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96-692: The Redwood Mountain Grove contains the most giant sequoia trees within its area. The area has old-growth giant sequoia groves and other distinctive natural features of the forest for visitors to view and experience. The Redwood Mountain Grove is protected primarily within Kings Canyon National Park , and in Giant Sequoia National Monument . In 2021, the grove burned in the KNP Complex Fire . Although

192-773: A >75% mortality rate on that area. The grove's 3 hiking trails are: the Redwood Canyon Trail (central grove); Sugar Bowl Trail (southwest); and the Hart Tree Trail (northwest). Their total 10 miles (16 km) length connect for 3 loop route options. They all begin at the Redwood Canyon Trailhead, via the dirt Forest Service Route 14S75 off the Generals Highway . They give visitors walking/hiking access to see giant sequoia trees within 'wilderness' natural habitats and views of

288-761: A General Grant National Park and the expansion of Sequoia National Park. The origins of this bill remain largely a mystery, although local politicians with an interest in preserving the park were likely involved. Daniel K. Zumwalt, an agent for the Southern Pacific Railroad – which owned many lumber interests in California – may have seen the park as a way to force their competitors in the Sequoia-Kings Canyon area out of business. On October 1, 1890, President Benjamin Harrison signed

384-404: A claim to the land surrounding Grant Grove, and their dwelling (built around 1872) has been preserved as a historic site. During the 1870s a government survey "disclosed the remarkable quality of General Grant Grove, and Israel Gamlin was persuaded to give up his claim so the area could be preserved." However, this did not entirely stop logging in the area – in 1875 a 300-foot (91 m) sequoia

480-505: A diversity of bird and reptile species. The Park Service is involved in restoring the population of bighorn sheep, which are considered endangered in the area; in 2014 several bighorns were released into the Sequoia-Kings Canyon area. Grizzly bears originally roamed the park as well, but were hunted to extinction by the early 1900s. The forks of the Kings River at these middle and lower elevations are also well known for their wild trout;

576-626: A hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ). According to the United States Department of Agriculture , the Plant Hardiness zone at Cedar Grove Visitor Center at 4,613 ft (1,406 m) elevation is 8a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 12.3 °F (−10.9 °C). Over 1,200 species of plants occur in Kings Canyon and Sequoia Parks, representing about 20 percent of all plant species in

672-562: A mile (0.8 km) deeper than the Grand Canyon . The canyons upstream at Cedar Grove are also more than 5,000 feet (1,500 m) deep. Although the geology and topography of Cedar Grove and Tehipite Valley are similar to that of Yosemite Valley, the park does not have waterfalls as high and spectacular as those in Yosemite. There are several powerful but short waterfalls including Mist Falls, Roaring River Falls and Grizzly Falls in

768-507: A result of their desperation, they turned toward theft and crimes against the Spanish settlers in order to survive. The Parks were separately founded by two different acts of Congress before being joined in 1943. Sequoia National Park was first preserved as land set aside for recreation through a bill, Sept. 25, 1890, ch. 926, §1, 26 Stat. 478 , passed by Congress and signed by President Benjamin Harrison on September 5, 1890, largely due to

864-705: A tendency to steal human food. The Park Service has placed bear lockers in campgrounds, required the use of bear canisters and attempted to relocate bears away from heavily visited areas. This has been successful in the backcountry, where bears have largely ceased to associate backpackers with food, but remains an issue near developed campgrounds. Visitors are encouraged to store all food and scented items in lockers, and dispose of trash in bearproof garbage cans. However, rangers are still sometimes forced to kill "problem bears" who become habituated to human food. People have inhabited Kings Canyon National Park for about 6,000–7,000 years. The Owens Valley Paiutes (also known as

960-477: A tiny ranger station and a few private structures (such as Knapp Cabin ) had been the only development in Cedar Grove. Starting in 1937, large campgrounds were developed in Kings Canyon by the U.S. Forest Service , but construction of more permanent facilities was foregone since the area would lie at the bottom of one of the proposed reservoirs. Ultimately, local opposition to Los Angeles' attempts to secure

1056-470: A trickle by autumn. Snow accumulations in the higher areas of Kings Canyon National Park can be extremely large, often totaling in the hundreds of inches, although the annual snowpack fluctuates greatly between wet and dry years. According to the Köppen climate classification system, most of Kings Canyon National Park has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csb ). with only the lowest of elevations having

