27-401: Calaveras Big Trees may refer to: Calaveras Big Trees State Park , California, U.S. Calaveras Big Tree National Forest , California, U.S. See also [ edit ] Calaveras (disambiguation) Big Trees (disambiguation) Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with
54-429: A single branch remaining alive. It had been weakened by the severe damage caused by the tunnel carved through its trunk. The tree shattered on impact with the ground due to the brittle wood of mature sequoias. After the fall of the tree the park trail closed for a cleanup operation. Some sections of the tree remained intact, but the park's preservation policy prevented them from being cut up, for example to determine
81-663: Is a state park of California , United States, preserving two groves of giant sequoia trees. Located 4 miles (6.4 km) northeast of Arnold, California in the middle elevations of the Sierra Nevada , it has been a major tourist attraction since 1852, when the existence of the trees was first widely reported. Two famous exhibition trees , the Discovery Tree and the Mother of the Forest , were felled for display. It
108-526: Is also considered the longest continuously operated tourist attraction in California. The giant sequoia was well known to Native American tribes living in its area. Native American names for the species include Wawona , toos-pung-ish and hea-mi-within , the latter two in the language of the Tule River Tribe. The first reference to the giant sequoias of Calaveras Big Trees by Europeans
135-476: Is in 1833, in the diary of the explorer J. K. Leonard; the reference does not mention any specific locality, but his route would have taken him through the Calaveras Grove. This discovery was not publicized. The next European to see the trees was John M. Wooster, who carved his initials in the bark of the 'Hercules' tree in the Calaveras Grove in 1850; again, this received no publicity. Much more publicity
162-673: Is no public parking so the access is used by foot, bicycle, snowshoe or cross-country ski. Pioneer Cabin Tree The Pioneer Cabin Tree , also known as The Tunnel Tree , was a giant sequoia in Calaveras Big Trees State Park , California . It was considered one of the U.S.'s most famous trees, and drew thousands of visitors annually. It was estimated to have been more than 1,000 years old, and measured 33 feet (10 m) in diameter; its exact age and height were not known. The tree
189-538: The California Club . Legislation in 1900 and 1909 authorized the federal government to purchase the property, but Whiteside refused to sell the land at the offered price, preferring its higher valuation as parkland. It was not until 1931 that Whiteside's family began to divest the property, beginning with the North Grove. The Yosemite protection was gradually extended to most sequoias, and Calaveras Grove
216-426: The Mother of the Forest , they still did not believe the trees were genuine, and that the areas they were from should be protected. This did not guarantee any legal protection for the trees of Calaveras Grove. By the turn of the century the land was owned by several lumber companies, with plans to cut the remaining trees down, as sequoia and giant sequoia with their thick trunks were seen as great sources of lumber at
243-727: The Stanislaus River , Beaver Creek, the Lava Bluff Trail, and Bradley Trail. The park houses two main campgrounds with a total of 129 campsites, six picnic areas and hundreds of miles of established trails. Other activities include cross-country skiing, evening ranger talks, numerous interpretive programs, environmental educational programs, junior ranger programs, hiking, mountain biking, bird watching and summer school activities for school children. Dogs are allowed on leash in developed areas like picnic sites, campgrounds, roads and fire roads (dirt). Dogs are not allowed on
270-511: The Wildfire and Forest Resiliency Program to spend over five years, “to make our forest resilient when a big fire comes through". A prescribed burn was conducted by park crews on about 180 acres (73 ha) of the North Grove in late October through early November. The North Grove includes several noteworthy giant sequoias: The South Grove also included several noteworthy giant sequoias: Other attractions of Calaveras Big Trees include
297-493: The amusement of tourists. The two giant sequoia drive-through trees have both fallen: Two walk-through giant sequoia tunnel trees still stand: Two others have edifices carved within: Tunnel Log is a fallen giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park . The tree, which measured 275 feet (84 m) tall and 21 feet (6.4 m) in diameter, fell across a park road in 1937 due to natural causes. The following year,
SECTION 10
#1732782658281324-535: The designated trails, nor in the woods in general. The park is open year-round. The main road through the park is closed during the winter season. The North Grove Area is easily accessible during the winter season. There are no public transportation options to the park. The closest bus stop is the Arnold Public Library in Arnold, California. The park is accessible via Upper Moran road at gate 15. There
351-457: The life history of this species. Tree ring records from giant sequoias show that frequent surface fires were the typical pattern of fire occurrence over the past 2,000 years. But this pattern changed after about 1860, when fire frequency declined sharply. This decline in regional fire was probably a result of decrease in fires set by Native Americans, followed by fire suppression by government agencies. The state provided $ 7 million in 2022 from
