One of the best groves of giant sequoia trees outside of the Sequoia
National Park is found in the extreme south of the Yosemite National
Park and is called the Mariposa Grove. It is reached from the Wawona
Road, which enters the park from the south. From the Yosemite Valley it
is an easy drive of 35 miles over a paved, high-gear road requiring
about 1½ hours each way. Unsurpassed views of the whole expanse of
Yosemite Valley may be had from the east portal of the new 4,233-foot
tunnel and, from the Wawona Road, an extensive outlook over the South
Fork Basin and four or five ranges of foothills of the Sierra is a sight
long to be remembered, especially at sunset when the mountain ranges
turn to many shades of purple and gray.
All visitors to the Mariposa Grove should take the side trip to Glacier
Point, a distance of 16 miles each way, the road branching off at
Chinquapin. Here one may obtain an unsurpassed panorama of the High
Sierra.
The new Big Trees Lodge in the upper grove is located in a beautiful
grove of sequoias, 20 to 30 feet in diameter, and affords excellent
accommodations, with cafeteria service available to all. The Government
provides a public camp ground near the entrance to the Big Tree Grove.
Hotels and camp grounds are also available at Wawona, 9 miles north of
the grove on the Wawona Road. Stages are run daily throughout the summer
to Glacier Point, Wawona, and Big Trees. Visitors to the grove are urged
to take plenty of time and really grasp the significance of these giant
trees, the oldest and largest living things on earth.
The Grizzly Giant is the oldest tree in the grove, with a base diameter
of 27.6 feet, girth of 96.5 feet, and height of 209 feet. There is no
accurate way of knowing the age of the Grizzly Giant but its size and
gnarled appearance indicate that it is at least 3,800 years old.
A ranger-naturalist is on duty at the Big Trees Museum and gives talks
on the trees. Near the museum is the fallen Massachusetts tree, an
immense sequoia, 280 feet long and 28 feet in diameter, that was blown
over in the winter of 1927. As the tree is broken into several sections,
it provides a fine opportunity to study the rings and the character of
the wood. By climbing the length of this fallen tree one receives a
graphic impression of the size of these monarchs. In August 1934 another
giant, the “Stable” tree fell. It is located just above the museum.
Visitors should continue up the road to the famous tunnel tree, the
Wawona, and drive through the opening 8 feet wide that was cut in 1881.
This tree is 231 feet tall and 27½ feet in diameter. A little farther up
the road a wonderful view over the Wawona Basin and South Fork Canyon
may be had at Wawona Point, elevation 6,890 feet; especially fine are
the views at sunset from this point.
There are two other groves of Big Trees in Yosemite. The Tuolumne Grove,
located on the Big Oak Flat Road, 17 miles from the Valley, contains
some 25 very fine specimens and also a huge tree 29½ feet in diameter
through which cars may be driven. The other grove, one of unusual
natural beauty in a secluded corner of the park, is the Merced Grove of
Big Trees, reached by a good dirt road. It is about 5 miles west of
Crane Flat off the Big Oak Flat Road.