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1152-601: A view of sublimity of which is rarely equaled, one which few are privileged to behold. Brewer's party left Kings Canyon via Kearsarge Pass where they encountered a group of prospectors led by Thomas Keough. Although details on the Keough expedition are scarce, the miners had been prospecting on the North Fork of the Kings River and were returning to their homes in the Owens Valley, indicating that they must have crossed

1248-494: Is a yet grander valley of the same kind. It is situated on the south fork of the Kings River, above the most extensive groves and forests of the giant sequoia, and beneath the shadows of the highest mountains in the range, where the cañons are deepest and the snow-laden peaks are crowded most closely together. It is called the Big King's River Cañon, or King's River Yosemite ... The stupendous rocks of purplish gray granite that form

1344-537: Is characterized by some of the steepest vertical relief in North America, with numerous peaks over 14,000 feet (4,300 m) on the Sierra Crest along the park's eastern border, falling to 4,500 feet (1,400 m) in the valley floor of Cedar Grove just ten miles (16 km) to the west. The Sierran crest forms the eastern boundary of the park, from Mount Goethe in the north, down to Junction Peak , at

1440-499: Is forests of giant sequoia ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) . Oak woodland ( blue oak , interior live oak ) and chaparral with chamise and manzanita characterize the lower elevations. Mixed conifer forest with Colorado white fir , red fir , western yellow pine (ponderosa pine), sugar pine and lodgepole pine forests and montane meadows occupy the middle elevations. Subalpine forests with foxtail pine , whitebark pine and meadows, krummholz , and alpine ecosystems typify

1536-553: Is now Kings Canyon National Park. In 1805 Gabriel Moraga led an expedition through the Central Valley and crossed what is now the Kings River, bestowing the name Rio de los Santo Reyes (River of the Holy Kings) on the stream. Fur trappers also visited the areas in the 1820s, but most likely did not venture into the high country since beaver were only present at lower elevations. They were followed by prospectors during

1632-441: Is open 24 hours a day, every day of the year. The Parks feature a wide variety of animals that include over 200 species of birds, gregarious slender salamander , western toad , western spadefoot toad , rainbow trout , coyote , Mexican free-tailed bat , rubber boa , common kingsnake , and many more. The area now occupied by the parks was originally inhabited by Native Americans . The Monache tribes, for example, would use

1728-568: The California Gold Rush , which began in 1848. However, not much gold, nor other minerals, were discovered in this area. Hale Tharp, a disillusioned gold miner, is credited with the 1858 discovery of Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park, which led to the further exploration and discovery of the other sequoia forests in the area, including Grant Grove. During the 1860s, a road was built to Grant Grove and many of

1824-674: The National Park Service as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks . The majority of the 461,901-acre (186,925 ha) park, drained by the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River and many smaller streams, is designated wilderness . Tourist facilities are concentrated in two areas: Grant Grove , home to General Grant (the second largest tree in the world, measured by trunk volume) and Cedar Grove , located in

1920-653: The North American – Pacific Plate boundary. However, the Sierra itself is a young mountain range, no more than 10 million years old. Huge tectonic forces along the western edge of the Great Basin forced the local crustal block to tilt and uplift, creating the mountains' gradual slope to the west and the nearly vertical escarpment to the east bordering the Owens Valley . Many cave systems are also formed in

2016-719: The San Joaquin Valley – the longest undammed drop of any North American river. Most of the park's borders are formed by watershed divides between river basins. The eastern boundary follows the Sierra Crest, which to the east is drained by the Owens River , part of the Great Basin watershed. The southern boundary with Sequoia National Park is the divide between the Kings, Kaweah and Kern Rivers . Part of

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2112-485: The U.S. Army had to station troops to protect the park from illegal grazing and hunting. Although these eventually ceased to be a problem, the rising number of visitors created its own sanitation and waste issues. In the summer of 1907 about 1,100 people visited the park. A new road reached the General Grant National Park by 1913; that summer, the park saw almost 2,800 tourists. In 1914 the park

2208-411: The terminal moraine of a retreating glacier. In Kings Canyon there are in fact four such moraines, which the Kings River cascades over, forming whitewater rapids, in an area where it otherwise winds calmly across meadows. The series of moraines one behind the other are termed "nested moraines", each created during a different glacial period by glaciers of varying length. Elsewhere in the high country,

