General Grant Grove
General Grant Grove is a section of Kings Canyon National Park established to protect a grove of giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum). It includes the General Grant tree, the second largest tree in the world. Grant Grove covers a little over 154 acres (0.62 km2) in the park. The area is accessed by State Route 180 from the west and the Generals Highway from Sequoia National Park from the south. The grove is popular with tourists because of the number and size of the trees and because of Park Service Visitor Center and Ranger programs.
History
General Grant National Park was established in 1890 to protect the natural values of the area. In 1940 it was absorbed into the new and larger Kings Canyon National Park from which it is geographically isolated.[1]
Noteworthy trees
Some of the trees found in Grant Grove that are worthy of special note are:
- General Grant: The Grant is very imposing. The eastern side has a huge burn, leaving the lower trunk very flattened and giving the tree a maximum base diameter on the ground of 40.3 feet (12.3 m). The Grant tree has a volume of 46,608 cubic feet (1,320 cubic meters).
- Robert E. Lee: This seemingly ignored tree is the second largest tree in the grove and twelfth largest giant sequoia in the world. This may be because the Grant is very close by and simply dwarfs the Lee.
- California: A Large tree close to the trail. It was once taller, but a 1967 fire reduced the tree by about 25 feet (7.6 m).
- Oregon: Another large tree.
- Lincoln: The Lincoln tree has a large base, but the trunk tapers too much to make it one of the world's largest. Giant Forest is home to another, more famous tree also named Lincoln, which is the fourth largest tree in the world.
- Fallen Monarch: A large fallen tree that can be walked through as part of the trail.
References
External links