Hotel at a Glance: Wuksachi Lodge

This alpine lodge feels worlds away from city life—it’s up more than 7,000 feet in elevation in the Sierra Nevada mountains, tucked away amid towering sequoia trees. In fact, it’s surrounded by Sequoia National Park—a haven for bears, bald eagles, and other wildlife. Many nights, you can gaze up at a sky filled with endless stars.

• Choose your perk: Each option includes either a full hot breakfast or snowshoe rental for two.
• Pan-seared trout and grass-fed-beef burgers are on the menu at The Peaks Restaurant, where chefs focus on locally sourced, sustainable cuisine.
• Modern rooms with rustic touches feature natural wood furnishings and cable TV.
• Souvenir sequoia saplings and Native American jewelry are available at the onsite gift shop.

Check out these other Majestic Mountain Loop deals in Yosemite National Park and John Muir Lodge.

Sequoia National Park, California: Giant Trees and Natural Splendor

Sequoia National Park is a kind of monument to immensity. Spread across more than 400,000 acres, it contains some of the world’s most gigantic trees as well as the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States—Mount Whitney. Naturally, these eye-poppingly huge landmarks get a lot of the attention, but another part of the park’s appeal is in its true wilderness: Many sections of the park are without paved roads, and it’s likely you’ll see mule deer, bobcats, and black bears.

Visitors come all year round to go fishing, camping, and hiking along miles and miles of the park’s scenic trails. Don’t miss a chance to drive through the Tunnel Log, which is cut through a fallen sequoia tree, or to hike the 1.7-mile trail to Tokopah Falls, a 1,200-foot waterfall in Tokopah Canyon. Many travelers also set aside time to pay their respects to the park’s most famous inhabitant, the General Sherman Tree; it’s one of the largest trees on earth, standing at 274 feet.

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