2304-603: The 20th century has interrupted successional patterns. Air pollution from outside the biosphere reserve affects several prominent tree species. Recreational impact is locally acute. Both parks have been jointly managed by the National Park Service as the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks since 1943, and Sequoia National Park contains a number of visitor centers, campsites and supply facilities. In Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park, recent times have brought new public safety issues to its park. A big threat to its environment

2400-455: The Cedar Grove and Tehipite Valley dam sites were finally annexed into the park. As visitation rose post– World War II , further debate took place over whether the park should be developed as a tourist resort, or retained as a more natural environment restricted to simpler recreation such as hiking and camping. Ultimately, the preservation lobby prevailed and today, the park has only limited services and lodgings despite its size. Due to this and

2496-556: The Cedar Grove area. The backcountry is home to some much higher falls. Silver Spray Falls in Tehipite Valley drops about 700 feet (210 m) in several tiers. In a 1910 article in Out West , Ernestine Winchell describes the falls and Tehipite Valley: ... We paused a moment at the colossal doorway where Tehipite, shimmering through spaces of summer sunshine, in peaceful grandeur compelled our reverential gaze ... Across

2592-564: The Eastern Monos) visited the region from their homeland east of the Sierra Nevada, around Mono Lake. The Paiutes mainly used acorns for food, as well as deer and other small animals. They created trade routes connecting the Owens Valley with the Central Valley west of the Sierra Nevada. The Yokuts lived in the Central Valley and also ventured into the mountains during summer to collect plants, hunt game, and trade. Because of

2688-685: The High Sierra above Cedar Grove. Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks is the consolidated management structure for Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park in California . Both parks have been jointly administered since 1943. They have a combined size of 1,353 square miles (3,500 km ). It was designated the UNESCO Sequoia-Kings Canyon Biosphere Reserve in 1976. It

2784-455: The Ice Ages; rather, they were most likely formed during cold periods in the last 1,000 years. The park's glaciers are now melting rapidly due to increased temperatures, and may disappear completely within a few decades. A number of major Sierra rivers have their origins in the park. The South Fork Kings River flows from near Taboose Pass, on the park's eastern boundary, and drains much of

2880-481: The Kings River turned into significant political pressure to create a national park, which would prevent any dam projects there. United States Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes was a major proponent for the expansion of the park, and worked to unite local interests, who had widely different views on how much development should be allowed. Ickes also hired Ansel Adams to photograph and document

2976-612: The Kings River. This group became known as the Monaches, or Western Mono. They eventually divided into as many as six distinct bands, one of which lived in the area near Grant Grove. The native population suffered greatly during the American expansion in the 19th century; a smallpox epidemic killed off most of the Monache in 1862, and very few remain in the area today. The early Spanish exploration of California largely bypassed what

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3072-709: The Kings is known as "one of the finest large trout fisheries in the state". In the high alpine country, plant communities are mostly meadows, herbs and shrubs with some scattered groves of foxtail pine and stunted whitebark pine. Trees often create krummholtz formations, or a stunted, deformed growth pattern characterized by branches closely hugging the ground. Talus slopes are home to small mammals such as pikas and yellow-bellied marmots . Birds such as gray-crowned rosy finches and American pipits , and sensitive amphibian species such as mountain yellow-legged frogs and Yosemite toads , feed on insects near alpine lakes and wetlands. Larger animals such as bears may venture into

3168-532: The Middle Fork – then considered a region impossible to access by white settlers – making them the first non-natives to do so. Around 1869, sheepherder Frank Dusy discovered and named the Middle Fork's Tehipite Valley , and later grazed his sheep there. Aside from such occasional uses, most of the high country remained little visited and mostly unexplored. It was not until John Muir first visited in 1873 that Kings Canyon began receiving public attention. Muir

3264-637: The Roaring River valley (although sheep never entered Cedar Grove, due to the difficulty of accessing the bottom of Kings Canyon before Highway 180 was constructed). Ranchers drove their herds up into the Sierra Nevada to escape the drought and heat of the San Joaquin Valley. Meadows were trampled by thousands of hooves, leading to increased erosion and watershed degradation. Grizzly bears and wolves which preyed on livestock were shot, trapped and poisoned in large numbers, extirpating them from

3360-555: The San Joaquin eventually empties into San Francisco Bay , the Kings ends in the terminal sink of Tulare Lake , which – before its waters were diverted for irrigation – was one of the largest freshwater lakes in the western United States. The seasonal rise and fall of the park's rivers is driven by heavy snowfall (typically between November and April) followed by a rapid melt during May and June. Runoff drops significantly by late July (or August in wet years), and rivers are usually

