Sierra Nevada Forests, Part 4A: Sequoia and the Southern Sierra

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Sierra Nevada forests Part 4A: Sequoia and the Southern Sierra

The southern Sierra Nevada includes the dramatic canyons of the Kern River and the tallest peaks culminating in Mount Whitney. This area is dominated by Kings Canyon National Park, Sequoia National Park, Giant Sequoia National Monument, and Sequoia National Forest. Westward-draining streams are part of the Sacramento-San Joaquin freshwater ecoregion, while eastern slopes are part of the Death Valley freshwater ecoregion.

Man and the Biosphere Reserves

Sequoia and Kings Canyon Man and the Biosphere Reserve

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, California, are a land of 14,000-foot mountains and giant trees. The high alpine meadows of the two parks are part of the Sierra Meadows South Important Bird Area and are habitat for great gray owl, blue grouse, pileated woodpecker, and Vaux’s swift.

Kings Canyon National Park is 461,900 acres in size. The northernmost point is at Glacier Divide (N37º14’ W118º47’), the southernmost is at Triple Divide Peak on the Great Western Divide (N36º36’ W118º32’), the easternmost point is Mount Bradley (N36º44’ W118º20’), and the westernmost point is near the Big Stump Grove (N36º43’ W118º59’). Kings Canyon contains two sections connected by State Route 180, Kings Canyon Highway. The high alpine meadows of the two parks are part of the Sierra Meadows South IBA and are habitat for great gray owl, blue grouse, pileated woodpecker, and Vaux’s swift.

In the General Grant section are groves of giant sequoias. Grant Grove (N36º44’ W118º58’) was one of the first groves purchased for the park in 1916. Trails lead to Grant Tree (N36º45’ W118º58’), the world’s third largest living tree, and Big Stump Basin (N36º43’ W118º59’), a sequoia forest that was logged and is now a second growth forest. Panoramic Point provides an overlook of the Kings River canyons. The area to the south of Generals Highway and in the Redwood Mountain Grove downstream is within the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness. Redwood Canyon (N36º39’ W118º51’) contains karst topography–springs and Lilburn Cave, the largest in California, with 17 miles of passages. The south boundary of this section is the North Fork Kaweah River (N36º37’ W118º53’).

The Kings Canyon section is dominated by deep glacier-carved canyons in the west and the Sierra Crest, barren alpine ridges, and glacially scoured basins in the east. Kings Canyon on the South Fork Kings River and Tehipite Valley on the Middle Fork Kings River (N36º55’ W118º47’) are two glacially carved canyons in the park. Tehipite Valley is accessible by trail. The eight-mile-long glaciated Kings Canyon includes Cedar Grove Village (N36º47’ W118º40’). The gorge is lined by sheer granite walls rising thousands of feet, with granite formations such as the Sphinx (N36º46’ W118º33’) lining the gorge. Hikes leading out of the gorge include the one to Mist Falls (N36º49’ W118º33’) and Upper Tent Meadow (N36º50’ W118º35’) Roaring River Falls (N36º47’ W118º37’) enters the valley to the east of Cedar Grove (Martin 1994). The Zumwalt Meadow National Recreation Trail (N36º47’ W118º36’) is in the gorge. The Kings Canyon section of the park is all designated as part of the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness except for the road to Zumwalt Meadow. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the eastern alpine regions of the park. The trail enters Kings Canyon National Park from the south at Forester Pass (N36º42’ W118º22’). Within the park the trail follows portions of both the Middle Fork and South Fork Kings River Wild Rivers. The trail leaves Kings Canyon National Park on the South Fork San Joaquin River (N37º14’ W118º50’) and enters the John Muir Wilderness. The Middle Fork Kings River within Kings Canyon National Park is designated as a wild and scenic river from its headwaters at Helen Lake (N37º7’ W118º40’), elevation 11,600’ downstream to the park boundary (N36º53’ W118º48’). The South Fork Kings River is designated as a wild and scenic river from its headwaters in the Upper Basin (N37º1’ W118º27’) downstream to the park boundary (N36º48’ W118º42’). The South Fork San Joaquin River within the park is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Martha Lake (N37º5’ W118º44’) downstream to the park boundary at John Muir Rock (N37º13’ W118º50’).

Sequoia National Park is 404,000 acres. The northernmost point is at Harrison Pass on the Kings-Kern Divide (N36º42’ W118º24’), the westernmost point is on the North Fork Kaweah River at the Pierce Creek confluence (N36º36’ W118º55’), the southernmost point is in the Dillonwood Grove of giant sequoias (N36º18’ W118º42’) in the headwaters of the North Fork Tule River, and the easternmost point is at Army Pass (N36º30’ W118º14’).The major road traversing the park is the Generals Highway, which enters the park at Ash Mountain (N36º29’ W118º50’) in the west and leaves at Lost Grove (N36º39’ W118º50’) in the northwest. Great Western Divide separates the park into east and west sections. East of the Great Western Divide is the North Fork Kern River, the Kern Canyon glacial trench, and the Sierra Crest on the eastern boundary. West is the Kaweah River, deep canyons, giant sequoia groves, and karst areas.

