A granite dome with a panoramic 360-degree view, Little Baldy in Sequoia National Park is a more satisfying destination than the higher but more pedestrian Big Baldy Ridge. Views extend from the Central Valley to the west to the Silliman Crest, Kings-Kaweah Divide, and Great Western Divide to the east. The 3.4-mile out-and-back is a moderately difficult hike, gaining about 650 feet, and is conveniently situated just off California State Route 198 between the Giant Forest/Lodgepole area in Sequoia and Grant Grove in neighboring Kings Canyon National Park.

The hike

The Little Baldy Trailhead, situated partway between the Giant Forest and Grant Grove, is easily missed (there are only a handful of parking spots), so look for signs indicating its presence on the east side of the road. The trail, which gains 650 feet over the course of 1.7 miles, begins ascending right away through a thick forest of mixed conifers (but no sequoias). Clear a set of stairs, then ascend a pair of short switchbacks along the west-facing, shaded slope.

From here hikers settle into a longer straightaway, ascending steadily in a northeasterly direction. Window views through the trees become more common at around 2/10 mile and offer a distant vantage point to Big Baldy Ridge to the west. Ascending amid pines and firs, the summer wildflowers on this slope are also resplendent with color.

After better views to Big Baldy around 4/10 mile, hikers come to a group of three longer switchbacks where the bulk of the elevation gain occurs. By now it becomes evident that you are rising to a ridgetop where Little Baldy is actually not the highest point (though it is the most prominent). After the third switchback, the terrain levels—even descends a bit—and the trail enters a charred forest, decimated by a relatively recent wildfire. By now the trail is making its way southward toward Little Baldy, though the granite summit remains out of view.

A short uphill involves skirting a smaller granite hump on the left, then the trail comes out onto an east-facing flank with the hike’s first wide-reaching views to the mighty Great Western Divide, a series of 12- to 13,000-foot peaks that bisect Sequoia National Park (concealing the even taller High Sierra and Mount Whitney beyond). One can also see east to Mount Silliman, Alta Peak, and the Kings-Kaweah Divide, which spans the boundary between Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.

This view is already enticing but gets even better at the summit, so continue proceeding southward as a short descent leads back briefly into the woods. From here the trail culminates with a steep and winding ascent up a rocky crag and onto the smooth slickrock of Little Baldy Dome.

Rising to the summit, there is radio/signals equipment and ample space to sit and enjoy the panoramic views, which extend in all directions. On a clear day, one can see across the Central Valley to the west. When it is hazy, at least one can usually trace the mountains to the east and can spot Route 198 as it snakes east and south toward Lodgepole, the General Sherman Tree, and the Giant Forest. As far as sweeping views with relatively little effort required, Little Baldy offers some of the park’s best vistas.

When ready, return the way you came, carefully descending the dome and finding the trail again, which routes northward, then south, dropping back to Little Baldy Saddle. The total distance is around 3.4 miles, making for a half-day hike that can easily be combined with another endeavor (such as nearby Tokopah Falls) for a satisfying day in Sequoia National Park.