Visiting the Majestic Sequoias

When you think about California, the first things that may come to mind are probably “beaches” or “Disneyland.” However, hidden within the forests and nature of California exist massive trees that tower far above us. These trees, known as sequoias, are capable of living for thousands of years, reaching heights of about 300 feet, and having diameters of at least 20 feet. These giants are exclusive to California because of their unique requirements to grow. If you are interested in seeing these amazing plants, here are a few places where you can view the majestic sequoias.

Yosemite National Park

Fittingly enough, massive sequoias can be found in the sprawling expanse of land at the Yosemite National Park. Some of the best areas to find sequoia groves include Mariposa Grove, Tuolumne Grove, and Merced Grove, just to name a few. If you will want access to water as well as other resources, you should travel to Mariposa Grove, which is the most popular sequoia grove. The others are more difficult to access and have no resources.

Make sure to grab your cell phone for a comprehensive guide to the park with the Chimani – National Park Guides. The mobile app highlights the history and features of parks across the U.S. And be sure to grab some headphones from a local AT&T store in Cali to ensure you can hear the fascinating information you will discover from your newest app. Mobile apps are able to teach us so much history all while being in the palm of our hands (or our backpacks)!

Sequoia National Park

Obviously, you should expect to be surrounded by sequoia trees in a place known as Sequoia National Park. Few national parks have sequoia tree groves more impressive. For example, one well-known grove called “Giant Forest” is located in this national park. The Giant Forest is home to the largest living sequoia tree and also features a variety of other impressive sequoia trees that are hard to find anywhere else. Another impressive grove you can find within Sequoia National Park is Muir Grove, which has plenty of mature sequoias in a more peaceful setting. Muir Grove is rightly named after Scottish-American naturalist John Muir. His writings helped push conservation efforts in the United States and lead to the establishment of Sequoia National Park.

Kings Canyon National Park

Near Sequoia National Park is Kings Canyon National Park, also home to several groves of sequoia trees. One such grove is called Grant Grove and contains a large concentration of massive Sequoias up to 20 feet in diameter, more so than many of the other groves in surrounding areas. The busiest trails are near General Grant Tree, which is also “the nation’s Christmas tree.” Each year since 1926, the park holds a Yuletide gathering at the tree.

Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park are extremely close together. A lot of the groves are shared between the parks, and moving back and forth between the two parks is easy. If you plan to see Sequoia trees soon at either one of these locations, find a spot that will allow you to visit both parks.

Discovery of the Sequoia

A hunter, Augustus T. Dowd, was among the first to discover and then spread the news of the giant sequoia in 1852. He and others felled this “Discovery Tree” a year later. The job took five men working for 22 days. The tree was estimated to be 1,300 years old. Thankfully, cutting down a sequoia is now illegal.

Sequoias are not hard to find and these majestic plants can be seen throughout many of California’s parks. To see nature’s spectacles, all you have to do is travel to one of the locations listed above.

If you happen to be in California or plan on making a trip soon, use the guide above to map out your Sequoia adventure!