The park contains lower elevation foothills with oak woodlands and chaparral. The main visitor center at Ash Mountain (N36⁰29’ W118⁰50’) is in this habitat. The Crystal Cave National Recreation Trail and the lower reaches of the various forks of the Kaweah River are also in this habitat. Pictographs may be viewed at Hospital Rock. Trails from the foothills lead to Marble Falls and along the Middle Fork Kaweah River. There are more than 200 caves in the park along the Kaweah River and its various forks. Crystal Cave (N36º35’ W118º50’) along Yucca Creek offers tours, and Clough Cave (N36º21’ W118º46’) is at the park boundary on the South Fork Kaweah River. Trails at the South Fork lead to Garfield Grove and South Fork Grove of giant sequoias.

North of Potwisha (N36⁰31’ W118⁰48’), the Generals Highway climbs from the 2,000-foot to the 6,000-foot level at Giant Forest Village (N36º34’ W118º46’), where hiking trails wind through sequoia groves. The Giant Forest area contains 40 miles of trails through sequoia groves and includes the Congress National Recreation Trail and the General Sherman Tree (N36º35’ W118º45’). In summer shuttles link the giant forest museum with parking areas at Lodgepole and Wolverton, and with the Wuksachi Lodge (N36⁰36’ W118⁰45’). In the winter a shorter modified trail system among the giant sequoias is also marked. Crescent Meadow (N36º33’ W118º45’) is known for corn lilies and is the beginning of the High Sierra Trail. Moro Rock (N36º33’ W118º46’) is a granite dome that overlooks sequoia groves. The High Sierra Trail leads 70 miles from Crescent Meadow to Mount Whitney in the park, passing Bearpaw Meadow (N36º34’ W118º37’), Chagoopa Plateau (N36º29’ W118º27’), Kern Canyon (N36º34’ W118º24’), Crabtree Meadow (N36º34’ W118º20’), and ending at Mount Whitney (N36º35’ W118º18’). In the roadless east of the park, the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the wilderness from the Golden Trout Wilderness boundary (N36º28’ W118º16’) north across the Bighorn Plateau to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon national park boundary at Forester Pass (N36º42’ W118º22’).

The seasonal road to Mineral King (N36º27’ W118º36’) follows the East Fork Kaweah River to a subalpine forested valley. This valley, Mineral King, is the finest example of alpine karst topography in the U.S., with over 30 caves, springs, and sinkholes. Trails lead to Crystal, Eagle, Franklin, and Monarch Lakes.

The North Fork Kern River within the park is part of the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Harrison Pass (N36º42’ W118º24’) downstream to the park boundary (N36º21’ W118º24’). Within the park, the East Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its source on White Chief Peak (N36º24’ W118º35’) to the park boundary (N36º26’ W118º46’), encompassing diverse features including the Great Western Divide, the glaciated Mineral King Valley, tufa deposits, soda springs, a deep granite canyon, and karst topography. The Marble Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Tableland (N36º38’ W118º38’) downstream to Potwisha (N36º31’ W118º48’). The river drops 8,000 feet in 15 miles. At Tokopah Falls (N36º37’ W118º42’), the river drops 1,500’ to the glacially carved Tokopah Valley and the Lodgepole developed area (N36º36’ W118º44’). Downstream at Marble Falls (N36º33’ W118º48’), there is another 1,000-foot drop. The Middle Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at the confluence of Lone Pine and Hamilton Creeks (N36º34’ W118º36’) downstream to Potwisha.  It begins in a U-shaped glaciated valley and then tumbles through a V-shaped slickrock gorge that is the deepest in the Sierra Nevada. The South Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters on the Hockett Plateau (N36º21’ W118º36’) downstream to the park boundary at Clough Cave.

Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness, California, is 768,000 acres and includes most of the undeveloped areas of the two national parks. The northernmost point is at Glacier Divide in Kings Canyon National Park on the John Muir Wilderness boundary (N37º14’ W118º47’), the southernmost is at Coyote Peaks in Sequoia National Park on the Great Western Divide at the Golden Trout Wilderness boundary (N36º19’ W118º27’), the easternmost point is at Army Pass in Sequoia National Park (N36º30’ W118º14’), and the westernmost point is at Redwood Mountain Grove (N36º41’ W118º55’) in Kings Canyon National Park. Kings Canyon National Park is completely within the wilderness except the road to Zumwalt Meadows and the redwood groves north of Generals Highway. The wilderness includes glaciated Tehipite Valley on the Middle Fork Kings River (N36º55’ W118º47’). Barren alpine ridges and glacially scoured basins are in the east. The Pear Lake Winter Hut (N36º36’ W118º40’), operated by the Sequoia Natural History Association, is available for winter lodging from December to April via a six-mile trail from Wolverine. The High Sierra Trail leads 70 miles from Crescent Meadow to Mount Whitney in the park, passing Bearpaw Meadow (N36º34’ W118º37’), Chagoopa Plateau (N36º29’ W118º27’), Kern Canyon (N36º34’ W118º24’), Crabtree Meadow (N36º34’ W118º20’), and ending at Mount Whitney (N36º35’ W118º18’). The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail traverses the wilderness from the Golden Trout Wilderness boundary (N36º28’ W118º16’) north across the Bighorn Plateau to the Sequoia-Kings Canyon national park boundary at Forester Pass (N36º42’ W118º22’), follows portions of both the Middle Fork and South Fork Kings River Wild Rivers, then leaves Kings Canyon National Park on the South Fork San Joaquin River (N37º14’ W118º50’) and enters the John Muir Wilderness

The headwaters of the South Fork San Joaquin, Middle and South Forks of Kings River, Kern River, and Kaweah River are within the wilderness. The North Fork Kern River within the wilderness is part of the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Harrison Pass (N36º42’ W118º24’) downstream to the wilderness boundary (N36º21’ W118º24’). The Middle Fork Kings River is designated as a wild and scenic river in the wilderness from the headwaters at Helen Lake (N37º7’ W118º40’) downstream to the Monarch Wilderness boundary. The South Fork Kings River is designated as a wild and scenic river in the wilderness from its headwaters at Upper Basin on the Pacific Crest Trail (N37º1’ W118º27’) downstream to Zumwalt Meadows. The Marble Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Tableland (N36º38’ W118º38’) downstream to Potwisha (N36º31’ W118º48’). The river drops 8,000 feet in 15 miles. At Tokopah Falls (N36º37’ W118º42’), the river drops 1,500’ to the glacially carved Tokopah Valley Downstream at Marble Falls (N36º33’ W118º48’), there is another 1,000-foot drop. The Middle Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at the confluence of Lone Pine and Hamilton Creeks (N36º34’ W118º36’) downstream to Potwisha.  It begins in a U-shaped glaciated valley and then tumbles through a V-shaped slickrock gorge that is the deepest in the Sierra Nevada. The South Fork San Joaquin River within the wilderness is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its headwaters at Martha Lake (N37º6’ W118º24’) downstream to the park boundary at John Muir Rock (N37º13’ W118º50’). The wilderness borders the John Muir Wilderness on the north, west, and east, the Golden Trout Wilderness and John Krebs Wilderness on the south, and the Monarch and Jennie Lakes Wildernesses on the west.

John Krebs Wilderness, Sequoia National Park, California, is 40,000 acres and extends from the road to Mineral King south to the South Fork Kaweah River and Clough Cave (N36º21’ W118º46’). It excludes Mineral King, Silver City and the small hydroelectric storage reservoirs of Monarch, Crystal, Franklin, and Eagle Lakes. It includes the Timber Gap area (N36º28’ W118º36’) to the north of Mineral King, the Eden Creek Grove, Homers Nose (N36º23’ W118º44’), and Old Hockett Trail. Elevations range from 3,400 feet in chaparral and blue oak vegetation to 12,400 feet in alpine vegetation. Within the wilderness, the East Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system from its source on White Chief Peak (N36º24’ W118º35’) to the park boundary (N36º26’ W118º46’), encompassing diverse features including the Great Western Divide, the glaciated Mineral King Valley, tufa deposits, soda springs, a deep granite canyon, and karst topography. The South Fork Kaweah River is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system within the wilderness, which includes the portion downstream of the Hockett Plateau to the park boundary at Clough Cave. In the wilderness the river is a steep granite canyon. The wilderness borders the Sequoia-Kings Canyon Wilderness on the north and the Golden Trout Wilderness on the southeast.

