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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National ParkTunnel Log in Giant Forest
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Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park
The General Sherman Tree
 
Giant Sequoia towers over tiny visitors.

NPS Photo

General Sherman Tree at the north end of Giant Forest.

The General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park is the largest (by volume) tree in the world.

Computing the volume of a standing tree is the practical equivalent of calculating the volume of an irregular cone. For purposes of volume comparison, only the trunk of a giant sequoia is measured, including the restored volume of basal fire scars. Using these accepted standards and actual field measurements taken in 1975, the volume of the Sherman Tree was calculated to be slightly over 52,500 cubic feet (1,486.6 cubic meters).

 


Feet
Meters
Height above Base 274.9 83.8
Circumference at Ground 102.6 31.1
Maximum Diameter at Base 36.5 11.1
Diameter 60' (18.3 m) above base 17.5 5.3
Diameter 180' (54.9 m) above base 14.0 4.3
Diameter of Largest Branch 6.8 2.1
Height of First Large Branch above the Base 130.0 39.6
Average Crown Spread 106.5 32.5


See the list of all the 30 biggest giant sequoias.

 Before and after photo of Giant Forest restoration.
Giant Forest Restoration Project
Learn how the parks are restoring this sequoia grove.
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Walter Fry, pioneer park naturalist
People
Read stories about significant people in the park's past.
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View west from Giant Forest webcam.
VIEW TODAY: Looking west from Giant Forest
Click to see current conditions at 6500'!
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Giant Sequoia crown
Giant Sequoia
Forest Masterpiece
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Cave formation.  

Did You Know?
The small gravity-defying cave formations found in Sequoia and Kings Canyon caves are known as helictites. They form due to the capillary action of acidic solutions and are composed of the minerals calcite and aragonite.

Last Updated: June 04, 2009 at 14:14 EST