3456-504: The Sierra by the early 1900s. Although the Sierra Forest Reserve , including what would become Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, was established in 1893, as many as half a million sheep were illegally grazed there. In 1917 the federal government began to crack down on illegal grazing and established a system of regulated management and range restoration, before sheep were banned from Kings Canyon altogether following

3552-610: The South Fork, and Tehipite Valley on the Middle Fork. Ice Age glaciations did not extend all the way to the confluence of the Middle and South Forks; consequently, the canyons downstream of Cedar Grove and Tehipite are typical V-shaped river gorges, in contrast to the U-shaped valleys upstream. The glacial valleys are characterized by flat floors and exposed granite cliffs and domes many thousands of feet high, similar in form to

3648-658: The United States. Other mountains range from elevation of 12,000 feet to 14,000 feet. Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park house about 200 marble caves combined. The National Park Service is committed to keeping its units operational and while preserving the beauty of the park. Although, the NPS needs to provide necessary accommodations to growing visitors to the park. The Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park needs to undergo approximately $ 160 million in renovations to current facilities. The most notable vegetation

3744-470: The Western region of National Park Service units. The two adjacent parks extend from the foothills of the San Joaquin Valley to the crest of the Sierra Nevada and contain the highest parts of that range. Pleistocene glaciers left an abrupt topography of granite carved canyons and domes and hundreds of glacial lakes. Among the peaks is Mount Whitney which, at 14,491 feet, is one of the tallest mountains in

3840-678: The Yosemite and were impressed by the enormous height of its cliffs." Although the rugged terrain made travel difficult, they discovered a route up the north wall of the canyon and named several prominent features, including Mount King , Mount Gardiner , the Palisades , and Mount Brewer . From the summit of the peak that would bear his name, Brewer described the view: Such a landscape! A hundred peaks in sight over thirteen thousand feet—many very sharp—deep canyons, cliffs in every direction almost rival Yosemite, sharp ridges inaccessible to man, on which human foot has never trod—all combined to produce

3936-464: The administration of each park was combined in 1943. Before John Muir visited the area now known as Kings Canyon National Park , the area did not receive much attention, despite some settlers having moved there. Harold Ickes , the U.S. Secretary of the Interior was the one fighting for the formation of the Kings Canyon National Park . Before the area became an official park there were threats to

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4032-470: The alpine zone in search of food (a behavior now exacerbated by improper disposal of waste by campers), but do not winter there. Although most of the park is now designated wilderness, human activities have significantly modified the ecology of the area ever since Native American times. In order to clear areas for hunting game and to encourage the germination of certain plants, Native Americans set controlled burns in areas of overgrown brush and grass. During

4128-470: The area a national park, but at the same time, the environmental lobby prevented any of these projects from being built. In 1935 the Generals Highway was completed connecting Sequoia and General Grant National Parks. In 1939 State Route 180 from Grant Grove to Kings Canyon was finally completed after ten years of construction, finally allowing large numbers of tourists to visit Cedar Grove for

4224-553: The area, and Muir himself continued to lobby for the cause. In 1880 logging claims in the Grant Grove area were suspended by the federal government, in large part due to the political efforts of Colonel George W. Stewart. In March 1890 a bill (H.R. 8350) was introduced to Congress by Representative William Vandever proposing the creation of Yosemite National Park . Subsequently, some "political intrigue" led to its substitution with H.R. 12187, which also included provisions for

4320-456: The area, generating publicity for the preservation movement. However, in order to placate the local irrigation districts – who wanted to leave open the option of reservoirs – Cedar Grove and Tehipite Valley were specifically excluded from the new park. On March 4, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the bill to create Kings Canyon National Park, which added the original General Grant National Park to over 400,000 acres (160,000 ha) of

4416-615: The area. In 1920, the major threat was to create a reservoir in a part of the park known as the Cedar Grove Area. It was not until 1940 when the park was officially formed that the threats were dismissed. Reference: Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park house various natural spectacles. The parks are a large part of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range . Its entirety, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park has been regionally affiliated with

4512-464: The bill into law, establishing General Grant National Park – the United States' fourth national park – which today is part of the smaller western section of Kings Canyon National Park. For many years the primary way for tourists to reach General Grant National Park was the Stephens Grade, a rough wagon road over which a stagecoach operated from Visalia beginning in the early 1900s. Initially,

