Can you touch the sequoia trees?

Visit the Parker Group Sequoias This is a group of giant sequoia trees that are huddled close to each other. We were thrilled to get up and close to some of the largest Sequoia trees. Unlike the General Sherman Tree, which is fenced off, one can walk up close to these trees and even touch them.



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The Giant Forest alone is home to 8,000 giant sequoia trees, including the General Sherman tree. The tree, which is roughly 2,200 years old, sits behind a fence and a giant sign displaying its name. While you cannot get close enough to touch it, it remains both a beautiful sight and a great photo opportunity.

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Recent High-Severity Fires Kill Many Large Sequoias. Large wildfires that had unprecedented impacts on giant sequoia groves burned within and near Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks in 2020 and 2021.

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Weapons (including, but not limited to, BB, Pellet and Paint Guns, Bow/Arrow, Slingshots, Bear Spray and other compressed gas irritant devices) are illegal to possess. Discharge of a firearm or weapon is prohibited within Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks.

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All bears in these parks are American black bears (Ursus americanus).

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As of January 1, 2013, California law prohibits the open carry of any firearm within the parks. Persons otherwise permitted to possess firearms (in general) may possess a concealed firearm with a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm (CCW) from California. A CCW from another state does not apply.

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Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks boast many of the world's largest trees by volume. The General Sherman Tree is the largest in the world at 52,508 cubic feet (1,487 cubic meters).

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The tallest tree currently living is a specimen of Sequoia sempervirens in Redwood National Park in California, USA. Nicknamed Hyperion, the coast redwood was discovered by Chris Atkins and Michael Taylor (both USA) on 25 August 2006 and its precise location is kept a closely guarded secret to try and protect it.

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Whitebark pine, Western juniper and Douglas-fir can live more than 1,000 years while giant sequoias can live more than 3,000 years. Giant sequoias are the third longest-lived tree species with the oldest known specimen to have been 3,266 years old in the Converse Basin Grove of Giant Sequoia National Monument.

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Giant sequoias thrive in higher elevation habitats than giant redwoods and grow naturally only along the western slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, primarily between 5,000 and 7,000 feet in elevation. Giant sequoias require the periodic dry heat of the mountains in order for their cones to open and release seeds.

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Photo courtesy of Michelle Harris, Samantha Winiecki-Love, Ryan Slezak and Colibri Ecological Consulting via CDFW. On August 11, 2023, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced that a new pack of gray wolves (Canis lupus) has been confirmed within Sequoia National Forest in Tulare County, CA!

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If you have a trip planned to Yosemite National Park this summer, go ahead and leave the bear spray at home. It's not allowed within park boundaries. Bear spray is actually considered a weapon according to the park's regulations.

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Bobcats and mountain lions are common throughout the foothills of the parks. While you may catch a glimpse of a bobcat, mountain lions are rarely seen.

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