The National Parks With The Tallest Trees In The World
Although many national parks were established to preserve landscapes like the Grand Canyon or the Great Smoky Mountains, others exist because of their record-setting natural inhabitants. This includes plants, like the trees at some Western national parks that soar to nearly skyscraper height. It's worth noting that, unlike mountains or buildings, trees are living creatures that grow at varying rates, take damage, and eventually die, meaning all "tallest" honors are only temporary. However, those looking to see the most impressively tall trees in the world today should head to four national parks located across California.
Redwood National Park
It should be little surprise that a park named for a tree would be the home of many impressive specimens of it. However, Redwood National Park goes even further. This park, located in far northern coastal California, not far from the Oregon border, is home to the world's current tallest documented tree. Known as "Hyperion", the Redwood was measured at 381.3 feet tall in 2026, a shade taller than nearby competitors. It was first discovered in 2006, adding over two feet since its initial measurement. It's located off-trail in a densely forested portion of Redwood National Park that requires extensive bushwhacking to reach, which the National Park Service discourages due to the impact on surrounding vegetation. They also warn that, even with its record-breaking height, it's not particularly impressive to view from the ground due to the height of surrounding trees and its relatively narrow trunk for its size.
Despite this, lovers of tall trees will find few parks as impressive as Redwood, home to a dizzying number of the tallest tree species in the world. The expansive, unspoiled wilderness offers plenty of opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, kayaking, scenic drives, and more.
Kings Canyon National Park
In the Sierra Nevada mountains of eastern California, Kings Canyon may not get as much hype as its neighbors, Sequoia and Yosemite. However, the beautiful and geographically varied park is quietly home to the second-tallest trees in the National Park System. They're giant sequoias, the tallest of which are located in the somewhat misleadingly named Redwood Mountain Grove. The area, accessed by a nearly 10-mile loop trail, is home to an unnamed sequoia that was measured at roughly 311 feet, 5 inches back in 1998. That's substantially taller than the much more famous 268-foot General Grant tree, also located in Kings Canyon, but in a far more accessible area. This accessibility challenge has been made worse in recent years, as the trail to Redwood Mountain Grove has been closed since the 2021 KNP Complex wildfire.
Beyond the tall trees of the Grant Grove district, Kings Canyon preserves the waterfall-lined canyon and Kings River that give the area its name, which are easy to enjoy at various spots in the park's Cedar Grove district. Visitors can enjoy beautiful scenic drives, day hike or backpack, rock climb, or camp in this peaceful environment, parts of which are closed in the winter due to snow.
Yosemite National Park
One of the National Park System's best-known parks is also home to some of the world's tallest trees. Like Kings Canyon, there's no single, named tree known as Yosemite's tallest, but National Park Service literature notes that the giant sequoias in Yosemite's Mariposa Grove reach around 290 feet, nearly as tall as the Statue of Liberty. Visitors exploring Mariposa Grove can wander trails through around 500 mature sequoias while enjoying access to amenities like bathrooms and a free shuttle from the welcome center.
Of course, the sequoias are just one part of Yosemite's appeal. The nearly 1,200-square-mile park is best known for Yosemite Valley, where waterfalls descend among towering granite formations like El Capitan. Visitors can explore the valley on foot, take in sweeping views from overlooks like Glacier Point and Tunnel View, or head into the park's quieter high country around Tuolumne Meadows. Hiking options range from easy walks to demanding routes up Yosemite Falls or Half Dome, while camping and backpacking provide ways to explore the park's extensive wilderness.
Sequoia National Park
Naturally, another park with a noteworthy tall-tree species in its name is home to some of the tallest trees in the National Park System and the world overall. Unlike Yosemite and Kings Canyon, however, there's a specific tree identified for the honor. It's known as Diamond, and soars 286 feet over the Atwell Grove section of the park. The area, which is densely forested with similarly impressive sequoias, is accessible via a trail of just under 5 miles.
Elsewhere in the park, most visitors spend the majority of their time in the Giant Forest area. It's home to the better-known General Sherman tree, which, although it's "only" roughly 275 feet tall, holds the honor of the world's largest tree by volume thanks to its exceptional thickness. Like other Sierra parks, those exploring the area can hike, camp, fish, rock climb, and take scenic drives through this unique space. Another highlight is Moro Rock, where a steep staircase leads to expansive views across the Great Western Divide and the western side of the park.
Head to California's National Parks to Check Out the World's Tallest Trees
Those who love to wander under the soaring branches of the world's tallest trees have a lot to love in America's national parks. Whether in the coastal wilderness of Redwood or the valleys and mountains of Yosemite, there are so many incredible opportunities to take in these important pieces of national and natural heritage, while also enjoying the many amenities and services of the National Park system.
