Sequoia National Forest is located in the southern

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

mountains of

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. The U.S. National Forest is named for the majestic Giant Sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') trees which populate 38 distinct groves within the boundaries of the forest. The

Giant Sequoia National Monument The Giant Sequoia National Monument is a U.S. National Monument located in the southern Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada in eastern central California. It is administered by the United States Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service as part of th ...

is located in the national forest. Other notable features include

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

-carved landscapes and impressive

granite Granite ( ) is a coarse-grained (phanerite, phaneritic) intrusive rock, intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly coo ...

monolith A monolith is a geological feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock, such as some mountains. Erosion usually exposes the geological formations, which are often made of very hard and solid igneous or metamorphic rock. Some monolit ...

The Needles The Needles are a row of three stacks of chalk that rise about out of the sea off the western extremity of the Isle of Wight in the English Channel, United Kingdom, close to Alum Bay and Scratchell's Bay, and part of Totland, the weste ...

are a series of granite spires atop a narrow ridge above the Kern River. Forest headquarters are located in Porterville, California. There are local ranger district offices in Dunlap, Kernville,

Lake Isabella Lake Isabella also called Isabella Lake, is a reservoir in Kern County, California, United States created by the earthen Isabella Dam. At , it is one of the larger reservoirs in California. Lake Isabella is located about northeast of Bakersfi ...

, and Springville.

Geography

The Sequoia National Forest covers 1,193,315 acres (1,864.555 sq mi; 4,829.17 km²), and ranges in elevation from 1,000 feet (300 m) in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to over 12,000 feet (3,700 m). Its giant sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') groves are part of its 196,000 acres (790 km²) of

old growth An old-growth forest or primary forest is a forest that has developed over a long period of time without disturbance. Due to this, old-growth forests exhibit unique ecological features. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Natio ...

forests. Other tree species include: *

Jeffrey pine ''Pinus jeffreyi'', also known as Jeffrey pine, Jeffrey's pine, yellow pine and black pine, is a North American pine tree. It is mainly found in California, but also in the westernmost part of Nevada, southwestern Oregon, and northern Baja Califo ...

(''Pinus jeffreyi'') * Red fir (''Abies magnifica'') *

Coast Douglas-fir ''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'', commonly known as Coast Douglas-fir, Pacific Douglas-fir, Oregon pine, or Douglas spruce, is an evergreen conifer native to western North America from west-central British Columbia, Canada southward t ...

(''Pseudotsuga menziesii'' var. ''menziesii'') *

Ponderosa pine ''Pinus ponderosa'', commonly known as the ponderosa pine, bull pine, blackjack pine, western yellow-pine, or filipinus pine, is a very large pine tree species of variable habitat native to mountainous regions of western North America. It is t ...

(''Pinus ponderosa'') *

White fir ''Abies concolor'', the white fir, concolor fir, or Colorado fir, is a coniferous tree in the pine family Pinaceae. This tree is native to the mountains of western North America, including the Sierra Nevada and southern Rocky Mountains, and int ...

(''Abies concolor'') *

Lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpin ...

(''Pinus contorta'') The National Forest contains over 2,500 miles (4,000 km) of road and 850 miles (1,370 km) of trails, and hosts a number of camping and recreational facilities. The forest is adjacent to Sequoia and Kings Canyon

National Parks A national park is a nature park designated for conservation (ethic), conservation purposes because of unparalleled national natural, historic, or cultural significance. It is an area of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that is protecte ...

Wilderness areas

There are six wilderness areas within Sequoia NF that are part of the

National Wilderness Preservation System The National Wilderness Preservation System (NWPS) of the United States protects federal government of the United States, federally managed Wilderness, wilderness areas designated for preservation in their natural condition. Activity on formally ...

. Some of these extend into neighboring National Forests, as indicated. Two of them also extend into land that is managed by the

Bureau of Land Management The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior responsible for administering federal lands, U.S. federal lands. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the BLM oversees more than of land, or one ...

