Sequoia Guides -

Central Coast Conscious Community

Our experience with Sequoia Guides was absolutely unforgettable! Krista, our guide, was so thoughtful and went out of her way to make sure the day was everything we wanted. She took the time to ask us questions, really understanding what kind of experience we were after, and tailored everything to our family of five.

When I started feeling a bit of elevation sickness, she was right there with a first aid kit, ready to help. One of the coolest parts was planting our own little sequoia trees and leaving with souvenir seeds! Her knowledge blew us away, and the stories she shared along the hike really brought the history of the area to life.

My favorite moment had to be visiting the shaman’s digs—it felt like we were stepping back in time. Krista painted the whole picture of what it would have been like, and it made me feel so connected to the nature around us. It was a day I’ll never forget, thanks to her!

Howah Hung

For our first visit to Sequoia National Park, my family went on an amazing tour with Krista at Sequoia Guides. We were impressed with not only her breadth of knowledge, but also her passion for the Giant Sequoias, her kindness, and her patience (we brought our 2 year old toddler). Krista provided us a custom touring experience that no group tour could ever deliver, complete with itineraries for additional adventures after the tour. Wouldn't have wanted our first visit to the park any other way!

Courtney Burgos

Krista was amazing!!!!! I booked her because of her review and her tour was beyond my expectations! She was so sweet and extremely knowledgeable! We learned so so so much. She gave us options on our tour and offered to take as many pictures as we wanted. She had a great attitude and she even brought a picnic table and seat covers for our picnic lunch. She gave us little sequoia seeds so we could plant our own sequoias on the east coast!

You will not regret booking with Krista! She is a truly awesome person who found the perfect job!

Melanie Basinger

Krista is easily one of the best tour guides I’ve ever had. She was extremely knowledgeable, passionate, and enthusiastic about Sequoia and nature in general. She welcomed any and all questions and provided extra information about the things we were interested in. We were originally supposed to snowshoe, but Krista was extremely flexible with our tour due to the lack of snow. She provided alternative routes and adjusted our route based on the activity and comfort level of the entire group. We even got a hot treat halfway through. If you are looking for a Sequoia tour, book one with Krista!

Bilal Rafiq

Krista was absolutely amazing as we did the snow shoeing tour. She brought the track straps for our shoes, the snow shoes, and tea/coffee/hot cocoa. She was so knowledgeable and he vibrant and passionate personality about the forest made for an enjoyable and educational experience. Highly recommend!

James Valkenburg

Awesome! That is the best one-word description of Krista Simonic of Sequoia Guides I can imagine. But the superlatives would keep on flowing if I thought that would be enough. It isn’t. Krista is a young lady that never met a stranger. Personable? Absolutely. But the real treat you get when you use Sequoia Guides is knowledge. Krista grew up in the area and, as she said, used the park and forest as her playground. She is a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge regarding the trees, wildlife, and history of the park. We split open a fir tree needle and enjoyed the aroma, we learned about the history of the Buffalo Soldiers and their stewardship of the Park, we learned how to tell where a ground squirrel had breakfast, we now know why giant sequoias endure fire, we know what a fire scar is, we saw a virtually hollow sequoia that still thrives, we know why and how some sequoias grow together (twin trees), we know why sequoia branches seem to always start many feet up the tree, we got some sequoia seeds to take home, we saw a marmot because she knows where they live, we now know the “scat song” (I bet you don’t )and so much more. We learned more in 6 short hours and had the most fascinating time with Krista. But wait, there’s more!
Krista also provides an absolutely breathtaking star gazing adventure. Have you seen satellites moving across the night sky? Do you know the area of the sky that planets can be seen? Can you spot those ever-moving constellations? Do you know the myths behind the constellations? Do you have your very own Planisphere and know how to use it? Do you know just how fascinating the night sky is when you are informed? This young lady knows all of it and she shares with such enthusiasm that you are brought into her world while laying back and being amazed with her knowledge of the sky.
I could go on and on and you would probably stop reading. But this one thing you need to know. If you don’t use Sequoia guides when visiting Sequoia National Park you are missing one of life’s best experiences. I mean that sincerely.

Rodney Alan (RoCoJo)

Best Tour Ever! Krista has a deep love for Sequoias and it shows in her enthusiasm & joy on the trail! Krista’s knowledge of the area, the history (from Native American to loggers to present day), the geology & biology was limitless! We were grateful for Krista’s thoughtfulness, she provided us with cleats for our shoes, which made navigating the snow & ice packed trails easy & safe. This was a lifelong dream, to commune with these gentle giants & Krista made it a reality in a way that far exceeded our expectations! We loved how she infused the tour with humor, artistic flair & her positive personality! Krista is a gifted story teller & we were so entertained when she slipped into the character of David Attenborough to answer our question about insects in the area. ?
Our minds were expanded by Krista’s expert guidance and we feel like we gained so much by this experience!

Vinay Srini

We have never done guided hikes at national parks, and we have been to Sequoia national park before! This time however, we decided to go with Krista, and we had a hiking experience like never before.

While enjoying the hike, Krista gave us an insight that's only available if you are into deep research about the area you are visiting. Our young kids had many many questions for her (that I was curious about as well!), and she answered all of them with the patience of a kinder teacher, and the knowledge of a park ranger!

Definitely recommend Krista for a family hike! Thanks Krista for a wonderful day.