General Grant Tree Trail - Kings Canyon National Park

The General Grant Tree Trail is an easy, paved ½ mile loop in summer. In March 2018, when we visited Kings Canyon National Park, before the snow was plowed off the trail, it was a bit more difficult. Because the snow kept many visitors away, we were able to see a grove of mature Giant Sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) almost in solitude. Although we couldn't see the asphalt, the snow wasn't so deep that we couldn't follow the fences that have been erected to keep visitors on the trail.

We hiked in a clockwise direction, which meant we approached the Fallen Monarch from the root ball end first. This sequoia was used as both a cabin and a stable in the 1800s. No one knows when it fell. The Centennial Stump was not visible under the snow, but it was very obvious where this 24 foot diameter sequoia stood until it was cut in 1875 with a portion displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition of 1876. The Gamlin Cabin was about halfway around the loop. Built in 1872 by Israel Gamlin, it was the quarters of Israel and his brother Thomas until 1878 as they grazed cattle in the area. Since the park was established in 1890, it has been used as a storehouse and as a ranger residence. Continuing around the loop, we decided to circle around the "back" side of the General Grant tree to see the fire scar. This part of the trail did not seem to have been plowed all winter. Designated the Nation's Christmas Tree by President Calvin Coolidge in 1926, the General Grant is either the second or third largest sequoia in the world. In 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declared the tree a "National Shrine" to those who died in war.

Topographic Map with GPS route

Trail head

Typical trail conditions

Twin giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) beside the trail

Compare the ten foot wide trail to the size of a sequoia

Images can't convey the immense size of the giant sequoias

This base of another sequoia

Approaching the Fallen Monarch

Root ball end of the Fallen Monarch

Inside the Fallen Monarch

The snow covered Fallen Monarch

Looking skyward

The 24 foot diameter Centennial Stump is covered in snow

Approaching the Gamlin Cabin

Fireplace from the doorway

The roof was built to handle the winter snows

A final look at the cabin

General Grant Tree

Branches and foliage of the General Grant Tree

Two hundred sixty-eight feet tall

Fire scar near the base of the General Grant Tree

Another view

General Grant Tree from the "front" side

Trail conditions

Two visitors seem so small

Snow drifts along the fence row

Approaching the Fallen Monarch from the other end

Fallen Monarch from the top

Sequoia standing tall beside the Fallen Monarch

Back at the trail head, our previous path has been plowed

Entrance to Sequoia and/or Kings Canyon National Parks requires an entry fee of $30 per passenger vehicle for a 7-day pass. Any of the America the Beautiful passes may be used instead.

The park website is https://www.nps.gov/seki.