The Belknap Complex , sometimes referred to as Belknap Grove , is a complex of three giant sequoia groves located in the Tule River watershed of Giant Sequoia National Monument , just south of Camp Nelson , California . It is formed from the larger McIntyre Grove and Wheel Meadow Grove, and the smaller Carr Wilson Grove. The grove is home to a rich collection of old-growth giant sequoias spread out over 4,666 acres (18.88 km). The grove is fairly easy to reach by car given its close proximity to Highway 190 . Forest Trail 31E30 meanders through the heart of the complex.
41-609: During the Castle Fire of 2020, approximately 59% of the Belknap Complex was subject to high-intensity fire, which is estimated to kill between 75 and 100% of the giant sequoia in its path. Some trees of special note found within the complex included: This Tulare County, California -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article related to a protected area in California
82-490: A changing landscape throughout the foothills with hot summer yielding an arid landscape while spring and winter rains result in blossoming wildflowers and lush greens. The region is also home to abundant wildlife: bobcats , foxes , ground squirrels , rattlesnakes , and mule deer are commonly seen in this area, and more rarely, reclusive mountain lions and the Pacific fisher are seen as well. The last California grizzly
123-617: A landscape that was first cultivated by the Monache tribe, the southern Sierra Nevada before Euro-American settlement. Many park visitors enter Sequoia National Park through its southern entrance near the town of Three Rivers at Ash Mountain at 1,700 ft (520 m) elevation. The lower elevations around Ash Mountain contain the only National Park Service-protected California Foothills ecosystem, consisting of blue oak woodlands, foothills chaparral , grasslands, yucca plants, and steep, mild river valleys. Seasonal weather results in
164-622: A strong work ethic into his men. Young was also a prominent figure regarding the early conservation of Sequoia National Park. He greenlighted the dedication of trees in honor of prominent figures as a means of promoting their preservation. One such example is the Redwood dedicated to the escaped slave and activist, Booker T Washington . Young also argued to the Secretary of the Interior that the lack of enforcement of forest protection laws allowed
205-547: A vertical relief of nearly 13,000 feet (4,000 m), the park contains the highest point in the contiguous United States , Mount Whitney , at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The park is south of, and contiguous with, Kings Canyon National Park ; both parks are administered by the National Park Service together as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks . UNESCO designated the areas as Sequoia-Kings Canyon Biosphere Reserve in 1976. The park
246-516: Is Crystal Cave , the park's second-longest cave at over 3.4 miles (5.5 km). Crystal Cave was discovered on April 28, 1918, by Alex Medley and Cassius Webster. The cave is a constant 48 °F (9 °C), and is only accessible by guided tour. Caves are discovered frequently in the park with the most recently discovered major cave being Ursa Minor in August 2006. Sequoia National Park encompasses many classifications of ecological zones, with
287-693: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Castle Fire The SQF Complex fire —also called the SQF Lightning Complex —was a wildfire complex that burned in Tulare County in Central California in 2020. Comprising the Castle and Shotgun fires, it affected Sequoia National Forest and adjacent areas. Both fires began on August 19, 2020, and burned a combined total of 175,019 acres (70,828 hectares) before
328-528: Is essentially limestone that was metamorphosed by the heat and pressure of the formation and uplift of the Sierra Nevada Batholith . The batholith's rapid uplift over the past 10 million years led to a rapid erosion of the metamorphic rocks in the higher elevations, exposing the granite beneath; therefore, most Sierra Nevada caves are found in the middle and lower elevations (below 7,000 ft or 2,100 m), though some caves are found in
369-861: Is notable for its giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree , the largest tree on Earth by volume . The General Sherman tree grows in the Giant Forest , which contains five of the ten largest trees in the world. The Giant Forest is connected by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove , home of the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias. The park's giant sequoia forests are part of 202,430 acres (316 sq mi; 81,921 ha; 819 km ) of old-growth forests shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. The parks preserve
410-553: Is notable for its devastating effects on native sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) groves in the southern Sierra Nevada . It is estimated to have caused the death of 10–14 percent of the native large sequoia population there. While the SQF Complex consisted of the two fires together, the Castle Fire was responsible for nearly all of the burned acreage. Both fires began in the morning hours of August 19. The Castle Fire
