Giant Sequoia Groves

Recreational Facilities Located Within the Groves

A number of recreation facilities are located within the Giant Sequoia National Monument. The Monument includes all of the giant sequoia groves on the Sequoia National Forest. These include four family campgrounds. (Belknap, Redwood Meadow, Eshom, and Princess) with 144 campsites, one interpretive trail with 5 picnic sites and 15 parking spaces (Trail of 100 Giants), and about 23 miles of trail. Also located in groves are five trailheads (Chicago Stump, Boole Tree, Cherry Gap, Freeman Creek, and Needles), one organization camp (Quaker Meadow Church Camp), and one recreation rental cabin (Mountain Home).

Giant Sequoia Photo Gallery

 Alder Creek Grove

Alder Creek Grove, also known by some as Hossack, Pixley or Ross Creek Grove, is a medium sized grove covering Sequoia Crest subdivision and Giant Sequoia National Monument. This grove is fairly easy to get to by driving paved or dirt roads in your car. You can visit this grove year round, but there may be snow and ice on the roads in winter so bring your tire chains. This grove is about 785 acres with stands of young and mature sequoias growing throughout the designated grove area. The largest known sequoia in this grove is Stagg Tree, the sixth largest sequoia in the world. It is on the private property, so make sure you get permission before visiting this giant. Another interesting tree in this grove is the Waterfall Tree with a huge buttress. In fact, it has the largest circumference at ground level of any sequoia, though it tapers dramatically from the ground up.

How to Get There: You can reach Alder Creek Grove from the San Joaquin Valley by taking State Highway 190 east through the community of Springville. Continue east on Highway 190 until you reach County Route M216 (Redwood Drive). Take M216 north about 6.5 miles to the community of Sequoia Crest. There should be signs prior to and at this point saying Alder Creek Grove.

Nearby Campgrounds: Belknap

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 Bearskin

Bearskin's open stands offer the rare opportunity to photograph an entire mature sequoia in one shot. It is fairly easy to get to by car, but the main access is a dirt road. It is best to visit in the summer when the road is dry, or in the winter by cross-country skis or snowmobile. The grove is about 85 acres with sequoias concentrated in two main groups east and west of Bearskin Creek. There are no developed and maintained campsites at Bearskin grove, but it is a beautiful area to visit. The gated section of Forest Road (FR) 13S98 is an easy hike through the grove which loops back to the main Bearskin/Huckleberry Meadow Road (FR13S02). This road crosses Bearskin Creek where you can stop and fish for trout. Hiking through the grove, you'll find a mix of young and old sequoias. The stands of older trees are mainly in two groups with several large trees growing away from the main concentration of big trees.

How to Get There: You can reach Bearskin Grove from State Highway 180 or General's Highway (State Highway 198). About 3.5 miles east of the Highway 180/General's Highway junction is Tenmile Road (Forest Road 13S09). Take Tenmile Road about 4.0 miles to FR 13S02 (Bearskin/Huckleberry Meadow Road). There should be a sign at this point saying Bearskin Grove and an arrow. Take FR13S02 less than 1/2 a mile to FR13S98 which will be on the left or south side. Follow this dirt road into the grove.

Nearby Campgrounds: Tenmile, Landslide, Logger Flat

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 Belknap Complex

Belknap is a complex formed from the large sprawling McIntyre Grove, Wheel Meadow Grove and the smaller, compact Carr Wilson, or Bear Creek Grove. This grove complex offers beautiful trails through old-growth sequoias along Bear Creek and the Tule River. It is easy to get to by car throughout the year by paved road. The grove is about 2,460 acres .There are several trails through this grove, including Forest Trail 31E30 and 31E31. Forest Trail 31E30 goes through the heart of the grove along the river and can be started at Belknap or Quaking Aspen campgrounds. You can stop and fish the Tule River along this trail. The Patriarch Tree in the main grove area has been described as a monstrous umbrella. It is very short for a sequoia, but has a trunk almost as massive as the General Sherman tree (the largest sequoia in the world). Two other large sequoias in this complex are the Gutless Goliath and the Near Gutless Tree.

How to Get There: You can reach Belknap Grove by State Highway 190 out of the San Joaquin Valley. This highway winds into the Sierra Nevada's for about 12 miles from Springville to the western edge of the grove complex.

