Wuksachi Lodge is the lone lodging facility in Sequoia National Park, one of the most scenic and underrated units managed by the National Park Service. Two additional lodging facilities operated by a different concessionaire are in neighboring Kings Canyon National Park. Sequoia is especially noted for its eponymous groves of giant trees. Although not as tall as California's related coastal redwoods, the massive trunks of the sequoia trees are simply amazing.

Wuksachi Lodge

Wuksachi Lodge is the lone lodging facility in Sequoia National Park, one of the most scenic and underrated units managed by the National Park Service. Two additional lodging facilities operated by a different concessionaire are in neighboring Kings Canyon National Park. Sequoia is especially noted for its eponymous groves of giant trees. Although not as tall as California's related coastal redwoods, the massive trunks of the sequoia trees are simply amazing.

Wuksachi Lodge (officially "Wuksachi Village and Lodge") consists of a main registration/dining building plus three nearby lodging structures that contain a total of 102 guestrooms. The four cedar buildings opened in May 1999 and replaced an older Giant Forest lodging facility that had been torn down a few years earlier. Wuksachi rests on a heavily forested hillside away from traffic and commercial facilities. The attractive registration building has a comfortable lobby area with stuffed chairs and a couch arranged to take advantage of a wood-burning stove. The dining room, a cocktail lounge, and a small gift shop are on the same floor. The gift shop serves as a ski shop during the winter months. Several meeting rooms are one floor below.

The three lodge buildings are quite attractive and nearly identical, with three floors in a split-level design. All rooms on the first floor of each building face the mountains (and parking lot), while rooms on the third floor face the forest. The second floor has rooms on both sides of the building. There are no elevators, so it is important to request a ground-floor room if stairs will be a problem. In addition, parking is not particularly close to the buildings so carrying your own luggage may be an issue. Bell service can be requested at the registration desk.

Rooms at Wuksachi are quite comfortable with upscale furniture and a rustic Western atmosphere. Rooms are rented in three categories: Standard, Deluxe, and Superior. Even rooms in the least expensive Standard category are larger than most nice motel rooms. Deluxe rooms offer slightly more space and come with two queen beds or a king-size bed plus a sofa bed. Superior rooms have a bedroom plus a sofa bed in a side room that can be closed off with sliding wood doors. Rooms in the latter class are best suited for families in which parents desire some privacy. Overall, the Standard rooms are probably the best buy.

Wuksachi's location is convenient to most of the major features of both Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. Two miles away, the major activity center of Lodgepole offers a market, deli, nature center, and National Park Service visitor center. The lodge is also a short distance from Crystal Cave and the park's impressive Giant Forest area. Sequoia visitors should be certain to take the scenic drive to Cedar Grove in Kings Canyon National Park, too.

David L. Scott and Kay W. Scott are the authors of The Complete Guide to the National Park Lodges. For more information about national-park lodges, visit their website.