MORO ROCK TRAIL
sequoia national park, ca
MORO ROCK TRAIL
QUICK STATS:
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Distance: 0.6 miles roundtrip (out and back)
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Elevation Gain: 410 feet
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Seasonality: Memorial Day through October due to snow
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Trailhead: Southernmost part of the Moro Rock Loop Road near the Moro Rock parking lot.
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Parking: Approx 18 parking spots in a lot at the trailhead that is only open on May-Aug weekdays. Otherwise you'll need to take the shuttle from the Giant Forest Museum (~150 car parking lot).
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Facilities: Two pit toilets in the trailhead parking lot. No potable water on the trail.
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Difficulty: Easy
Description:
Moro Rock is one of the most popular hikes in Sequoia National Park and attracts many visitors of all hiking abilities. It is a quarter mile ascent up a 350 step staircase that gives some spectacular views of the Great Western Divide and the western half of the park as you stand on its summit. You can certainly spend a lot of time soaking up the views and watching cars enter the park to the west. Bring a hat or something to shade you from the sun and marvel at the dome-shaped granite monolith that you are standing on.
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Trip Planner Details:
This trail is located in Sequoia National Park, approximately 1.5 miles southeast of the Giant Forest Museum. During the busy summer season on weekends, you will want to catch a park shuttle from Lodgepole or the Giant Forest Museum to access Moro Rock. During the summer weekdays you may be able to find a parking spot at the Moro Rock Trailhead. Here you'll find restrooms and seating areas.
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There is a park entrance fee of $35 per vehicle to enter Kings/Sequoia National Park. For more information on what else you can do in the park, visit the Sequoia/Kings National Park website.
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You can enter Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Park through the South Entrance from Highway 198 in Visalia or the North Entrance from Highway 180 in Sanger. The more direct route for this hike would be from the 198. Be careful though, as this entrance has more steep roads that hug the edges of cliffs.
When You Do Your Research:
You may see a lot of different opinions on the hike difficulty when you do an online search of this trail. Because this is a popular tourist destination, some reviewers may be inclined to rate this as moderate/strenuous because the hike is a staircase of over 350 steps with not many resting spots. Keep in mind that for the average hiker, it won't take very long to do and the difficulty will most likely be very easy.
Tips From One Who Hiked It:
This is a great hike to add onto a trip you already have planned to Sequoia National Park. There are several other trails nearby that you can explore like Hanging Rock or if you're willing to make it a longer trip, take the Sugar Pine Trail out to Crescent Meadows.
