Circle Meadow

Overview

At the heart of Giant Forest lies a roughly C-shaped meadow formed by two arching tributaries feeding Little Deer Creek. As the two tributaries trickle down a gentle slope around the north and south side of a wooded knoll, they create marshy conditions perfect for supporting the lush assortment of grasses, herbs, and wildflowers characteristic of Giant Forest’s meadows. This lasso-loop around both legs of the meadow thoroughly explores this gem in the heart of the forest. Like the other meadows in Giant Forest, Circle Meadow is at its loveliest during June and July when wildflowers blossom and black bears snuffle through deep grasses. Ferns and lupines dot the forest floor around the meadow, as do many of the area’s most impressive sequoias. Since the route shares a brief section with the Congress Trail, you will also visit the superlative trees and pure copses of sequoias at the heart of Giant Forest. Head north along the west side of Crescent Meadow and continue north through a pair of junctions south of Circle Meadow at 0.3 mile and 0.7 mile. After crossing a narrow section of the meadow, you’ll pass along the “inside” of the meadow past the Pillar of Hercules (0.8 mile). This lovely stretch of trail skirts the base of the aforementioned knoll before wrapping around to the north to reach Cattle Cabin. While most of the old structures within Giant Forest that once catered to tourists have been torn down in restoration efforts, Cattle Cabin remains as a testament to how the early park service catered to clients. At that time, the park maintained Circle Meadow as cattle grazing habitat, while the employees housed within Cattle Cabin used the nearby land as a slaughterhouse to provide beef to visiting tourists. Today, this peaceful corner of the forest is free of braying bovines and sides of beef thanks to long-term restoration efforts within the grove. In addition to the meadow and the history, you will also get a chance to see some of the noteworthy sequoias in an impressive cluster of trees just north of Circ

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