451-561: The Kaweah River . The Sierra Nevada is a young mountain range, probably not more than 10 million years old. Forces in the earth, probably associated with the development of the Great Basin , forced the mountains to rise. During the last 10 million years, at least four ice ages have coated the mountains in a thick mantle of ice. Glaciers form and develop during long periods of cool and wet weather. Glaciers move very slowly through
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#1732798808556492-716: The United States Department of Agriculture , the Plant Hardiness zone 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). Sequoia National Park contains a significant portion of the Sierra Nevada . The park's mountainous landscape includes the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States, Mount Whitney, which rises to 14,505 feet (4,421 m) above sea level. The Great Western Divide parallels
533-451: The giant sequoia trees, the most massive living single-stem trees on earth. Between the trees, spring and summer snowmelts sometimes fan out to form lush, though delicate, meadows. In this region, visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrels , and American black bears , which sometimes break into unattended cars to eat food left by careless visitors. There are plans to reintroduce the bighorn sheep to this park. The vast majority of
574-566: The 1880s, white settlers seeking to create a utopian society founded the Kaweah Colony , which sought economic success in trading Sequoia timber. Giant Sequoia trees, unlike their coast redwood relatives, were later discovered to splinter easily and therefore were ill-suited to timber harvesting, though thousands of trees were felled before logging operations finally ceased. Benjamin Harrison ultimately signed legislation that established
615-421: The 530-acre (210 ha) privately-owned Alder Creek Grove of giant sequoias, killing an estimated 80 or more trees. The number of resources on the fire peaked in late September, with more than 160 fire engines assigned and more than 40 bulldozers. The SQF Complex was declared 100 percent contained on January 6, 2021. The total cost of the fire suppression effort reached $ 122.3 million. A giant sequoia
656-589: The Castle Fire was not considered a major threat to Sequoia National Park or its giant sequoias. On September 12, low relative humidity levels and strong southeast winds combined to drive the fire to more than 74,000 acres (30,000 ha), and it crossed the North Fork of the Middle Fork of the Tule River on the morning of September 13. The 60-mile-per-hour (97 km/h) winds pushed the fire through
697-732: The Sequoia National Park on 25 September 1890, ending logging in the area. Another consequence of the Giant Forest becoming Sequoia National Park was the shift in park employment. Prior to the incorporation by the National Park Service, the park was managed by US army troops of the 24th Regiment of Infantry and the 9th Regiment of Cavalry, better known as the Buffalo Soldiers . These segregated troops, founded in 1866, were African-American men from
738-665: The Sierran crest and is visible at various places in the park, for example, Mineral King , Moro Rock , and the Giant Forest . Peaks in the Great Western Divide rise to more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m). Deep canyons lie between the mountains, including Tokopah Valley above Lodgepole, Deep Canyon on the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River , and Kern Canyon in the park's backcountry, which is more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) deep for 30 miles (50 km). Most of
779-557: The South, an invaluable demographic to the military with the lowest rates of desertion. The Buffalo Soldiers completed park infrastructure projects as well as park management duties, helping to shape the role of the modern-day park ranger. The Buffalo Soldiers rose to this position due to a lack of funding for the park which led to an inability to hire civilians. The third African American West Point graduate, Captain Charles Young led
820-716: The area was Hale Tharp , who famously built a home out of a hollowed-out fallen giant sequoia log in the Giant Forest next to Log Meadow. Tharp arrived in 1858 to the region and encountered several groups of Native Americans, the largest being around 600 with several other smaller groups found at higher elevations. After becoming friendly with the Western Mono tribe, Tharp was shown the Giant Forest Sequoia Grove. After his settlement, more settlers came around 1860. Shortly thereafter - between 1860 and 1863, epidemics of smallpox, measles, and scarlet fever killed