4608-429: The boundary with Sequoia National Park. Several passes cross the crest into the park, including Bishop Pass , Taboose Pass , Sawmill Pass , and Kearsarge Pass . All of these passes are above 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in elevation. There are several prominent subranges of the Sierra within and around the park. The Palisades , along the park's eastern boundary, have four peaks over 14,000 feet (4,300 m) including

4704-408: The city of Los Angeles , who wanted to build hydroelectric dams in Kings Canyon. Due to its heavy flow and long drop – 11,000 feet (3,400 m) in less than 80 miles (130 km) – the Kings River has considerable hydroelectric potential, and reservoirs were proposed for Cedar Grove, Tehipite Valley and Simpson Meadow, among other sites. Development interests blocked legislation that would have made

4800-462: The deer population, which further rose due to park visitors feeding them. Ultimately, this led to overgrazing and the vegetation understory was nearly eliminated in large areas of the park. When the park was expanded in 1940, the Park Service began shooting deer in an effort to reduce the size of the herd. Although the culling reduced deer numbers to a more ecologically stable level, the program

4896-501: The early 20th century, " "complete fire suppression" policy led to a great build-up of debris and tinder in the park's forests. By the 1960s it became apparent that this was interfering with the reproductive cycle of the park's sequoias, whose bark is fire resistant but require regular fires to clear away competing growth such as white firs. In 1963, scientists deliberately set fire to part of the Redwood Mountain Grove,

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4992-425: The ecosystem and natural life in the area. Fires such as these were also used for scientific research. The fires can have major effects on forests and other wilderness areas. The fires can act as part of the natural cycle for restoring natural life in the environment and ecosystems in the grove and other parks. The Redwood Mountain Grove was involved in several studies that looked at different species of trees present in

5088-567: The efforts of Colonel George W. Stewart, who is known as the "Father of Sequoia National Park". The land was set aside to protect the sequoia trees from logging companies in order to keep the pristine beauty of the land for years to come. It wasn't until a few months after the bill had passed that the park was given the National Park name by the Secretary of the Interior, John Willock Noble . Stewart also collaborated with John Muir , who

5184-521: The entire park. In the northwest section of the park are other very steep and rugged ranges such as the Goddard Divide, LeConte Divide and Black Divide, all of which are dotted with high mountain lakes and separated by deep chasms. Most of the mountains and canyons, as in other parts of the Sierra Nevada, are formed in igneous intrusive rocks such as granite , diorite and monzonite , formed at least 100 million years ago due to subduction along

5280-409: The first fire in any of the park's sequoia groves for 75 years. Thousands of new sequoia seedlings germinated. The success of the experiment led to the establishment of the park's first long-term prescribed burn program in 1972. A major source of damage to the park in the late 19th century and early 20th century was summer livestock grazing, particularly sheep, in areas such as Tehipite Valley and

5376-495: The first time. The road was built in part using state prison labor. However, a proposal to extend the state highway over Kearsarge Pass to the Owens Valley was defeated. Well-graded hiking trails were also extended into the backcountry to replace the rough pack trails used by sheepherders – including the John Muir Trail , completed in 1933 through what is now the eastern edge of Kings Canyon National Park. For many years

5472-403: The grove and the environment surrounding the area. Some of these studies included the investigation of how fires affected the trees and environment in the grove. The Redwood Mountain Grove was used for the study and analysis of several burns. The burning of small areas in the grove occurred to observe and understand the effects of different fires on the ecosystem. It also presented the benefits to

5568-461: The grove include species such as the white fir , sugar pine , incense cedar , ponderosa pine , red fir , and Jeffrey pine . Each type of these tree species is most numerous within different sections of the grove. The trees have a significant importance to the grove, and natural disasters such as fires have many effects on it. In 1969, parts of the grove were burned to prevent the possibility of other fires from happening, and they aided in restoring

5664-585: The grove through the examination of the results of the areas burned. They highlighted the effects fires have on the many trees, other natural life, and wilderness of the Redwood Mountain Grove and its surroundings. Some of the significant trees found in the grove include: 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 ,

5760-472: The heart of Kings Canyon. Overnight hiking is required to access most of the park's backcountry, or high country, which for much of the year is covered in deep snow. The combined Pacific Crest Trail / John Muir Trail , a backpacking route, traverses the entire length of the park from north to south. General Grant National Park was initially created to protect a small area of giant sequoias from logging . Although John Muir 's visits brought public attention to