. * Domeland Wilderness (partly BLM) * Golden Trout Wilderness (mostly in Inyo NF) * Jennie Lakes Wilderness * Kiavah Wilderness (mostly BLM) * Monarch Wilderness (partly in Sierra NF) * South Sierra Wilderness (mostly in Inyo NF)

Giant Sequoia National Monument

On April 15, 2000, President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

proclaimed 328,000-acre (1,330 km²) of the Sequoia National Forest as the

by Presidential Proclamation 7295, published in the Federal Register, Tuesday, April 25, 2000, Vol. 65, No. 80. The monument is in two sections. The northern section surrounds General Grant Grove and other parts of

Kings Canyon National Park Kings Canyon National Park is a national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada, in Fresno and Tulare Counties, California. Originally established in 1890 as General Grant National Park, the park was greatly expanded and ren ...

and is administered by the Hume Lake Ranger District. The southern section is directly south of

Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California. The park was established on September 25, 1890, and toda ...

and is administered by the Western Divide Ranger District, surrounding the eastern half of the Tule River Indian Reservation.

The Needles

The Needles are a series of granite spires atop a narrow ridge above the

Kern River The Kern River is an Endangered, Wild and Scenic river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada ( ) is a mountain range in the Western United States, between ...

.(36.1214°N 118.5044°W) The Needles Lookout trail, which takes you up to the rock formation, is 2.5 miles long. The Needles Fire Lookout Tower, which sat on top of a spire referred to as “The Magician” was destroyed in a structure fire on July 28, 2011.

Climate

According to the

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, Sequoia National Forest encompasses five climate types listed here from highest to lowest elevation;

Tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...

(''ET''), Mediterranean-influenced

Subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...

(''Dsc''), Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer

Humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

(''Dsb''),

Warm-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(''Csb''), and

Hot-summer Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate ( ), also called a dry summer climate, described by Köppen and Trewartha as ''Cs'', is a temperate climate type that occurs in the lower mid-latitudes (normally 30 to 44 north and south latitude). Such climates typic ...

(''Csa''). Precipitation also decreases with elevation. According to the

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...

, the Plant

Hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most widely ...

at Giant Forest Visitor Center (6,444 ft (1,964 m)) is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 12.0 °F (−11.1 °C).

Flora & Fauna

While the Sequoia National Forest contains many overlapping species between itself and

, the geographical differences make more species abundant in either territory. The Sequoia National Forest contains four distinct ecological zones, each of which are found at different elevations and support different species. The lowest points in the Forest consist of

Chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...

and Oak woodland, containing several species of wildflower, shrubs, and oak trees. This zone creeps into the

Montane forest Montane ecosystems are found on the slopes of mountains. The alpine climate in these regions strongly affects the ecosystem because temperatures lapse rate, fall as elevation increases, causing the ecosystem to stratify. This stratification is ...

, which supports the white fir, red fir, sugar pine, incense-cedar, and ponderosa pine. The giant sequoias can also been found within this zone. Above this zone is the subalpine and alpine forests, which supports varied sorts of alpine tundra flora, notably lodgepole pine and red fir. The Sequoia National Forest also contains scattered wetland niches. The Sequoia National Forest is home to a variety of wildlife, including mammals like black bears, mule deer, mountain lions, and squirrels; birds like the California quail and scrub jay; reptiles like gopher snakes and the Western fence lizard; and amphibians like the California newt. The forest also supports several species of fish, including the threatened Little Kern golden trout. Farewell Gap

History

Sequoia National Forest was established on July 1, 1908, from a portion of Sierra Forest Reserve. On March 2, 1909, Theodore Roosevelt added land by Presidential Proclamation. On July 1, 1910 was removed from the forest to create the Kern National Forest. This land was returned to Sequoia National Forest on July 1, 1915.

