Yosemite has plenty of big trees to admire; however, if there is truly something the park can boast of having, it is the giant sequoia trees — the largest living things on earth. As a matter of fact, this is the only place where they grow natively and give seeds to be planted worldwide.
There are three sequoia groves to see in the park:
- the Merced Grove ( ~ 20 large trees);
- the Tuolumne Grove (~ 25 large trees);
- the Mariposa Grove (more than 200 large trees and an infinite number of smaller ones).
The first giant sequoias were discovered in the Tuolumne Grove in 1833. But the most famous giant sequoia — Wawona— grew in the Mariposa Grove. It was 227 feet tall and 26 feet wide in diameter at the base. The tunnel was cut through its trunk in 1881 to give way to stagecoaches (and cars later). The passage was great fun for visitors to experience. However, Wawona fell in 1969.
Nevertheless, there are plenty of other giant sequoias left in the park for you to visit and gape at. And believe us, these trees are worth gaping at! After all, they have been doing their giant tree things for millions of years — long before we appeared here.
So when you are next time to Yosemite, send these giants our love and don’t forget to tag them in your feed!