5856-425: The high country, such sheer granite cliffs are subject to exfoliation , frost weathering and earthquakes which cause sudden and dramatic rockfalls. Over thousands of years, cliff collapses have built up large talus piles or scree slopes at their bases along almost every glacial valley in the park. Zumwalt Meadow, one of the few large areas of flat land in the park, was formed by the accumulation of sediment behind

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5952-467: The higher elevations. In addition to their natural diversity, the parks also host a unique cultural and historical record. Archaeological sites date back at least five thousand years, indicating the presence of Native American peoples throughout the Sierra Nevada. Past herding of sheep (1850-1900) and cattle (1850-1940) has resulted in significant changes in the species composition and extent of upland and foothill vegetation. Wildfire suppression during

6048-411: The highest point in the park, 14,248 feet (4,343 m)  NAVD 88 at the summit of North Palisade . The Great Western Divide extends through the south-central part of the park and also has many peaks over 13,000 feet (4,000 m), including Mount Brewer . The Monarch Divide, stretching between the lower Middle and South Forks of the Kings, has some of the most inaccessible terrain in

6144-419: The huge wilderness area to the east, it took more than fifty years for the rest of Kings Canyon to be designated a national park. Environmental groups, park visitors and many local politicians wanted to see the area preserved; however, development interests wanted to build hydroelectric dams in the canyon. Even after President Franklin D. Roosevelt expanded the park in 1940, the fight continued until 1965, when

6240-569: The inhospitable winter climate, they did not establish permanent villages in the high country. Prior to European contact, the Yokut population numbered between 15,000 and 20,000, and the Monos about 6,000. Around the 1500s AD, some of the Eastern Mono migrated across the Sierra Nevada into the Central Valley, where they created settlements adjoining Yokuts territory in the Sierra foothills near

6336-477: The lack of road access to most of the park, Kings Canyon remains the least visited of the major Sierra parks, with just under 700,000 visitors in 2017 compared to 1.3 million visitors at Sequoia and over 4 million at Yosemite . Kings Canyon National Park, located on the western slope of the Sierra Nevada to the east of the San Joaquin Valley , is divided into two distinct sections. The smaller and older western section centers around Grant Grove – home of many of

6432-472: The landscape of bare rock and talus left by former glaciers is replete with hanging valleys , waterfalls, serrated ridges ( arêtes ), cirques , and hundreds of alpine tarns . Some of the highest peaks retain permanent snowfields and even glaciers. Palisade Glacier , the largest in the Sierra, is located near the park's edge in the John Muir Wilderness. These glaciers are not holdovers from

6528-475: The majority of the grove burned at unchanged to moderate severity, the lower quarter of the grove burned at a high severity, and several other patches within the grove also burned at high severity. Most of the major sequoia mortality from the KNP Complex is thought to have been from this. Of the 2,370 acres (9.6 km) of the grove, 554 acres (2.24 km) or 23% burned at high intensity, which would lead to

6624-430: The more cool, shaded south wall which is more heavily forested. Further up, approaching the subalpine zone , red fir and lodgepole pine are found in increasing numbers; whitebark pine , mountain hemlock and foxtail pine dominate in areas approaching the tree line . A total of 202,430 acres (81,920 ha) of old-growth forests are shared by Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. Although its sister park to

6720-514: The more famous Yosemite Valley to the north, and in fact the term "yosemite" was used in the 19th century by John Muir to describe these valleys before they were widely known by their own names. In A Rival of the Yosemite , published in 1891 in The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine , Muir wrote of Kings Canyon: In the vast Sierra wilderness far to the southward of the famous Yosemite Valley, there

6816-522: The mountain passes as trade routes. As European settlers explored and settled in California, the indigenous population decreased rapidly due to the spread of foreign diseases such as smallpox . Preserving the area was not a priority for the settlers, who saw the area as a place for plentiful resources, particularly the sequoia trees ( Sequoiadendron giganteum ) , as they were extremely plentiful and easily accessible. The Native Americans living there found themselves losing their only means of survival, and as

6912-489: The park boundary, is believed to have once been more than twice as large, but was almost completely clear-cut in the late 1800s. Many of the sequoia groves destroyed by logging, such as the Big Stump Grove, have begun to regenerate, a process that will take many hundreds of years. The forests provide habitat to many mammal species such as mule deer, Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep , mountain lions and black bears, and