Fire impact

Tree fire protection at the Sequoia National Forest

The Castle Fire in 2020 burned in the forest, with of giant sequoia groves burned The fire swept through portions of the Dillonwood, Mountain Home, Alder Creek, Freeman Creek, McIntyre, and Wheel Meadow, Belknap, Burro Creek, Silver Creek, Middle Tule, Upper Tule, and Wishon Groves. The fire burned at high intensity in of sequoia groves: high-intensity fire kills more than 90% of the giant sequoias in the area. The number of mature Sequoia Trees that died overall is estimated at over 7500–10,600 mature trees, or over 10-14% of the species' population. The most intense previous fire in this area is dated to 1297 based on tree ring data. The McIntrye Grove, a short distance to the south from Cedar Slope, was heavily damaged. Near Sequoia Crest, one-third of the Alder Creek Grove of Giant Sequoia was severely damaged. The large Stagg Tree in Alder Creek Grove was not impacted. Other areas experienced "light fire" which is expected to be ecologically beneficial in the long run. Great Bonsai2

The following individual large Giant Sequoias in the forest have been reported to be damaged or destroyed in the Castle Fire: * Genesis Tree (heavily damaged, previously the seventh-largest tree) * Great Bonsai tree * Summit Road Tree (damaged, the 15th-largest tree) * Waterfall Tree (previously the sequoia with the largest ground perimeter * Window Tree * The Patriarch Tree The Windy Fire in 2021 burned over , including a large area in the forest. A number of groves were completely within the fire perimeter, including the Cunningham, Deer Creek, Long Meadow, Packsaddle, Peyrone, Redhill, South Peyrone, and Starvation Creek Groves. Over of groves were within the fire perimeter. Satellite image analysis showed that 50% of that area was burned at moderate or high intensity: over 1,000 giant sequoia were estimated to be destroyed in the forest. Only four mature giant sequoia survived the fire in the Starvation Creek Grove.

Giant sequoia groves

The Sequoia National Forest has 34

giant sequoia ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'' (also known as the giant sequoia, giant redwood, Sierra redwood or Wellingtonia) is a species of coniferous tree, classified in the family Cupressaceae in the subfamily Sequoioideae. Giant sequoia specimens are the la ...

groves. * The 14 groves in the Kings River watershed are in the northern section of

(GSNM), or in the Sequoia National Forest (SeNF), in southernmost

Fresno County Fresno County (), officially the County of Fresno, is a county located in the central portion of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,008,654. The county seat is Fresno, the fifth-most populo ...

and Tulare County: # Indian Basin Grove (GSNM) A mid-size grove, mostly logged. It can be accessed by paved roads. The grove contains many young sequoias approaching diameters of up to . 1800–2000 m. #

Converse Basin Converse Basin Grove is a grove of Sequoiadendron giganteum, giant sequoia (''Sequoiadendron giganteum'') trees in the Giant Sequoia National Monument in the Sierra Nevada (U.S.), Sierra Nevada, in Fresno County, California, 5 miles (8 ...

Grove (GSNM). Once the second-largest grove, but much logged around 1890–1900; However, nearly 100 widely scattered old-growth Giant Sequoias remain (apparently bypassed by the loggers), also good regrowth of younger trees. Home of the Boole Tree, which the loggers spared as it was by far the largest tree in the grove and is now identified as the sixth-largest tree by volume. Also home of the Chicago Stump, which is the remnant of the General Noble Tree that was cut for the 1893

World Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World's Fair, was a world's fair held in Chicago from May 5 to October 31, 1893, to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The c ...

