Grant Grove houses the General Grant Tree,
which is the Nation's Christmas Tree
and our only living national shrine,
commemorating those Americans who lost their lives in war. This
giant sequoia and its neighbors were initially protected in the
4 square-mile General Grant National Park; General Grant and Yosemite
were created by the same legislation on October 1, 1890, one week
after Sequoia was established. In 1940, General Grant was absorbed
into the newly designated Kings Canyon National Park. Big Stump Basin was
added in 1958 and allows visitors in the Grant Grove area to compare
the remnants of destroyed sequoias with nearby giants.
What would you like to know about Grant Grove?
If you are planning to visit Grant Grove between November and
May, please read the information about winter access
to Sequoia and Kings Canyon.
General Grant Tree:- The General Grant is the third largest tree in the world and the
Nation's Christmas Tree. It has been designated a National Shrine,
the only living memorial to Americans who died in war. Signs describe many of the features along this 1/3
mile, paved trail, including the historic Gamlin Cabin
and the Fallen Monarch. You may also buy a more detailed trail
booklet at the trailhead or visitor center book store.
The trail begins 1 mile northwest of the visitor center.
Take
a virtual stroll along the Grant
Tree Trail.
Big Stump Basin:- Imagine yourself
in a noisy, bustling logging camp as you ponder huge sequoia stumps
and other remains of Smith Comstock's lumbering operation. As
you walk this 1-mile loop through regenerating
sequoia forest, shrubland and meadow, watch for birds and wildflowers.
An alternate trail leads across the highway and past the Sawed
Tree, a sequoia that survived being cut most of the way through
over a century ago. Big Stump Basin is located 2 1/2 miles southwest
of the visitor center on Hwy. 180.
Panoramic
Point: - Treat yourself to a spectacular vista of the high
Sierra. Identify peaks from Mt. Goddard in northern Kings Canyon
Park to Eagle Scout Peak in Sequoia Park. Mt. Whitney
cannot be viewed from the roads on the west side of the Sierra
due to the height of the Great Western Divide. The 2.3 mile road
to Panoramic Point is not recommended for trailers
and RV's. The viewpoint is a 1/4 mile walk from
the parking lot. This road is closed to vehicle traffic
in the winter, when it is available as a cross-country
ski route.
Hume
Lake: - Hume Lake was built as a mill pond, and to supply
water for a flume that floated rough-cut sequoia lumber from Converse Basin
to the planing mill at Sanger, 54 miles away. The lake is in Sequoia National Forest.
During the summer, it offers fishing, swimming, boat rental (available
through Hume Lake Christian Camps) and a Forest Service campground,
as well as gas, groceries and a small laundry. Hume Lake is 12
miles north of Grant Grove.
More complete maps and descriptions of the trails in this area
are sold at Visitor Center Book Stores
at Lodgepole, Ash Mountain, Grant Grove and Cedar Grove.
Please be aware that pets are not allowed on any trails in
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In developed areas, pets
must be kept on a leash at all times.
- North
Grove Loop:
- This lightly traveled, 1 1/2 mile
trail provides an opportunity for a close look at the big trees.
Enjoy a quiet walk past meadows and creeks, through mixed conifer
and sequoia forest. The trailhead is at the Grant Tree parking
area, 1 mile northwest of the visitor center.
Sequoia
Lake Overlook/Dead Giant Loop: - The Dead Giant is an unusually
large sequoia which shows signs of man-caused death. If you look
closely, you will find axe marks girdling the tree, severing the
cambium layer. With this living layer cut, nutrients could no
longer move up the tree and the giant died. Also along this trail,
you can enjoy a picturesque view of a historic mill pond and reflect
on the differences between management of National Forest and National Park
land. This 2.2 mile trail begins at the lower
end of the Grant Tree parking area.
Sequoia Lake is a private lake; no public fishing or swimming
is available. Hume Lake is the closest
lake to Grant Grove for fishing and swimming.
- Buena Vista Peak:
- The 2
mile round-trip hike up this granite peak begins just
south of the Kings Canyon Overlook on the Generals Highway, 6
miles southeast of Grant Grove. From the top of Buena Vista Peak,
a 360-degree view looks out over the majestic sequoias in Redwood
Canyon, Buck Rock Fire Tower, and beyond to a splendid panorama
of the high Sierra.
Redwood Canyon: - Redwood Canyon is one of the largest of all sequoia groves, and contains
the Hart Tree, one of the 20 largest sequoias. Sixteen miles of
trail are available for short walks, day hikes and overnight backpacking trips.
As you hike through sequoia/mixed conifer forest, meadow and shrubland,
you will see sign of many fires, some recent, some ancient. The
National Park Service and cooperating universities learned through
observation and experiment at Redwood Canyon that fire is a critical factor in
the health and vigor of sequoia forests. Beginning in 1969, prescribed fires
have burned portions of this forest to allow giant sequoias to
reproduce, to reduce fuel and to restore the forest to the condition
it was 100 years ago. The trailhead for this area is 2 miles down
a rough dirt road 5 miles south of Grant Grove.
This road is closed to vehicle traffic in the winter.
- Converse Basin:
- This
was the world's largest sequoia grove, until virtually every mature
tree was cut down early in the 1900's. The Boole Tree was spared,
along with a few other less accessible giants. Boole is the world's
eighth
largest sequoia. Converse
Basin also contains the Muir Snag, the oldest known giant sequoia.
This tree, which was over 3000 years old when it died, was discovered
by and named for John Muir. Converse Basin is accessible by a
graded dirt road off Highway 180, 6 miles north of Grant Grove.
A 2-mile round trip loop trail leads to the Boole
Tree from a parking area at the end of the road.
http://www.nps.gov/seki/ggvc.htm
Last update: March 9, 2001