Nearby Campgrounds: Belknap, Coy Flat, Quaking Aspen

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 Black Mountain

Black Mountain Grove, also known as Putnum Mill or Solo Peak Grove, is a large grove partly on Giant Sequoia National Monument, Tule River Indian Reservation and in private ownership. This grove offers old and young growth sequoias. The main access to this grove is by road or hiking across country. You can visit this grove in the summer when the roads are open. The grove is estimated at about 3,310 acres with sequoias sprawling across the divide forming the Middle and South Forks of the Tule River. There are many beautiful and unique sequoias to see in this grove. Black Mountain Beauty is one of the biggest in the grove and followed in size by Patriarch II and Blasted Mammoth. Snaggle-Top has a distinctive shape worth seeing. The Twisted Harlequin has pink and red bark twisting up most of its height, and the Flower Pot Tree has a Pacific dogwood growing out of its top! Some of the most well known sequoias in Black Mountain Grove are the Three Sisters. Each season brings out different aspects of their beauty.

How to Get There: You can reach Black Mountain Grove from the San Joaquin Valley by taking State Highway 190 east through the community of Springville. Continue east on highway 190 until you reach Forest Road 21S94 (Coy Flat Road). This road is the only public access to the Tule River Indian Reservation section of the grove. If you plan to visit this portion of the grove, make sure you get permission first. If you want to explore more of the grove you need to take Forest Road 21S12 west from Coy Flat Road. This dirt road (FR21S12) is a 7 mile slow drive through the western portion of the grove.

Nearby Campgrounds: Coy Flat

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 Converse Basin

Converse Basin Grove gives us a glimpse of a time when Manifest Destiny was the slogan of the day. This grove is the largest contiguous grove in the world and contains Boole Tree, the largest sequoia on National Forest System land. This grove offers unique opportunities to study how rapidly the young sequoias grow and to create timelines from tree rings on the stumps. It is fairly easy to get to by car, but the main access is a dirt road. It is best to visit in the summer when the road is dry, or in the winter by crosscountry skis or snowmobile. The grove is about 3,700 acres with sequoias concentrated in the basin formed by Converse Creek.

How to Get There: You can reach Converse Grove from State Highway 180 or General's Highway (State Highway 198). Take Highway 180 about 5 miles north of Grant Grove village to the Converse Turnoff (Forest Road 13S55). There is a sign at this point saying Converse Grove, Stump Meadow and Boole Tree Trail. Take Forest Road 13S55 about 0.5 mile into Converse Grove. If you want to go to Stump Meadow, continue on Forest Road 13S55 past an intersection until you arrive at the meadow. You can continue on this route to Boole Tree Trail, which is at the end of Forest Road 13S55.

Nearby Campgrounds: Princess

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 Deer Creek

Deer Creek Grove, also known by some as Deer Creek Mill Grove, is the southernmost naturally occurring grove of sequoias. This small grove offers a dispersed camping area. It is fairly easy to get to by car on paved and dirt roads. It is best to visit in the summer when the road is open. The grove is about 55 acres in a mixture of young and mature sequoias. The grove is on the South Fork of Deer Creek just east of California Hot Springs . Hiking through the grove, you'll find several large, old sequoias and groups of young, spire-topped sequoias. The largest known sequoia in this grove is unnamed and was measured at about 18 feet in diameter at 4.5 feet above the ground in 1992.

How to Get There: You can reach Deer Creek Grove from the San Joaquin Valley from State Highway 65 by taking County Route SM56 east for about 20 miles to the community of California Hot Springs. At California Hot Springs, take Forest Road 23S04 (dirt road) east about 3 miles to Deer Creek Grove. There are signs prior to and at Deer Creek Grove to guide you to it.

Nearby Campgrounds: Leavis Flat

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 Freeman Creek

Freeman Creek Grove, also known as Lloyd Meadow Grove, is the largest unlogged grove outside of a National Park. It is fairly easy to get to by car throughout the summer by dirt or paved road. The grove is about 1,425 acres with sequoias mainly south of Freeman Creek. There are several noteworthy sequoias to see in this grove. Foremost among these is the President George Bush Tree. President Bush delivered his presidential proclamation setting aside giant sequoia groves on National Forest System lands for protection, preservation and restoration while standing beside this tree. You can visit the George Bush Tree by taking Forest Road 20S78 east to the trailhead.The Goshawk Tree is probably the largest in the grove. Near the Goshawk Tree is the broken-topped, fire-hollowed Telescope Tree, also known as the Castro Tree. Freeman Shaft and Loren's Tree are also some of the larger trees to be seen. The broken-topped Freeman Stub, also known as Bannister's Tree, is one of the first large sequoias you can see entering the grove on the west. The popular Ride-Through Tree in the lower grove as it's name implies, has a huge split in its base.

