Trips and Activities for Syncro Safari, Sequoias '23?Sunday - Day 1 through Saturday - Day 7
Activities include 4-wheeling adventures Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday provided each Syncronaut the opportunity to plan their own adventure, rest, or go on a non-4x4 outing with other Syncronauts. Below is a general outline with overview information about the activities. Open Recreation Days - Tuesday & Thursday
A day for hiking, biking, horseback riding, rest, relaxation, and seeing the LARGEST TREE in the WORLD! Tuesday evening: Our legendary Taco Night. |
4WD Routes
We are planning three group Syncro trips during our adventure. One north of Camp Syncro, another route to the south including spectacular views and a historic cabin, and third route to the east that includes more views and a remote lake. More details as planning progresses... |
Crystal Cave is an excellent example of a marble cavern. A half-mile loop trail leads through the cave, and there's also a steep half-mile walk to and from the cave parking area to the entrance. Because of fragile formations, the only way to visit the cave is on a guided tour. Tours are suitable for all ages. If you decide to see the cave, plan on spending about half a day traveling to the cave, walking to the entrance, and taking the 45-minute tour.
Guided tours of Crystal Cave are offered at additional feel by the Sequoia Parks Conservancy. |
As you enter Sequoia National Park, Moro Rock looms overhead, thousands of feet above the highway. This large granite dome is a spectacular geologic feature that can be enjoyed from above or below.
A concrete and stone stairway leads over 350 steps to the top of Moro Rock. As you climb, views open up from the foothills and San Joaquin Valley to the west, to deep into wilderness to the east. Handrails along the way make the climb relatively safe, but the hike can be strenuous. Take your time as you climb can help you adjust to the thinner air at higher elevations. On weekdays, the road is open to private vehicles, but the small parking area may fill. Peregrine falcons nest on Moro Rock in summer. |
Guided horseback rides are available to the public in summer at two horseback riding stables operated under a concessions permit in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Opening and closing dates for each location depend upon weather conditions. Weight limits and age restrictions may apply.
Rates: $50 for a one-hour ride, or $90 for a 2-hour ride. Reservations are recommended. Grant Grove Stables are located near the General Grant Tree in the Grant Grove area of Kings Canyon National Park. The stables offer 1-2 hour guided trips. Routes include the General Grant Tree, North Grove, Lion Meadow, and Dead Giant Loop. |
Sequoia National Park's Tunnel Log
Visitors can drive through the park's fallen "Tunnel Log" located along the Crescent Meadow Road in Giant Forest. The fallen Tunnel Log came into being after an unnamed giant sequoia fell across the Crescent Meadow Road in late 1937 as a result of "natural causes." The following summer, a tunnel was cut through the fallen log as a visitor attraction. When it fell, the tree stood 275 feet high (83.8 meters) and was 21 feet in diameter at the base (6.4 meters). The tree's age when it fell has not been determined, but probably exceeded 2,000 years. The tunnel, which remains in use today, is 17 feet wide and 8 feet high. Check your Syncro's height! |
Marble Falls tumbles about seventy feet into a large pool. The river is wide and powerful and the thundering water echoes off the sheer canyon walls. The trail passes the falls and ends on a slab of white marble. A great place to relax and in the cacophony of the rushing torrents. Marble Falls Trail begins from Potwisha Campground in the foothills region of Sequoia National Park. The 8-mile round trip trail is the perfect spot for a spring hike. Follow a flower-lined path up a mountain canyon to a powerful waterfall.
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Giant Sequoia Groves - OF COURSE!
Giant Forest is a large sequoia grove, set on a rolling plateau between the Marble and Middle Forks of the Kaweah River in Sequoia National Park. It is the largest of the unlogged giant sequoia groves, and it contains more exceptionally large sequoias than any other grove. It hosts the largest living sequoia, the General Sherman Tree. Grant Grove is located in Kings Canyon National Park, just 1.5 miles from the Kings Canyon Visitor Center. This grove has numerous exceptionally large sequoias grouped in a 90-acre area. A higher percentage of this grove's mature sequoias reach sizes of ten, fifteen, and twenty feet in diameter than in any other grove. For those who are interested in photographing an entire giant sequoia, a visit to Grant Grove provides a great vantage point of the immense and stunning General Grant Tree, celebrated each year as the nation's Christmas tree. |