Hiking to the Top of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park

Looking for more great day hikes in Sequoia National Park?
Visit my Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks Hiking Guide for more incredible trails,
including Crescent and Log Meadows, Tokopah Falls, and the General Sherman Tree.

CURRENT INFO

For information about Moro Rock, visit the National Park Service website. Find reviews and maps on the AllTrails website. Good maps and trail info are also available in the book Hike the Parks: Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks by Scott Turner.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Since Moro Rock is located within Sequoia National Park, you must present an America the Beautiful pass (or other national parks pass) or pay the $35 entrance fee (valid for up to seven days) when you enter the park. You can also purchase an annual pass at the park entrance. Check ahead of time to see if you qualify for a free pass — fourth graders and active military do! Fourth graders must print a voucher ahead of time to qualify.
• There is a small parking lot next to the trailhead, as well as a vault toilet.
• Please note that pets are not allowed on the trail.
• This is one of the most popular trails in Sequoia National Park, and it can be extremely crowded. Go early or late in the day, ideally on a weekday, to avoid an overly congested trail. Going early often means a better view, as smog from California’s Central Valley tends to increase later in the day.
• Because parking is limited, you may want to take the free shuttle bus from the nearby Giant Forest Museum and Visitor Center rather than drive. A much larger parking area is available by the Visitor Center.

HIGHLIGHTS

For many, Moro Rock is a must-see on their bucket list when visiting Sequoia National Park. It packs a lot into its brief, quarter-mile ascent, and standing on the dome provides a real top-of-the-world thrill. For outstanding views and an up-close appreciation of the hundreds of stairs built into its granite face, don’t miss Moro Rock!

THE KIDS’ TAKE

It’s a long way down from Moro Rock, and the kids were a little intimidated by the nearly sheer drop. Regardless, the both bravely made it to the top. J was the first to complete the ascent, and the first back down to the parking lot. Five-year-old T had a stronger tolerance for the height and waiting patiently up top while his dad and I took photos. While there are rails along the trail, please note that it would be easy for a small child to walk right under them. In other places, the stone barriers are short enough that a child could easily climb over. Keep a close eye on young children and hold them by the hand whenever necessary.

WHILE YOU’RE HERE

There is no shortage of things to see and do in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Pair a visit to Moro Rock with another nearby trail or two, such as the beautiful loop around Crescent and Log Meadows. The Giant Forest Museum and Visitor Center are just down the road. The museum was closed during our visit in June, 2021, due to coronavirus restrictions, but recently reopened. To round out your visit, head south in the park to visit the Foothills region, or head north to Lodgepole and hike the trail to Tokopah Falls.

We arrived at the Moro Rock trailhead around 9am on a Wednesday to find a number of available spots in the small parking lot. Not for long, however; we apparently arrived just as the trail began to get busy. By the time we applied sunscreen and began our ascent, the lot was full and several other families were also beginning the climb.

The rest of my family hadn’t really known what to expect when I told them we were climbing Moro Rock, other than that the trail was short and involved stairs. It didn’t take long for reality to set in. After finishing the first set of stairs, the trees open up to a view of your final destination: the granite dome of Moro Rock.

Both the kids and their dad weren’t exactly encouraged by this sight. Michael’s fear of heights kicked in, and the boys looked across the valley below incredulously. But they kept going. In fact, they soon pulled ahead of me, as I lingered to capture the view in photos. I, too, have a healthy, fear of heights, but didn’t find Moro Rock, with its handrails and sloping sides, to be overly intimidating.

I felt a little differently once I finally caught up with Michael. He was proceeding with extra caution along some of the more exposed sections of the trail, and a bit preoccupied with his own concerns. The kids, I assumed, must be just ahead. Except… where were they?

“Michael, where’s T?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” he responded, barely looking up.

“He should be with you! You were ahead with the boys!” Now I began to feel nervous. Sure, there are rails along the trail to Moro Rock, but a child could easily slip underneath. My five-year-old is a capable hiker who naturally shies away from drop-offs, but still, this was not an ideal situation. I regretted that I hadn’t insisted he stay by my side.

As Michael and I neared the top, our older son, J, passed us on the way down.

“Where’s T?” I asked. “Did you make it to the top?”

“He’s up there,” J responded, still on the move.

“You really made it to the top?” I asked again.

“Yes,” he insisted. He clearly had his own agenda: finish the trail and get off this giant rock. At 10 years old, I was confident in his skills and stability, and trusted him to hike down independently. T, on the other hand…. where was he?!

Michael and I soon spotted our youngest child near the summit, patiently waiting as other hikers passed him by. He was fine, standing in a secure location, and had no idea how nerve-wracking the past five minutes had been for his parents. I hugged him, then made him promise to stick close to a parent for the rest of the hike. He, naturally, was completely unphased. I gave him a snack and convinced him to stay put on a bench near the top while we took in the view. And what a view it was!

From the crest of Moro Rock, a fantastic panorama awaits, ranging from the Sierra Mountains in the east to the foothills leading down to the Central Valley in the west. Railings form a spine along the ridge of the dome, allowing visitors to safely traverse the top of the rock, gawking at the incredible landscape. T was less impressed than the adults, but waited dutifully until his parents were ready to descend.

The trip down went smoothly. I kept T close at hand during the initial descent, then allowed him to move ahead of us, as long as he stayed within sight. Honestly, he was just as responsible and courteous as any adult, holding onto handrails, stopping to let others pass, and carefully watching his step.

It felt like we were back at the trailhead in no time (J, of course, wondered what took us so long, as he had arrived far earlier). Michael was grateful to be on flat ground again, well away from any edges.

“But wasn’t that view worth it?” I asked. “It was amazing!”

Yes, Michael agreed, it was. But he was also thankful that our next hike was around a meadow that promised no cliffside climbing. We had conquered Moro Rock, and that was enough.