861-580: The cavalries of Buffalo Soldiers in the Sequoia and General Grant Parks. Young landed this post as a result of the segregation rampant throughout the Army: as a black man, he was not permitted to head any combat units. He did demonstrate his leadership capability through his initiatives in the National Park delegating park infrastructure projects, hosting tourists and politicians, and setting a standard of
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#1732798808556902-461: The complex as a whole was declared 100 percent contained on January 6, 2021. In the course of the fires, 232 structures were destroyed. There were no fatalities. The Castle and Shotgun fires were both begun by lightning, part of a 'siege' of hundreds of wildfires caused by dry thunderstorms across California in mid-August 2020. The lightning siege contributed to California's largest wildfire season , by burned acreage, ever recorded. The Castle Fire
943-574: The detrimental practices of logging and the popular tourist hobby of carving names into the redwoods to continue. An expansions occurred in 1978, when grassroots efforts, spearheaded by the Sierra Club , fought off attempts by the Walt Disney Company to purchase a high-alpine former mining site south of the park for use as a ski resort. This site known as Mineral King was annexed to the park. Its name dates back to early 1873 when
984-625: The eastern part of the area (the Kern River drainage) as their summer hunting grounds. During this time, the Western Mono tribe would travel over the high mountain passes to trade with tribes to the East. To this day, pictographs can be found at several sites within the park, notably at Hospital Rock and Potwisha, as well as bedrock mortars used to process acorns , a staple food for the Monachee people. The first European settler to homestead in
1025-468: The fire was severely hot and had killed the most trees. Sequoia National Park Sequoia National Park is a national park of the United States in the southern Sierra Nevada east of Visalia, California . The park was established on September 25, 1890, and today protects 404,064 acres (631 sq mi; 163,519 ha; 1,635 km ) of forested mountainous terrain. Encompassing
1066-669: The highest zone consisting of alpine tundra vegetation, then followed by California conifer forests, with chaparral at the lower elevations of the park. In the early 2000s, lumber company, Sierra Pacific Industries , began creating a living gene bank of trees using seeds harvested from the park. Animals that inhabit this park are coyote , badger , black bear , bighorn sheep , deer , fox , cougar , eleven species of woodpecker , various species of turtle , three species of owl , opossum , various species of snake , wolverine , beaver , various species of frog , and muskrat . In addition to hiking, camping, fishing, and backpacking,
1107-545: The majority of the Native Americans living in the area. After this, the rest of the Native Americans left with the largest campsite (Hospital Rock) abandoned by 1865. During their time in the area, the Monachee used periodic fire burning to aid in hunting and agriculture. This technique played an important role in the ecology of the region and allowed for a "natural" vegetation cover development. After they left, Tharp and other settlers allowed sheep and cattle to graze
1148-419: The meadow, while at the same time maintaining a respect for the grandeur of the forest and led early battles against logging in the area. From time to time, Tharp received visits from John Muir , who would stay at Tharp's log cabin. Tharp's Log can still be visited today in its original location in the Giant Forest. Tharp's attempts to conserve the giant sequoias were at first met with only limited success. In
1189-1139: The miners in the area formed the Mineral King Mining District. Mineral King is the highest-elevation developed site within the park and a popular destination for backpackers. The national park was partially closed in September 2020 due to the SQF Complex Fire , and fully closed in mid-September through mid-December 2021 due to the KNP Complex Fire . According to the Köppen climate classification system, Sequoia National Park encompasses five climate types listed here from highest to lowest elevation; Tundra ( ET ), Mediterranean-influenced Subarctic climate ( Dsc ), Mediterranean-influenced warm-summer Humid continental climate ( Dsb ), Warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csb ), and Hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ). Precipitation also decreases with elevation. According to
1230-586: The mountains and canyons in the Sierra Nevada are composed of granitic rocks . These rocks, such as granite , diorite and monzonite , formed when molten rock cooled far beneath the surface of the earth. The molten rock was the result of a geologic process known as subduction . Powerful forces in the earth forced the landmass under the waters of the Pacific Ocean beneath and below an advancing North American Continent . Super-hot water driven from
