Sequoia National Forest Vs Park
However, Giant Sequoia trees, unlike their coast redwood relatives, were later discovered to splinter easily and therefore were ill-suited to timber harvesting, though thousands of trees were felled before logging operations finally ceased. Using the National Forest app to navigate trails and top sites is a traveler’s best resource. In this region, visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrels , and American black bears , which sometimes break into unattended cars to eat food left by careless visitors. A Little History: National Park vs Monument vs Forest National parks may protect some of the best-known natural landmarks, but national forests have just as remarkable landscapes.
Basic Information

Sequoia National Forest Vs Park country[ edit ] Many park visitors enter Sequoia National Park through its southern entrance near the town of Three Rivers at Ash Mountain at 1, ft m elevation. The lower elevations around Ash Mountain contain the only National Park Service-protected California Foothills ecosystem, consisting of blue oak woodlands, foothills chaparralgrasslands, yucca plants, and steep, mild river valleys. The last California grizzly was killed Glacier National Park To Great Falls Mt this park in at Horse Corral Meadow.
Found here are PonderosaJeffreysugarand lodgepole pine trees, as well as abundant white and red fir. Between the trees, spring and summer snowmelts sometimes fan out to form lush, though delicate, meadows.
In this region, visitors often see mule deer, Douglas squirrelsand American black bearswhich sometimes break into unattended cars to eat food left by careless visitors. There are plans to reintroduce the bighorn sheep to this park. The majority was designated Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness in [12] and the southwest portion was protected as John Krebs Wilderness in Covering the highest-elevation region of the High Sierra, the backcountry includes Mount Whitney on the eastern border of the park, accessible from the Giant Forest via the High Sierra Trail.
On a traveler’s path along this mile 56 km backcountry trail, one passes through about 10 miles 16 km of montane forest before reaching the backcountry resort of Bearpaw Meadowjust short of Sequoia National Forest Vs Park Great Western Divide. On the floor of this canyon, at least two days hike from the nearest road, is the Kern Canyon hot spring, a popular resting point for weary backpackers. From the floor of Kern Canyon, the trail ascends again over 8, ft 2, m to the summit of Mount Whitney.
Human history[ edit ] The area which now comprises Sequoia National Park was first home to “Monachee” Western Mono Native Americanswho resided mainly in the Kaweah River drainage in the Foothills region of the park, though evidence of seasonal habitation exists as high as the Giant Forest.
In the summertime, Native Americans would travel over the high mountain passes to trade with tribes to the East. To this day, pictographs can be found at several sites within the park, notably at Hospital Rock and Potwisha, as well as bedrock mortars used to process acornsa staple food for the Monachee people.
Tharp’s Log, a cabin formed out of a hollowed-out giant sequoia log By the time the first European settlers arrived in the area, smallpox had already spread to the region, decimating Native American populations. The first European settler to homestead in the area was Hale Tharpwho famously built a home out of a hollowed-out fallen giant sequoia log in the Giant Forest next to Log Meadow.
Tharp allowed his cattle to graze the meadow, but at the same time had a respect for the grandeur of the forest and led early battles against logging in the area.
From time to time, Tharp received visits from John Muirwho would stay at Tharp’s log cabin. Tharp’s Log can still be visited today in its original location in the Giant Forest. However, Tharp’s attempts to conserve the giant sequoias were at first met with only limited success. In the s, white settlers seeking to create a utopian society founded the Kaweah Colonywhich sought economic success in trading Sequoia timber.
However, Giant Sequoia trees, unlike their coast redwood relatives, Sequoia National Forest Vs Park later discovered to splinter easily and therefore were ill-suited to timber harvesting, though thousands of trees were felled before logging operations finally ceased.
This site known as Mineral King was annexed…
Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park Hotels and Places to Stay

From time to time, Tharp received visits from John Muir , who would stay at Tharp’s log cabin. Using the National Forest app to navigate trails and top sites is a traveler’s best resource. Two ponds in the park are stocked during the summer season and are open to fishing.