Giant Forest
36°33′45″N 118°45′05″W / 36.5624446°N 118.7514868°W
Giant Forest, famed for its Giant Sequoia trees is within Sequoia National Park. The forest, at over 6,000 feet (1,800 m) in elevation, is located in the western Sierra Nevada of California.
Five of the ten largest trees by volume on the planet are located within the Giant Forest. The largest, the General Sherman tree, measures 36.5 feet (11.1 m) across the base.
The Giant Forest and General Sherman Giant Sequoia acquire claim to fame by being the largest trees on earth. The coastal redwoods (Sequoia) are reputed for being taller, with Lost Monarch being the largest, and Hyperion Hyperion the tallest of that species. It's the total volume of wood and immense trunk size of Giant Sequoias that makes them the largest trees.
Giant forest is the most accessible of all giant sequoia groves, it has over 40 miles (64 km) of trails. Giant forest covers an area of 1,880 acres (7.6 km2).
The area
Giant Forest is close to Crystal Cave, Moro Rock and Crescent Meadow.
The western trailhead of the High Sierra Trail which crosses the Sierra Nevada to Mount Whitney is at the Crescent Meadow parking area.
Ponderosa, Jeffrey, Sugar, and Lodgepole pine trees are common here, as well as white and red fir. Visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrel, and American black bear. The National Park Service warns visitors not to leave any food in unattended vehicles because bears may break in to steal food.
Giant Forest Village
The giant sequoia trees are first encountered on the approach from the south at Giant Forest Village - a small cluster of buildings that is dwarfed by the surrounding trees. Some of the sequoias have become unstable due to root damage caused by building development and hence visitor services in this area have been reduced, including transfer of lodging to Wuksachi Village, 7 miles (11 km) north. The sequoia forest extends mainly east of the village, and is accessed by a 3-mile (4.8 km) side road plus many interconnecting foot trails. These range from 1 to 5 miles (8.0 km) in length, leading to various named individual trees and clusters of particular importance. The area is generally quite sheltered and receives high rainfall, which is one reason why the sequoia attain such size, but these conditions are also ideal for mosquitoes, which are abundant in the forests most of the year. These provide the only real hazard - the paths are generally quite level and well shaded from the sun.
History
Once the home of nearly 300 buildings, the region now has four, with no commercial activity. It is a designated "day use" area. The Giant Forest Lodge Historic District was designated in 1978, encompassing the main area of development in the Giant Forest grove. The development was demolished between 1995 and 2000, with day use features moving to the nearby Giant Forest Village-Camp Kaweah Historic District, which was itself extensively altered, and overnight visitor services moving to Wuksachi Village. The area within the grove was restored to nearly natural conditions, allowing the use of fire for forest management and the germination of new sequoia seedlings.
Access
The forest can be reached from Fresno by State Route 180 or from Visalia by State Route 198.
The Generals' Highway connects Giant Forest to Kings Canyon National Park and the General Grant Grove, home to the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias.
Noteworthy Trees
Some of the trees found in the grove that are worthy of special note are:
- General Sherman: In 1931 this tree was established to be the largest living thing in the world, hence the largest tree in the world, it has a volume of 52,508 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters). The top of the Sherman is a dead limb that at one time served as a new leader. Its largest limb is around 7 feet (2.1 m) in diameter. The second largest tree in the world, the General Grant, is located about 27 miles away in Kings Canyon National Park.
- General Grant: the second largest sequoia tree in the world and is estimated to be over 3,000 years old. Located in Grant Grove, the General Grant tree was nicknamed the Nation's Christmas Tree by President Calvin Coolidge, and remains one of the most popular attractions in Kings Canyon National Park. Annual Christmas services are held at the base of the tree.
- President: The third largest tree in the world is also situated in giant forest.
- Chief Sequoyah: Just uphill from the President tree is the massive and very impressive Chief Sequoyah. This tree is one of the most startlingly rugged trees in the forest.
- Lincoln (tree): This is the fourth largest tree at 44,471 cubic feet (1,259 cubic meters)
- Franklin (tree): This tree seems to have been ignored even though it is the eighth largest tree in the world, one can only think this is because it is situated in such a massive grove with many other large specimens. This tree has a huge fire scar on one side and a very large diameter.
- Monroe: The tenth largest tree in the world.
- General Pershing: The lower trunk is massive and the top is a tapering dead snag, definitely worth viewing.
- Column Tree: About 100 yards (91 m) from the General Pershing is another large sequoia. Its lack of taper makes it the fourteenth largest giant sequoia.
- Adams Tree: From about 90 feet (27 m) up, the trunk is very irregular with many limb buttresses and lots of foliage, the top is a maze of limbs.
- Cleveland Tree: One of the top 40 largest giant sequoias.
- Washington Tree: Once the second largest tree in the world, but since 2003 it lost most of its trunk and size.
- Hamilton: A large tree with a volume of 32,783 cubic feet (928.3 m3).
- Near Ed by Ned: Another tree with an impressive lower trunk, it was measured in 1997 at a volume of 30,333 cubic feet (858.9 m3).
- Hazelwood Tree: A large tree that has been reduced in half by lightning, the tree is still alive.
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General Sherman tree -
President Tree -
Lincoln Tree -
Franklin Tree -