1271-474: The mountains, carving deep valleys and craggy peaks. The extensive history of glaciation within the range and the erosion-resistant nature of the granitic rocks that make up most of the Sierra Nevada have together created a landscape of hanging valleys, waterfalls, craggy peaks, alpine lakes (such as Tulainyo Lake ) and glacial canyons. Park caves, like most caves in the Sierra Nevada of California, are mostly solutional caves dissolved from marble . Marble rock
Belknap Complex - Misplaced Pages Continue
1312-627: The park at elevations as high as 10,000 ft (3,000 m) such as the White Chief cave and Cirque Cave in Mineral King. These caves are carved out of the rock by the abundant seasonal streams in the park. Most of the larger park caves have, or have had, sinking streams running through them. The park contains more than 270 known caves, including Lilburn Cave which is California's longest cave with nearly 17 miles (27 km) of surveyed passages. The only commercial cave open to park visitors
1353-494: The park is roadless wilderness; no road crosses the Sierra Nevada within the park's boundaries. 84 percent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is designated wilderness and is accessible only by foot or by horseback. The majority was designated Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness in 1984 and the southwest portion was protected as John Krebs Wilderness in 2009. The area which now is Sequoia National Park shows evidence of Native American settlement as early as AD 1000. The area
1394-635: The roughly 75 groves scattered along the Sierra Nevada. Some of the most heavily impacted groves included Freeman Creek Grove and the three groves of the Belknap Complex : McIntyre Grove, Wheel Meadow Grove, and the Carr Wilson/Bear Creek Grove. Initially, researchers estimated that hundreds of giant sequoias had been killed, but the toll was only revised upward. A 2021 report led by National Park Service scientists concluded that over 7,500–10,600 mature trees, 10–14 percent of
1435-565: The species' population, had likely been lost in the fire. Near Sequoia Crest , one-third of the Alder Creek Grove of Giant Sequoia is reported as 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. The Homers Nose Grove was also reported as "badly burned". In virtually every grove affected, extensive Giant Sequoia regeneration thrived especially in places where
1476-535: The subducting ocean floor migrated upward and melted rock as it proceeded. This process took place during the Cretaceous Period , 100 million years ago. Granitic rocks have a speckled salt-and-pepper appearance because they contain various minerals including quartz , feldspars and micas . Valhalla, or the Angel Wings, are prominent granitic cliffs that rise above the headwaters of the Middle Fork of
1517-617: Was discovered that same day in the Golden Trout Wilderness by a spotter plane. On August 20, six handcrews totaling 120 personnel were dispatched to the fire. The Shotgun Fire was discovered on August 21 at the confluence of Pistol and Shotgun creeks by aircraft fighting the Castle Fire. On August 23, the Castle Fire crossed the Little Kern River , its burned area increasing from 400 acres (160 ha) to roughly 4,000 acres (1,600 ha). For several weeks,
1558-541: Was first home to "Monachee" ( Western Mono ) Native Americans , who resided mainly in the Kaweah River drainage in the Foothills region of what is now the park, though evidence of seasonal habitation exists as high as the Giant Forest. Members of this tribe were permanent residents of the park, with a population estimate of around 2,000. In the summertime the Tubatulabal Native Americans used
1599-584: Was found still smoldering in Board Camp Grove in May of 2022, and another tree was observed by a helicopter smoldering in the Belknap Complex in July of 2022. The small community of Cedar Slope was largely destroyed by the fire with 57 of its 65 cabins completely burned. In the nearby communities of Alpine Village and Sequoia Crest , 37 and 49 cabins were lost in the fire respectively. No structure damage
1640-492: Was killed in this park in 1922 (at Horse Corral Meadow). The California Black Oak is a key transition species between the chaparral and higher elevation conifer forest. At higher elevations in the front country, between 5,500 and 9,000 feet (1,700 and 2,700 m) in elevation, the landscape becomes montane forest -dominated coniferous belt. Found here are Ponderosa , Jeffrey , sugar , and lodgepole pine trees, as well as abundant white and red fir . Found here too are
1681-521: Was reported in nearby Camp Nelson or Ponderosa . The area remains at risk for mud flows and flash floods due to the charred soil being unable to absorb water. As a result of the fire, parts of Route 190 and Route 198 were closed, Sequoia National Park was closed for two weeks and parts of Three Rivers were under mandatory evacuation orders. By mid-September, more than 3,000 people had been forced to evacuate their homes. The Castle fire swept through portions of 22 named giant sequoia groves of