Giant Forest – Sherman Tree Trail - Member Hike

Hike Name: Giant Forest – Sherman Tree Trail
Country: United States
State: California
Nearby Town: Fresno
Rating: 4 stars
Directions: Take CA-180 E out of Fresno for 52 miles to the Big Stump Entrance of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. After the entrance, turn right on CA-198 W/Generals Highway. Drive 26 miles and turn left on Wolverton Road. Follow the signs to the summer parking area.
Total Hike Distance: 1.00 miles
Hike Difficulty: Easy
Permit Required: No
Hike Type: In & Out, Backtrack Hike
Hike Starts/Ends: Summer Parking Area
Trails Used: Sherman Tree Trail
Backcountry Campsites: No
Backcountry Water Sources: None
Management: National Park Service
Contact Information: Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks
47050 Generals Highway
Three Rivers, CA 93271-9700
Phone: 559-565-3341
Fax: 559-565-3730
http://www.nps.gov/seki/index.htm
Best Season: Spring, Summer, Fall
Users: Hikers
Road Conditions: Secondary Paved Roads
Hike Summary: This is an easy stroll along the paved trail that leads from the summer parking area to the General Sherman Tree. According to one of the informational signs along the trail, the General Sherman Tree is the biggest tree in the world due to the volume of its trunk. Apparently, a few other tree trunks are bigger around, and some trees are taller, but no other tree has more wood in its trunk than the Sherman Tree.

The sign goes on to indicate the tree’s top is dead, so the trunk no longer gets taller. However, its volume keeps increasing. Each year the tree trunk grows wider, adding enough wood to equal another good-sized tree. Its girth is 109 feet around at the ground.

Based on information in the park brochure, sequoias grow naturally only on the west slope of California’s Sierra Nevada range, while redwoods grow naturally only in a narrow strip along the Pacific coast. Also from the brochure:

Sequoia Facts:

Height: to 311 feet
Age: to 3,200 years
Weight: to 2.7 million lbs.
Bark: to 31 inches thick
Branches: to 8 feet diameter
Bases: to 40 feet diameter

Redwood Facts:

Height: to 367.8 feet
Age: to 2,000 years
Weight: to 1.6 million lbs.
Bark: to 12 inches thick
Branches: to 5 feet diameter
Bases: to 22 feet diameter

Hiker:

Moondoggy


24,800 points


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