath pretty quickly.
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The beginning of the staircase to the top.
Twisting, turning, and literally built into the rock, the staircase to the top actually used to be made of wood, but fell into disrepair rather quickly--the upgrade to stone was probably a good choice. The route takes more than a few interesting turns, some through some tight spaces, to get to the top.
Looking back towards the parking area | The staircase cuts through the center of Moro Rock.
There's guard rails or steep stone barriers the entire way up, though that might not matter to those with a fear of heights--it's a long way down. There's not a ton of room to navigate outside of the rails, and it should go without saying, but stay on the stairs, the granite is smooth and awfully slippery, and a fall to your death is probably going to ruin your hike.
The staircase becomes quite narrow at certain points.
It doesn't take long on the .2 mile trip to the top to start glancing good views: behind you is a wider view of the Giant Forest, the sequoia sticking out due to their color and size. To your right is the valley below, with the foothills of the park, and the beginning of the General's Highway, looking a lot smaller from up here.
Glancing the Giant Forest behind, and the start of the General's Highway in the valley below.
It only takes about 10 - 15 minutes to reach the summit of Moro Rock, but don't be surprised if you're at least a little out of breath once you reach the top of this completely uphill hike. Those who finish are rewarded with an amazing and different view in nearly every direction, rising above the canopy of the sequoia forest behind you, the valley below, and with the peaks of the Great Western Divide looming to the east. While you're quite high here (6,725 feet), you're not quite high enough to see the tallest mountain not only in the park, but in the lower 48 states: Mount Whitney. Surprisingly, here you're not all that far (as the bird flies) from the lowest point in North America: Badwater Basin, in Death Valley National Park.
Reaching the summit of Moro Rock (above) and a view of the Great Western Divide (below).
Once you've had your fill at the top, feel free to hike the .2 miles back to the bottom to continue your adventure. For more information on things to do in Sequoia National park, click here. Since you're so close though, you might want to head down the road (quite literally through a downed sequoia tree) to Crescent Meadow, a place John Muir called the "gem of the Sierra." A golden meadow surrounded by numerous big trees, and a chance to see wildlife like black bear await visitors to this classic Sequoia hike. For more on Crescent Meadow, click here.
Sequoia National Park Cinematic Video
See the trail to the top of Moro Rock and the views that await, the massive sequoia trees of the Giant Forest, a tree you can literally drive a car through and more, in this cinematic video of Sequoia National Park--all in under two minutes.