Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park

Sequoia National Park is located in the southern Sierra Nevada, to the east of Visalia, in California. The park was created on 25 September 1890 and now protects 1,635 km2 of forested mountainous area. The park covers almost 4,000 meters of vertical relief, and is home to the highest point in the United States, Mount Whitney, at 4,421 meters above sea level. The park is located south of and adjacent to Kings Canyon National Park. The two parks are managed jointly by the National Park Service as Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In 1976, UNESCO designated the sites as the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Biosphere Reserve. The park's landmarks include giant sequoias, including the General Sherman tree, the Earth's largest tree. The General Sherman tree is found in the Giant Forest, which is home to five of the ten largest trees in the world. With its height of 83.8 meters, diameter of 7.7 meters, an estimated volume of 1487 m3 and an estimated age of 2300-2700 years, it is one of the tallest, widest and longest-lived trees on the planet. The Giant Forest is linked by the Generals Highway to Kings Canyon National Park's General Grant Grove, where you'll find the General Grant tree among other giant sequoias. Animals in the park include coyote, badger, Black Bear, Bighorn Sheep, deer, fox, cougar, eleven woodpecker species, various species of turtle, three species of owl, opossum, various species of snake, wolverine, beaver, various species of frog and muskrat.