19. Sequoia
The 2nd ever national park, established Sept 25 1890 and it’s no wonder! If you’ve ever seen these giants with your own eyes it’s quite something to behold. Sequoia National Park is another exciting one for me because I’ve been here! Back in 2018 I visited with my friend Kendra
So Sequoia or Redwood? A common misunderstanding if you’ve never seen them is that they're the same tree. But they actually differ quite a bit. The Redwood are the world's tallest trees, they grow tall and thin in comparison to the sequoia. But Sequoia aren’t short by any standard, their giants in their own right. I’ll definitely dig more into redwood facts when we get to that national park. But here’s the sequoia facts! They are typically between 164–279 feet tall and the width is around 20-30 feet wide but can reach 40 like the great record setter. The General.
General Sherman Tree is the largest living tree in the world by volume, other trees are taller and some wider, but no other tree combines these dimensions to form a larger total mass. This giant sequoia stands approximately 275 feet tall and over 36 feet in diameter at the base. It is estimated to be 2,100 to 2,700 years old. And the guess is it would weigh 2.7 million pounds. My photos couldn’t do this tree any justice, you just have to go and see it. There are many smaller sequoia in the park that you can walk right up to and use yourself as scale comparison. It’s humbling and awe-striking all in one. There is even one you can walk through and one to drive though!
Another big stand out for me was Moro Rock, a short but tricky climb to a beautiful view. The Snow capped mountain around even though I was here in July. Our final hike of the day was Tokapah Falls, a beautiful and cold falls made up of snow melt. This cute Marmot joined us to take in the view.
This park is also attached to Kings Canyon so I’ve been to both and will have more to share when we get to that park!
Have you been to Sequoia National Park or had the chance to see these rare trees? Comment below and tell me your thoughts.