; the General Noble Tree was the second largest tree in the grove (after the Boole Tree) and it was the largest tree ever cut down. Although not among the very largest Giant Sequoias, the General Noble Tree was perhaps among the top 30 largest Giant Sequoias before it was cut. 1800–2000 m. # Lockwood Grove (GSNM). 1700–1800 m. # Monarch Grove (GSNM). Immediately north of the Agnew Grove, near Monarch Wilderness boundary. ''On Forest Service GSNM map.'' # Evans Grove (GSNM). Partially logged, before 1920. 36°48'N 118°49'30"W 2050–2250 m. # Agnew & Deer Meadow Grove (GSNM). 1950–2000 m. # Cherry Gap Grove (GSNM). Logged. Located between Converse Basin Grove and General Grant Grove, near McGee Overlook (). 2070 m. Cherry Gap Grove is a small sequoia grove of about thirty-five acres in Sequoia national forest; it was logged of all of its old growth sequoias. # Abbott Creek Grove (GSNM). 1900 m. ''Listed by Rundel and Flint; very small (largely logged); too few trees to qualify as a grove according to Willard''. # Kennedy Grove (GSNM). 2050–2250 m. Contains the 13th largest giant sequoia in the world, The Ishi Giant. # Little Boulder Creek Grove (GSNM). 2000 m. # Boulder Creek Grove (GSNM). 2050 m. # Landslide Grove (GSNM). 2050–2250 m. # Bearskin Grove (GSNM). 1850–1900 m. # Big Stump Grove (KCNP/GSNM). 1850 m. * One grove in the

Kaweah River The Kaweah River is a river draining the southern Sierra Nevada in Tulare County, California in the United States. Fed primarily by high elevation snowmelt along the Great Western Divide, the Kaweah begins as four forks in Sequoia National Pa ...

watershed: # Redwood Mountain Grove (KCNP/GSNM). The largest grove, 1240 ha (3100 acres), with 15,800 sequoias 30 cm (one foot) or more in diameter at the base. Genesis tree

* The 19 groves in the Tule River and

watersheds are mostly in

(GSNM); all in southern Tulare County. # Upper Tule Grove (GSNM). ''Included on Forest Service GSNM map''. # Maggie Mountain Grove (GSNM). # Silver Creek Grove (GSNM). # Mountain Home Grove (CSF / GSNM). Home of the 'Genesis' tree, seventh largest by volume, this grove also contains the smaller Middle Tule Grove # Burro Creek Grove (GSNM). # Wishon Grove (GSNM). South of Silver Creek Grove. ''Included on Forest Service GSNM map''. # Alder Creek Grove (GSNM / private); also known as Hossack, Pixley, or Ross Creek Grove. Home of 'Alonzo Stagg', the fifth largest tree by volume. Also home to the Waterfall tree, which has the largest circumference and diameter at ground level of any sequoia. # McIntyre Grove (GSNM). # Carr Wilson Grove(GSNM); also known as Bear Creek Grove. # Freeman Creek Grove (GSNM). # Black Mountain Grove (GSNM / TIR / private). Heavily logged in 1984, though mature sequoias were not cut. # Red Hill Grove (GSNM / private). # Peyrone Grove (GSNM / TIR). # South Peyrone Grove (GSNM) New discovery by Willard in 1992. # Long Meadow Grove (GSNM), Site of the Trail of 100 Giants and one tree of great size. # Cunningham Grove (GSNM). # Starvation Creek Grove (GSNM). # Packsaddle Grove (GSNM). # Deer Creek Grove (GSNM). The southernmost grove.

Notes

References

"Sequoia National Forest"
United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Retrieved August 8, 2005. * Willard, D. (1994). The natural Giant Sequoia groves of the Sierra Nevada, California - an updated annotated list. ''USDA Forest Service Gen. Tech. Rep''. PSW-GTR-151: 159–164.

External links

*
official Sequoia National Forest website
{{Authority control National forests of California Protected areas of the Sierra Nevada (United States)

Sequoiadendron ''Sequoiadendron'' is a genus of evergreen trees, with three species, only one of which survives to the present: * ''Sequoiadendron giganteum'', extant species, extant, commonly known as wellingtonia, giant redwood and giant sequoia, growing nat ...

Protected areas of Fresno County, California Protected areas of Kern County, California Protected areas of Tulare County, California Giant sequoia groves