Bear Hill Snowshoe Tour: Giant Sequoias Winter Walk

Snowshoe through Giant Sequoias and warm up at Bear Hill

This 4-hour snowshoe activity takes you on a 2.5-mile round trip to Bear Hill in Sequoia National Park, where you'll hike among snow-dusted Giant Sequoias while learning to use snowshoes. No experience needed: the guide teaches all technique on the trail. You'll search for animal tracks, hear the story behind Bear Hill's name, and finish with hot cocoa at the summit.

The experience

How do you get close to Giant Sequoias in winter without hiking experience? Snowshoes let you walk on snow that would otherwise slow you down, and this trail to Bear Hill keeps the grade moderate enough that anyone who can hike can do it. The guide handles all the training as you go, so you pick up the technique naturally over the first stretch. If snow depth makes snowshoes unsafe, you'll use ice cleats instead: either way, you're moving through the same forest.

The 2.5-mile round trip takes you past countless Giants while the guide points out animal tracks pressed into the snow and explains how Giant Sequoia ecology works in winter. The winter world beneath your feet (the way snow insulates the soil, what lives underneath) becomes visible once you know where to look. At Bear Hill, you stop for hot cocoa, coffee or tea and hear how the place got its name. Bring a camera. The snow-laden trees and open views make for the kind of photos that remind you why you came.

The group stays small, up to seven people, so the pace stays conversational and the guide can answer questions without rushing. You get trekking poles for balance, hand warmers for your pockets, and a guide trained in wilderness first aid. The whole outing is built around the fact that winter transforms these trees into something you can't see any other season.

What’s included

Snowshoes in adult and youth sizes, trekking poles, ice cleats if conditions require them, hot cocoa or coffee or tea, hand warmers, and a wilderness first-aid certified guide.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayLast departure this season: 31 Oct

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

ConfirmationConfirmation within 48 h

Prices and times updated 27 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortPets welcome

Operated by Sequoia Guides

Is this one for you?Pick this if you want to learn snowshoeing hands-on while walking among snow-covered Giant Sequoias, rather than just hiking past them on foot.

Traveler reviews

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Do I need snowshoe experience to do this trail?

No experience is required. The guide teaches all snowshoe technique on the trail itself, so you learn as you walk. If you can hike, you can snowshoe.

What happens if there isn't enough snow on the ground?

If snow depth makes snowshoes unsafe, the group uses ice cleats instead and hikes the same 2.5-mile trail to Bear Hill. Either way, you're walking the same route through the Giant Sequoias.

What's the story behind Bear Hill's name?

The guide shares the history of Bear Hill when the group reaches the summit and stops for hot cocoa. That's part of what makes the destination worth the walk.

How long does the whole outing take?

The activity runs 4 hours total, covering the 2.5-mile round trip, the snowshoe training, time spent looking for animal tracks and learning about the forest, and the warm-up stop at Bear Hill.

What's included in the price?

Snowshoes (adult and youth sizes available), trekking poles, ice cleats if needed, hot cocoa or coffee or tea, hand warmers, and a guide certified in wilderness first aid are all included. Park entrance is separate.