ELLEN + DANIEL’S SUNSET ENGAGEMENT SESSION IN SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK | SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK ELOPEMENT PHOTOGRAPHER | THREE RIVERS, CALIFORNIA

My love for national parks began at an early age. I think I was maybe 5 years old when I at least remember visiting my first national park: Sequoia National Park. Then during junior high and high school my family made regular trips to Sequoia to camp and spend our Thanksgivings. Sequoia is definitely one of those places that feels like home.

So when Ellen and Daniel said they had Sequoia camping reservations and they wanted to do their engagement photos, I was pumped! We met up at the campground and became friends fast. As we swapped snacks and adventure stories, the afternoon slowly turned to evening. We hopped on the Sequoia bus and headed out to some of my favorite parts of the park for their super fun Sequoia National Park engagement session. (Be prepared to take the park bus in the peak months! The bus helps Sequoia manage the huge number of visitors each summer.)

Our first stop was Crescent Meadow. The sun was dancing through the trees making the lush meadow just magical. But right at the beginning of our short hike we had an unexpected visitor! Thankfully the bear was much more interested in minding its own business and abled off into the woods. (Always be bear prepared in the Sierras; wear a bell/whistle and carry bear mace as required/regulated.) Anyways, we all had so much fun running down the trails and climbing on downed Sequoia trunks. Later, a pair of marmots even came to see what all the fun was about!

Just down the road is the impressive Parker Group of old growth Sequoias. Boasting seven giant sequoias in close proximity and accessible to walk around, it’s an impressive and majestic place to explore. Sequoias can live up to 3,000 years old. It’s crazy to think of just how much history these trees have “witnessed” as they grew silently in the California Sierras. Now they’ve also witnessed how much Daniel and Ellen love each other!

Finally we headed out to Hanging Rock for sunset. It’s much less crowded than Morro Rock, plus we got to see some epic alpine glow on Morro Rock from the trail! The vista looking out on the Sequoia’s lower biomes was just stunning. It was one of those sunset’s to remember, and I’ve been coming here since I was a kid. Congratulations you two! Can’t wait to get you two married in Yosemite later this month!

– Sequoia National Park Information –

There’s nothing on earth quite like the Sequoias. These trees still astound me with their majesty. If you’re planning an adventurous elopement or just a fun engagement session like these two, you definitely need to consider Sequoia National Park as your location/venue! To marry in the halls of these ancient and beautiful trees is something out of one of the best stories out there in my personal opinion. Get in touch here and let’s get the ball rolling on your very own adventurous Sequoia National Park engagement or elopement!