Photo by: Jacob Lips
It is almost easy to imagine that climbing up one of these sequoia trees at the Sequoia National Park, will lead us to the sky as depicted in the story “Jack and the Beanstalk.” It is easy to be dwarfed at this 404,064-acre park in California, which is home to thousands of giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world.
The park stands contiguous with Kings Canyon National Park. Both are jointly managed by the National Park Service.
History
The earliest settlers of the area were the Monashee tribe of Native Americans. They mostly stayed at the foothills but would go up to higher levels of the area, to trade with other tribes. But the majority of the Native American population got hit by smallpox, so the region was mostly empty by the time, the Europeans arrived.
The first person to settle in the area was Hale Tharp, an American miner during the California Gold Rush, who famously settled in the park, in 1856. John Muir, a known wilderness preservation advocate, was a frequent visitor to Tharp’s home.
Tharp was adamant in protecting the giant sequoias, which were targeted by loggers. Tharp could only do so much by himself and was unsuccessful for some time, until the loggers found that sequoia trees splinter easily, and are not ideal for building.
On Sept. 25, 1890, the area was finally incorporated as the Sequoia National Park ceasing all logging operations.
Photo by: Jacob Lips
Places to go
The Giant Forest
The forest is filled with giant trees, and tourists should prioritize seeing General Sherman Tree, the largest tree in the world. General Sherman is located in the Giant Forest, which, as the name suggests, is also home to other giant trees. Five of the 10 largest trees in the world are spread across the Giant Forest.
Things to do at the Giant Forest:
Hiking
Camping at the Lodgepole area (seasonal)
Visit the Giant Forest Museum
Tharp’s Log - This is basically a log cabin, literally, as it is a fallen giant sequoia that was hollowed to create a shelter. It was named after Hale Tharp, who was credited as the first white resident of the area.
Tunnel Log - This is a fallen giant sequoia tree, measuring 275 feet in length and a girth of 21 feet.
Crescent Meadow - Just along the Giant Forest is a meadow outlined by sequoia trees.
Tokopah Falls - The Sequoia National Park has more to offer than just large trees. There is a bike trail that will lead to the picturesque Tokopah Falls. But before reaching that destination, hikers will pass through the Kaweah River and imposing granite cliffs.
Moro Rock – In the middle of the park is this granite dome called Moro Rock, which is the head of the Moro Creek. The Moro Rock has a 400-step stairway that has since been registered to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Foothills – The park actually has a diverse landscape. The Foothills provides a perfect display of the plant life at the Sequoia National Park. The area has picture-perfect imagery of lively green shrubs dusted with wildflowers.
Fauna
The park already offers a great backdrop for just walking around, not to mention the fresh air due to the thousands of trees and plants in the area. But while walking around, tourists might get lucky and come across some of the wild animals that freely roam in the park.
The mule deer is among the most common animals in the park. During spring, when the meadow is at its lushest, black bears could often be found digging up grasses and roots for insects. During summer, visitors can find them among areas that grow berries. Pikas, on the other hand, are fond of darting along with rocky alpines.
Mountain lions can also be spotted inside the park, though rarely. Other animals present in the park are the Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep, which is endangered, California condors, gray foxes and martens.
The park is also a good venue for bird watching, as it is home to about 200 species of birds. One of those regularly seen flying around is the California quail. Some tourists were also lucky enough to get a glimpse, of a very rare northern pygmy owl.
Photo by: Jacob Lips