| s/y Nine of Cups Sequoia / King's Canyon National Parks, California May 2012 |
| Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks lie side by side in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains. Sequoia was established on September 25, 1890 and spans 404,063 acres encompassing among its natural resources the highest point in the contiguous 48 states, Mount Whitney, at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. It is the second oldest national park in the US. |
| The park is famous for its giant sequoia trees (Sequoiadendron giganteum), including the General Sherman tree, reputedly the largest tree on Earth. The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest, which contains five out of the ten largest trees in the world For a free history of the parks and the efforts made to protect the sequoias, read "The Challenge of the Big Trees"...a free park offering. |
| The vast majority of the park is roadless wilderness; no road crosses the Sierra Nevada within the park's boundaries. 84 percent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is designated wilderness and is accessible only by foot or by horseback. |
| From left: Driving into the Giant Forest, the Four Guardsmen stand sentry; the auto log road made from one tree is no longer driveable; Marcie & David pose in front of General Sherman, the largest living thing on earth; everything is up in this giant forest and we are dwarfed and humbled by the sheer magnitude and majesty of these colossal trees. |
| The park offers several short (1-3 mile) hikes, exploring different terrain and sights. Above, we explored Moro Rock, a granite dome with a steep 1/4 mile staircase to the top. From the summit, there were spectacular views of the Great Western Divide below. Note the sign to the right: As if! |
| We saw several mule deer and California grey squirrels. |
| Despite lots of warnings, the only bears we saw were carved or stuffed. |
| Tunnel Rock |
| It was early in the season and Crescent Meadow was still covered in snow. |
| Tunnel Log was a pretty interesting drive-through. |
| King's Canyon National Park was established in 1940 and covers 461,901 acres. It incorporated General Grant National Park, established in 1890 to protect the General Grant Grove of giant sequoiasThe Generals Highway connects Sequoia National Park to Kings Canyon National Park via CA State Routes 180 and 198. Driving this 80-year-old road is a wondrous part of the park experience. It earns its name by carrying visitors up nearly a mile in elevation from the General Sherman Tree to the General Grant Tree. Originally a wagon road, the National Parks Service has done a remarkable job of combining a "mountain road" atmosphere with a modern, safe highway. What a ride! |
| General Grant is found in Kings Canyon NP. At 268' tall, it's called "the Nation's Christmas Tree". It's also the only living thing ever designated as a US National Shrine. |
| It is difficult to appreciate the size of the giant sequoias because neighboring trees are so large. The largest of the sequoias are as tall as an average 26 story building and their diameters at the base exceed the width of many city streets. As they continue to grow, they produce about 40 cubic feet of wood each year, approximately equal to the volume of a 50 foot tall tree one foot in diameter. |
| Big roots, big caverns ... it's all big and nearly overwhelming. |
| General's Highway, lined with wildflowers, is fantastic and so are the views. |
| Thank you, John Muir! John Muir (21 April 1838 – 24 December 1914 was a Scottish- born American naturalist, author and early advocate of preservation of wilderness in the United States. His letters, essays, and books telling of his adventures in nature, especially in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, have been read by millions. His activism helped to save the Yosemite Valley, Sequoia National Park and other wilderness areas. The Sierra Club, which he founded, is now one of the most important conservation organizations in the United States. |
| President Bill Clinton expanded the protection of the giant sequoias by proclaiming lands surrounding and adjoining the national parks as Giant Sequoia National Monument. Part of the Sequoia National Forest, it includes 38 of the 39 Giant Sequoia groves that are located in the Sequoia National Forest, about half of the sequoia groves currently in existence. |
| From Sequoia-King's Canyon, we head rather indirectly to Yosemite National Park. Come along with us. Beyond National Parks and Monuments, we also visited lots of "off the beaten path" places. Come along for the ride ... American Odyssey. Home Page |
