No visit to Sequoia National Park is complete without touring the natural wonders of the majestic sequoias. Soaring hundreds of feet into the heavens, these giant sequoia trees grace the landscape and offer beauty found nowhere else on earth. From forests to museums, Sequoia National Park offers visitors a wealth of information about these natural wonders.
Giant Forest
Named in 1875 by explorer and conservationist John Muir, The Giant Forest, the park's most famous attraction, is a giant sequoia grove and is also celebrated for its beautiful meadows. The cinnamon-colored Big Trees, members of the redwood family, may be seen today as Muir found them.
Giant Forest Museum
Following six years of planning and construction, the Giant Forest Museum is now open in Sequoia National Park. Fun for the entire family, the Museum is open daily, free of charge, and is full of fascinating exhibits, plus interactive, hands-on displays that celebrate the life of a Giant Sequoia tree. The Museum, located on Highway 198, approximately one-hour north of the Ash Mountain entrance, is open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
General Sherman Tree
This gargantuan sequoia, while neither the tallest nor the widest tree, is considered the largest living tree in the world because of its volume. It weighs approximately 2.7 million pounds, and it is believed to be around 2,100 years old. Its height is 274.9 feet, and its circumference at ground level is 102.6 feet. The diameter of its largest branch is 6.8 feet.
Tharp's Log
Hale Tharp, the first non-Native American settler in the area, established a cattle ranch among the Big Trees. He also built a simple summer cabin from a fallen, fire-hollowed sequoia log in the 1860's. It is the oldest pioneer cabin remaining in the park. Muir called it "a noble den." The cabin is located in the Giant Forest area, a mile northeast of the Crescent Meadow parking lot.
Auto Log
To give early visitors a sense of how large the giant sequoia trees really are, a roadway was cut into this fallen tree that visitors could drive their car onto. Due to rot in the wood, cars are no longer allowed to drive onto it, but it remains an interesting historical feature. Auto Log is located 0.9 miles from the General's Highway via the Crescent Meadow road.
Tunnel Log
Drive your car through a fallen giant sequoia with a tunnel for traffic. 2.7 miles from the General's Highway via the Crescent Meadow road.
Grant Grove and the General Grant Tree
Grant Grove is one mile beyond the Grant Grove Visitor Center on the west side of the road. From the parking area, a half-mile loop trail leads to the General Grant Tree. The tree was discovered by Joseph Hardin Thomas in 1862 and named by Lucretia P. Baker in 1867 to honor Ulysses S. Grant. Measuring 267.4 feet tall and 107.6 feet around, it is the earth's third-largest tree. The General Grant is called "The Nation's Christmas Tree," and special Yuletide celebrations are held under its snow-laden branches every year.