7008-410: The park consists of montane mixed-conifer forests : ponderosa pine , incense cedar , white fir , sugar pine and scattered groves of giant sequoias prevail in areas such as Cedar Grove and the mid-elevation slopes around Grant Grove. In Kings Canyon, which runs almost due east to west, there is a marked difference between the north wall – which is hotter and drier due to receiving more sunlight – and

7104-447: The park is forested, much of the eastern section consists of alpine regions above the tree line . Usually snow-free only from late June until late October, the high country is accessible solely via foot and horse trails. The Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness encompasses over 768,000 acres (311,000 ha) in Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks, or nearly 90 percent of their combined area. In addition to Sequoia National Park on

7200-465: The park was greatly expanded and renamed on March 4, 1940. The park's namesake, Kings Canyon, is a rugged glacier -carved valley more than a mile (1,600 m) deep. Other natural features include multiple 14,000-foot (4,300 m) peaks, high mountain meadows, swift-flowing rivers, and some of the world's largest stands of giant sequoia trees. Kings Canyon is north of and contiguous with Sequoia National Park , and both parks are jointly administered by

7296-404: The park's creation in 1940. Livestock grazing is still allowed in some national forest lands around the park. Occasionally hikers may come across gated drift fences in the wilderness designed to control livestock movement. Visitors must close all gates behind them to prevent livestock from wandering into protected areas. The decline of natural predators in the early 1900s led to a huge spike in

7392-417: The park's sequoias – and has most of the visitor facilities. The larger eastern section, which accounts for the majority of the park's area, is almost entirely wilderness, and contains the deep canyons of the Middle and South Forks of the Kings River. Cedar Grove, located at the bottom of the Kings Canyon, is the only part of the park's vast eastern portion accessible by road (via Highway 180 ). Although most of

7488-579: The river and below the dome Crown Creek races in sparkling cascades to grind a score of horrible pot-holes big enough to swallow a horse and rider; leaves that ferocious task to foam lightly down a cliff as Silver Spray Fall, whirls lazily at its foot, and then hurries to join King's River in its journey to the desert. Both the Kings and San Joaquin Rivers flow west into the arid San Joaquin Valley ; however, while

7584-476: The rock layers, including Boyden Cave along the South Fork of the Kings River. The present shape of the high country was largely sculpted by glaciations during successive Ice Ages over the last 2.5 million years. Large valley glaciers moved as far as 44 miles (71 km) down the South and Middle Forks of the Kings River, carving out the distinctive deep U-shaped valleys at Cedar Grove and Paradise Valley on

7680-535: The route Fremont had intended to find, via Kearsarge Pass at the far eastern end of Kings Canyon. The first scientific expedition to the area was the 1864 Whitney Survey, conducted by the Geological Survey of California led by William Brewer. After failed attempts to summit Mount Whitney , the Brewer party descended into the Kings Canyon via Native American paths where "they remarked its resemblance to

7776-522: The sequoias there were logged. The first of several sawmills opened in 1862, and logging operations expanded north and almost entirely leveled Converse Basin, then one of the largest sequoia groves in the world (although the Boole tree , the grove's biggest, was spared). The General Grant tree was discovered by Joseph H. Thomas, a sawmill operator, in 1862. Thomas' business partners, the Gamlin brothers, held

7872-479: The south, Kings Canyon is surrounded by multiple national forests and wilderness areas. The Sierra National Forest , Sequoia National Forest and Inyo National Forest border it on the northwest, west and east, respectively. The John Muir Wilderness wraps around much of the northern half of the park, and the Monarch Wilderness preserves much of the area between the park's two sections. Kings Canyon

7968-496: The south, Sequoia, is better known for its giant sequoias , Kings Canyon also has large stands of sequoias – including General Grant , the second largest tree on Earth, in the middle of General Grant Grove. The Redwood Mountain Grove , located a short distance further south, is the largest surviving sequoia grove in the world, covering more than 2,500 acres (1,000 ha); it also has the tallest known sequoia, at 311 feet (95 m). The Converse Basin Grove, located just outside

8064-534: The southern half of the park, carving the canyon from which the park takes its name. The Middle Fork Kings River originates near Mount Powell and drains most of the park's northern half. A smaller section in the northern tip of the park is drained by the South Fork of the San Joaquin River . The Kings River falls more than 13,000 feet (4,000 m) from the Sierra crest to Pine Flat Reservoir in

