STANDING TALL BARK UP THE RIGHT TREE: VISIT SEQUOIA.

Byline: Bill Becher Staff Writer

Sequoia National Park is a bit like the older, more plain sister whose younger, flashier sibling gets all the attention.

Designated a National Park in 1890, Sequoia was the second national park created after Yellowstone, a week before Yosemite. Now Yosemite gets three times as many visitors, as people from all over the world go to gawk at the incomparable views in Yosemite Valley.

But Sequoia has the big trees. The sequoias that give the park its name are the largest living things on the planet in terms of volume. The 275- foot-tall General Sherman Tree is believed to be more than 2,100 years old and weighs about 2.7 million pounds. More than 8,000 sequoias inhabit the Giant Forest in the park.

The Giant Forest was made auto friendly in the 1920s - you could drive right up to, on top of and through the sequoias and park at a lodge built under the big trees.

Fifty years ago the Park Service cut down a 2,200-year-old sequoia because it was leaning over some cabins. That wouldn't happen today, now that there is a new emphasis on preservation over tourism.

Sequoias have shallow roots, and all the development nearby in the Giant Forest was found to be damaging the trees.

So the Park Service decreed a makeover.

The Park Service drafted a plan in 1980 that called for removing most of the 300 structures in the Giant Forest. But it was not until 1997 when work began on removing the old facilities, which finally were razed in 2000.

The old lodge was replaced by the handsome 102-room Wuksachi Lodge, located 6 miles away. The new lodge, opened in 1999, was built and paid for by the Park's concessionaire, Delaware North Parks Services. It's made of natural woods and stone and looks as though it's been there for decades. A dining room offers mountain views and first-class gourmet food.

The general store, built in 1928, is one of the few old buildings standing at the Giant Forest. It's been turned into a museum where visitors can learn about the life history of the giant trees through interactive displays. Admission is free.

From here, visitors can hike the easy 2.1-mile Congress Trail, which passes by many of the largest sequoias, including the General Sherman Tree.

Three-and-a-half miles south of the General Sherman Tree is a shorter but more difficult walk. A quarter-mile trail with 400 steps leads to the top of Moro Rock. From the 6,725-foot elevation at the summit of this barren granite dome visitors can see the Great Western Divide, the roof of the Sierra.

Crescent Meadow, called the gem of the Sierras by John Muir, is less than 2 miles from Moro Rock. The flat hike around the meadow takes about an hour, and visitors often can see grazing deer. This is also the trailhead for the High Sierra Trail, which runs 71 miles to Mt. Whitney, at 14,494 feet the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states.

To really appreciate Sequoia National Park, you need to visit the backcountry. Here you'll find more solitude than in Yosemite, and abundant wildlife including bears, deer, ring-tailed cats and mountain lions.

But if you aren't in shape for backpacking and don't want to drive, consider Sequoia Sightseeing Tours, which offers all-day guided tours in air-conditioned vans. They'll pick you up and bring you back to your hotel.

In winter it's really quiet in Sequoia, and room rates at the Wuksachi Lodge are cut nearly in half. The Sequoia Natural History Association offers winter courses in cross country skiing, snowshoeing, snow camping and backcountry ski mountaineering.

Winter or summer, Sequoia offers an attractive alternative to Yosemite.

Don't overlook older sisters.

IF YOU GO

Sequoia National Park is about a five-hour drive from Los Angeles. The south entrance on Highway 198 is a twisty but scenic road. The entrance fee is $10 per vehicle and includes the adjacent Kings Canyon National Park. Roads are kept plowed in the winter, but chains must be carried and sometimes used.

For guided tours in air-conditioned vans, call Sequoia Sightseeing Tours at [phone] or visit www.sequoiatours.com.

For general information on Sequoia National Park, call [phone] or visit the Park Service Web site at www.nps.gov/seki/. For information and reservations at Wuksachi Lodge, call [phone] or visit the concessionaire's Web site at www.visitsequoia.com.

There are seven campgrounds in Sequoia, most are first-come, first-serve. Call (800) 365-CAMP to make a reservation at Lodgepole campground (open all year) or at Dorst campground, which is open from late May through Labor Day.

CAPTION(S):

4 photos, box

Photo:

(1) The Great Western Divide, or the roof of the Sierra, is viewed from 6,725 feet, at the top of Moro Rock.

(2) Visitors climb some of the 400 steps that lead to the top of Moro Rock at Sequoia National Park.

(3) From tiny seeds, like the two below this cone, emerge Sequoia trees that grow to tremendous heights. More than 8,000 sequoias inhabit Sequoia National Park.

(4) no caption (visitors dwarfed by a tree at Sequoia National Park)

Bill Becher/Daily News

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IF YOU GO (see text)