Mariposa Grove on the Outer Loop Trail at Yosemite National Park (California)

Natural attractions at California's Yosemite National Park are bountiful: Half Dome, one of the park’s hallmark rock formations, towers 5,000 feet above the valley floor; Horsetail Fall, a cascade that reflects the sunset and turns a fiery shade of red in February; and Glacier Point, an overlook with expansive views of the park. Yet the appeal of giant sequoias – almost fantastical in their proportions, with trunks wide enough for cars to pass through – is irresistible. Hike to Mariposa Grove along the Outer Loop Trail (6.9 miles roundtrip) where there are some 500 mature sequoias. Just under a mile from the parking lot sits the 1,800-year-old Grizzly Giant, one of the largest in the grove, and the California Tunnel, a sequoia cut in 1895 to allow carriages to pass through. Continuing on the hike reveals the Faithful Couple, two sequoias fused together at their trunks like conjoined twins, and the Clothespin Tree, a giant with a hollowed out trunk resting on two slender legs, resembling its namesake.

Read more: 6 Scenic Hikes Around the World That Won't Take All Day