Yosemite is home to a grand array of natural wonders, from gleaming granite domes to towering waterfalls. The sequoias that stand in the park's western reaches aren't as tall as the cliff faces of El Capitan and Half Dome, but they're certainly behemoths in their own right. Giant sequoias are the largest trees on the planet, and the groves in Yosemite offer opportunites for up-close examinations of these ancient organisms.

The most-visited grove in the park is also the largest, harboring more than 500 mature giant sequoias including the venerable Grizzly Giant, estimated to be nearly 3,000 years old. Tucked inside the park’s southern boundary, the Mariposa Grove was one of the first portions of Yosemite to be protected and is now a prime first stop for visitors arriving from the south. With more than 10 miles of trails winding from the Fallen Monarch to Wawona Point, it’s easy to escape the crowds.

The park’s quietest grove is home to roughly two dozen mature giant sequoias, accessible by a 1.5-mile one-way hike down from Big Oak Flat Road. The dirt trail descends roughly 500 feet en route to stands of towering trees and an old ranger patrol cabin above Moss Creek. Many of the sequoias are situated right next to the trail, offering close-up views of massive, furrowed tree trunks.

Some two dozen mature giant sequoias stand in Tuolumne Grove on the slopes above North Crane Creek, but the grove’s signature sight is a dead sequoia, not a living one. The Tunnel Tree was a standing snag even before its namesake feature was cut in 1878, allowing visitors arriving to Yosemite Valley via the Old Big Oak Flat Road to drive through the heart of an ancient giant. Today, access to the grove is via a one-mile one-way hike along the old paved road.