How to Get There: You can reach Freeman Creek Grove only by round about routes. To reach the grove by paved road, you must travel from the south end. From the San Joaquin Valley take County Route SM56 east about 20 miles to California Hot Springs. At California Hot Springs, turn north on to SM50 (Parker Pass Road) continuing about 7.5 miles to Johnsondale. From the Kern Valley, take County Route SM99 (Mountain 99) northwest about 20 miles to Johnsondale. At Johnsondale is the junction for Forest Road 22S82 (Lloyd Meadow Road). Take FR22S82 about 16 miles to the eastern end of Freeman Creek Grove. You'll have passed signs for Pyles Camp about 1 mile before the grove. Another route from the San Joaquin Valley is on State Highway 190. Take Highway 190 east about 15 miles until the junction with Western Divide Highway (County Route SM107). Quaking Aspen Campground and the trailhead for FT 33E20 are also at this junction.

Nearby Campgrounds: Quaking Aspen

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 Indian Basin

Indian Basin Grove is one of the few groves with a campground in it. Almost all the trees in this grove were harvested in the late 1800s. The massive stumps are silent reminders of the beauty this grove offered, but the stumps also offer the story of ancient times. This grove also offers unique opportunities to study how rapidly young sequoias grow. It is easy to get to by car on State Highway 180. It is best to visit in the summer because the road can be snowy and icy in the winter. The grove is about 215 acres with sequoias mainly on the south side of Indian Basin Creek. Princess Campground is in the middle of Indian Basin Grove beside Indian Basin Meadow and Creek. Currently the Forest Service in partnership with the campground concessionaire offer campfire talks and guided hikes most weekends from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. The campground hosts have details on what is offered each week, and flyers are posted on bulletin boards throughout the campground.

How to Get There: You can reach Indian Basin Grove from State Highway 180 or General's Highway (State Highway 198). From the San Joaquin Valley, take Highway 180 about 45 miles until you reach Kings Canyon National Park. Continue north on Highway 180 about 5 miles past Grant Grove village to the sign for Princess Campground. If you just plan to hike around the grove or meadow, you can park nearby but not at the campground.

Nearby Campgrounds: Princess

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 Long Meadow

Long Meadow Grove, also known by some as Redwood Meadow Grove, offers a half mile interpretive trail, Trail of 100 Giants, through majestic mature sequoias. It is fairly easy to get to by car on Western Divide Highway (County Route SM107). It is best to visit in the summer when the road is open, or in the winter by snowmobile. The grove is about 340 acres with sequoias occurring on considerably less acreage as there are several pockets of mixed conifers without sequoias in them. The grove is primarily on the west side of the road and directly across the road from Redwood Meadow Campground. Redwood Meadow campground is adjacent to Long Meadow Grove, and Trail of 100 Giants winds through the grove. Hiking along the trail through the grove, you'll find mainly old sequoias. These include the Umbrella Tree, False Bonsai, Spike Top, and the Cedoia Tree which is actually a cedar and sequoia tree growing together. The Quintet is a circle of five sequoias growing together. The largest known sequoia in this grove is Red Chief tree near Table Mountain.

How to Get There: You can reach Long Meadow Grove from the San Joaquin Valley by taking State Highway 65 to County Route SM56 east about 20 miles to California Hot Springs. At California Hot Springs continue north and east on County Route SM50 (Parker Pass Road). This highway winds up into the mountains and intersects Western Divide Highway about 2 miles east of Parker Pass. Coming out of the Kern Valley, take Mountain 99 (County Route SM99) up the "Upper Kern" river about 20 miles to County Route SM50 near Johnsondale. About 5.5 miles west of Johnsondale is the junction with Western Divide Highway near Parker Pass. Take Western Divide Highway about 2.0 miles to Redwood Meadow Campground and Trail of 100 Giants.

Nearby Campgrounds: Redwood Meadow

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 Pack Saddle

Packsaddle Grove is a medium sized grove on Giant Sequoia National Monument. This compact grove offers a rare look at a truly old growth forest where California condors have, and may once again live. The main access to this grove is by driving dirt roads and then hiking cross country. The terrain is steep so it's difficult hike. You can only visit this grove in the summer when the roads are open. The main option in this grove is to hike cross country through it. It is a fairly wet grove because it straddles Packsaddle Creek and its tributaries. The largest known sequoia in this grove is Packsaddle Giant, which has the fourth largest ground perimeter of any sequoia. Near the giant is the Candelabra Tree. Another interesting tree in this grove is the General Lee Tree, also known as the Ghost Tree. This tree would be one of the largest trees, except for its broken top. However, it is growing a new top or leader.

How to Get There: You can reach Packsaddle Grove from the San Joaquin Valley by taking State Highway 65 east to County Route SM56 about 20 miles to California Hot Springs. At California Hot Springs, take County Route SM50 (Parker Pass Road) north until you reach Forest Road 23S64 going east. Take FR 23S64 about 5 miles to the junction with FR 23S28. The grove is to the north and east of this junction.

Nearby Campgrounds:

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