8160-586: The state. In 1976, Kings Canyon was designated by UNESCO as part of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Biosphere Reserve . Due to the large range in elevation, the park is characterized by several major plant communities. At lower elevations the park touches the fairly dry Sierra foothill zone which mostly consists of chaparral , brush and shrubs. Oaks, sycamores, willows and various hardwoods are often found along streams and springs at lower elevations. At middle elevations, most of

8256-413: The stump." The first non-native people to venture into what is today considered the Kings Canyon backcountry or high country were likely John C. Fremont 's party in 1844, which attempted to cross the Sierra Nevada by way of the Kings River. However, a snowstorm impeded their progress and they were forced to retreat to the Central Valley. In 1858, the J.H. Johnson party successfully crossed the Sierra via

8352-418: The surrounding canyons and mountains. In Redwood Canyon along Redwood Creek, the grove's understory is dense with other native plant species. The Sugar Bowl is an unusual pure giant sequoia grove on top of Redwood Mountain. The grove contains many types of plant life, with the most significant being the giant sequoias. Within the grove one finds many different tree species. The trees that are most prominent in

8448-429: The valley other mountains rise beyond in glorious array, every one of them shining with rock crystals and snow, and with a network of streams that sing their way down from lake to lake through a labyrinth of ice-burnished cañons. Other significant glacial features include Tehipite Dome , the largest granite dome in the Sierra, rising 3,500 feet (1,100 m) above the floor of Tehipite Valley. In Kings Canyon and across

8544-520: The walls are from 2500 to 5000 feet in height, while the depth of the valley is considerably more than a mile. The bottom of the valley ... is diversified with flowery meadows and groves and open sunny flats, through the midst of which the crystal river, ever changing, ever beautiful, makes its way; now gliding softly with scarce a ripple over beds of brown pebbles, now rustling and leaping in wild exultation across avalanche rock-dams or terminal moraines ... From this long, flowery, forested, well-watered park

8640-405: The walls rise abruptly in plain precipices or richly sculptured masses partly separated by side cañons baring wonderful wealth and variety of architectural forms. From the brink of the walls on either side the ground still rises in a series of ice-carved ridges and basins, superbly forested and adorned with many small lakes and meadows where deer and bear find grateful homes; while from the head of

8736-489: The western boundary follows the divide between the Middle and North Forks of the Kings River. The forks of the Kings River converge in the Sequoia National Forest, a few miles outside the western boundary of the park, to form the main stem of the river. Here, the river forms one of the deepest canyons in North America, its walls rising as much as 8,200 feet (2,500 m) from river to rim – about half

8832-550: Was chopped down and a section sent to the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition of 1876. Reportedly, "eastern people refused to accept the exhibit as part of a single tree and called it the 'California Hoax'." The Centennial Stump, and most of the tree, remain as prominent features in Grant Grove: "Ladies from a nearby logging camp used to conduct Sunday school services for their children upon

8928-485: Was criticized for its reliance on brute force rather than more "hands-off" methods, such as re-introducing predators. Today, the only stock allowed in the park are pack horses and mules, which are only permitted in certain areas along major trails, and usually not early in the season in order to protect meadows in the spring while they are wet and soft. The park continues to host a healthy population of black bears, which are typically not aggressive towards humans, but have

9024-400: Was delighted at the canyon's similarity to Yosemite Valley , as it reinforced his theory that the valleys were carved by massive glaciers during the last ice age . This competed with Josiah Whitney 's then-accepted theory that the mountain valleys were formed by earthquakes. Muir's writings on the geology of the park and the magnificence of its sequoia groves led to calls for preservation of

9120-433: Was known for his efforts to preserve Kings Canyon National Park , in order to achieve the formation of the National Park Service . Sequoia was expanded in 1926. After establishing Sequoia National Park, General Grant National Park was also established. General Grant National Park was later abolished by President Roosevelt and created into Kings Canyon National Park, on the same land. Due to their proximity and similarities,

9216-521: Was turned over from military to civilian control (though the National Park Service was not formally established until 1916). The future of the park's much larger eastern section remained in doubt for almost fifty years. The backcountry was largely inaccessible and unknown to tourists, requiring several days' journey on horseback through some very rugged terrain. Instead, the area was targeted by water supply and power interests including

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