4 min
Overview
Years before the creation of Kings Canyon National Park, two families by the name of McRae and Murphy faced monetary issues that left them in dire financial straits. With only minimal incomes, their primary asset was a large, isolated sequoia grove nestled within a spacious canyon. While the groves within the canyon had been partially logged years before, the owners had successfully preserved most of the grove in a relatively pristine state, especially when compared to the extirpated groves north of Grant Grove. Acknowledged as the largest of all sequoia groves, larger even than Giant Forest and the widely developed Mountain Home Grove, Redwood Canyon’s future now depended on the McRaes’ and Murphys’ decision to either exploit the timber or sell the land. The families ultimately accepted the government’s offer of $645,750 to purchase the 2,680 acres of sequoia forest. With the addition of several other purchases of surrounding land, legislators were able to annex Redwood Canyon into the new park, connecting Grant Grove to Sequoia National Park at the boundary of the North Fork Kaweah River south of what is now Dorst Creek Campground. Although Redwood Canyon contains the largest of the sequoia groves by virtue of its acreage, it lacks many of the big trees you would expect to encounter in the Giant Forest to the south. Of course, “big trees” is a relative term as even an average sequoia is still larger than nearly every other tree on the planet. One notable exception, the Hart Tree at the, err, heart of this loop, stands as the 21st largest sequoia in the world. This impressive specimen is just one of the highlights along loop, which includes numerous trickling creeks, a small meadow, a small waterfall, a massive fallen tree, a few logging curiosities, and a lush canopy of deciduous dogwoods lining the banks of Redwood Creek. Snow plant For backpackers interested in camping beneath sequoias, note that Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks have recently revamped their permit system. Instead of the old “spend the d
Trail Stats
12.6 km
426 m
2037 m
1695 m
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Photos
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