378-537: The park to bring the total area to over 6,400 acres (2,600 ha). The North Grove contains about 100 mature giant sequoias; the South Grove, about 1,000. The state park now encompasses 6,498 acres (2,630 ha) in Calaveras and Tuolumne counties. The importance of fire to giant sequoias cannot be overstated. Other than the change of seasons, fire is the most recurrent and critical process in determining
405-513: The park. Reportedly, the tree was 435 ft high with a 110 ft circumference- a "giant of giants". In early 1880s, a tunnel was cut through the compartments by a private land owner at the request of James Sperry, founder of the Murphys Hotel, so that tourists could pass through it. The tree was chosen in part because of the large forest fire scar. The Pioneer Cabin Tree , as it
432-463: The time. This again caused a chorus of public outcry by locals and conservationists , and the area continued to be treated as a tourist attraction. Parcels of land that would later become the state park and nearby national park were optioned by lumberman Robert P. Whiteside in January 1900, with the intention of logging. A protracted battle to preserve the trees was launched by Laura Lyon White and
459-557: The title Calaveras Big Trees . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Calaveras_Big_Trees&oldid=997630951 " Categories : Disambiguation pages Place name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Calaveras Big Trees State Park Calaveras Big Trees State Park
486-403: The tree's exact age. At least one observer suggested that the tree fell victim to the profit motive and greed, not just a storm, as it was one of several trees that were mutilated to promote tourism. California State Parks supervising ranger Tony Tealdi said in the modern day the hollowing out of a tree would not have been permitted. This was one of several trees that were hollowed out for
513-507: The tree's tunnel as part of the North Grove Loop hiking trail. The Pioneer Cabin Tree fell during a rain storm and flooding on January 8, 2017. It was the strongest storm to hit the area in over a decade. The flooding, combined with the shallow root system of giant sequoias, likely caused it to fall. A park volunteer reported that the tree had been weakening, becoming brittle and leaning to one side for several years, with only
540-457: The trunk was toured with little fanfare while the stump was later turned into a dance floor. John Muir wrote an essay titled "The Vandals Then Danced Upon the Stump!" to criticize the felling of the tree. In 1854, a second tree named the " Mother of the Forest " was stripped of its bark in 1854, to be reassembled at exhibitions. This mortally wounded the tree, since outer layer of protective bark
567-412: Was broken off at about 150 feet, and that the tree was hollow. In the early 1880s, a tunnel was cut through the compartments by a private land owner at the request of James Sperry, founder of the Murphys Hotel, so that tourists could pass through it. The tree was chosen in part because of the large forest fire scar. The Pioneer Cabin Tree emulated the tunnel carved into Yosemite's Wawona Tree , and
SECTION 20
#1732782658281594-472: Was given to Augustus T. Dowd at the North Grove in 1852, and this is commonly cited as the discovery of both the grove and the species as a whole. The " Discovery Tree " was noted by Augustus T. Dowd in 1852 and felled in 1853, leaving a giant stump and a section of trunk showing the holes made by the augers used to fell it. It measured 25 ft (7.6 m) in diameter at its base and was determined by ring count to be 1,244 years old when felled. A section of
621-444: Was intended to compete with it for tourists. Since the 1880s and for more than 50 years, visitor graffiti was encouraged, but this practice was prohibited in the 1930s. At first only pedestrians were allowed to pass through the tree. Later, for many years, automobiles drove through it as part of the "Big Trees Trail". It was one of several drive-through trees in California. Subsequently, only hikers were allowed to pass through
648-483: Was joined to California State Parks in 1931. According to John Muir the forest protected by the park is: "A flowering glade in the very heart of the woods, forming a fine center for the student, and a delicious resting place for the weary." Over the years other parcels of mixed conifer forests, including the much larger South Calaveras Grove of Giant Sequoias (purchased in 1954 for US$ 2.8 million, equivalent to US $ 31.8 million in 2023 dollars), have been added to
675-451: Was removed. The tree didn't survive long after, having shed its entire canopy by 1861. In 1908, with the tree unprotected by its fire resistant bark, a fire swept through the area and burned away much of what was left of the tree, leaving a fire-blackened snag. The forest is also home to what remains of the "Father of the Forest", an ancient and exceedingly enormous giant sequoia which fell centuries ago, and its remains are still present in
702-473: Was soon called, emulated the tunnel carved into Yosemite's Wawona Tree , and was intended to compete with it for tourists. Along with the 1850s exhibitions, the destruction of the big trees was met with public outcry. In 1864, on introducing the bill that would become the Yosemite Grant , senator John Conness opined that even after people had seen the physical evidence of the Discovery Tree and
729-400: Was topped before 1859. It fell and shattered during a storm on January 8, 2017. The Pioneer Cabin Tree got its name from its distinctively hollow trunk, partially burnt by lightning strikes and forest fire . It had small compartments as in a log cabin , with the tree's burnt core as a chimney, and a small opening as a backdoor. In 1857 it was noted that the "top half" of the tree
#280719