National Historic Landmarks

Walker Pass, Kiavah and Owens Peak Wildernesses and National System of Public Lands, California (N35º40’ W118º2’) is on State Route 178. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail crosses the landmark, whose boundaries include mountain peaks immediately to the north and south of the actual pass and include lands managed by the BLM and Forest Service. The 5,245-foot pass was crossed by Joseph Walker in 1834, on the return journey of the Bonneville expedition that began in 1830 at Fort Osage, near present-day Kansas City. The expedition went from Fort Osage to the Green River fur trade rendezvous point (present-day Wyoming), then across the Great Salt Lake and Humboldt River to the Sierra Nevada. It crossed into California near Yosemite Valley, then exited through Walker Pass. Later, in 1843, Walker led the first emigrant group into California through Walker Pass, and in 1845, Walker led the John C. Fremont military mapping expedition into California through the pass. These actions by Walker contributed significantly to the exploration and settlement of California. Walker was the most active and long-lived of the explorers and guides in the 19th century. He continued to explore the West until the 1860s (Rudo, 1989).

National Forest System

Giant Sequoia National Monument

Giant Sequoia National Monument, California, is 328,000 acres, surrounding 33 groves of giant sequoias. It is made up of two units, one to the south of Sequoia National Park and one to the north of Sequoia National Park and west of Kings Canyon National Park. The monument includes half of all the known groves. In addition, there are granite monoliths, glacier-carved canyons, limestone caverns, and whitewater rivers. The northwesternmost point of the north unit is at Mill Flat on the Kings River (N36º51’ W119º6’), the northeasternmost point is on the Kings River at the Kings Canyon National Park boundary (N36º48’ W118º42’), and the southernmost point is on the North Fork Kaweah River (N36º37’ W118º54’). On the north unit, the Boole tree (N36º49’ W118º57’) in the Converse Basin is the largest tree on national forest system land, while the nearby Chicago Stump (N36º48’ W118º59’), cut in 1893, may have been the largest tree ever known. Nearby is the accessible Indian Basin Grove (N36º49’ W118º56’). Both are on the Kings Canyon Scenic Byway (State Route 180) north of Grant Grove. The highway climbs 4,000 feet to reach the Grant Grove of sequoias, then descends 2,700 feet into Kings Canyon and passes Boyden Cave and a waterfall. The Windy Gulch Geologic Area (N36º48’ W118º50’) includes Boyden Cave and the Evans Grove of giant sequoias. The portion of Monarch Wilderness south of Kings Canyon (described separately) is in the monument. The Generals Highway passes through the national monument as it runs between Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon National Park. Off the highway is Hume Lake (N36º47’ W118º54’), now a recreation lake and formerly a mill pond created by a lumber company in 1908. The dam was the first concrete-reinforced multiple arch dam completed in the U.S. Buck Rock Lookout (N36º44’ W118º52’) provides views of Kings Canyon below.

On the south unit, the southernmost grove, Deer Creek (N35º52’ W118º36’), is east of California Hot Springs. The northernmost point is near Upper Grouse Valley (N36º18’ W118º49’), the southernmost point is at Sunday Peak in the Greenhorn Mountains (N35º47’ W118º35’), and the eastern end is at the Forks of the Kern (junction of the North Fork Kern and Little Kern Rivers (N36º8’ W118º26’)). Accessible sequoia groves are the Belknap Complex of Groves (N36º8’ W118º36’) east of Camp Nelson, Long Meadow Grove and the Trail of 100 Giants (N35º59’ W118º36’) on the Western Divide Highway, and Freeman Creek Botanical Area (N36º9’ W118º31’), 4,200 acres centered on the Freeman Creek grove of giant sequoias. It contains the named George H.W. Bush tree. The Needles (N36º7’ W118º29’) is a granite rock formation which overlooks the Kern River canyon. Dome Rock (N36º4’ W118º32’) is another granite monolith along the Western Divide Highway. The eastern area of the monument around Lloyd Meadow (N36º9’ W118º29’) provides views into Kern Canyon, as well as granite formations and giant sequoia groves. Moses Mountain Research Natural Area (N36º17’ W118º40’) is managed for the study of giant sequoias in a natural setting. It extends into the Golden Trout Wilderness to the east of the national monument. South Mountaineer Creek Research Natural Area (N36º12’ W118º36’) is a red fir forest also shared with the Golden Trout Wilderness. Slate Mountain Botanical Area (N36º6’ W118º35’) is 500 acres managed for the Twisselmann’s buckwheat plant.

Kings River Special Areas

Kings River Special Management Area, Sequoia National Monument and Sierra National Forest, California, is 49,000 acres and protects the 8,000-foot-deep Kings Canyon, and extends from its easternmost point at Horseshoe Bend on State Route 180 on the South Fork Kings River (N36º49’ W118º50’) to the confluence with the North Fork Kings River and to the ridges overlooking the canyon. The southernmost portion is south of Sampson Flat (N36º46’ W119º5’), the northwestern portion is on the North Fork Kings River at Rodgers Ridge (N36º53’ W119º7’), and the northeasternmost portion is at Spanish Mountain (N36º55’ W118º55’). There is a wild trout fishery in the Kings River, and the Boole giant sequoia tree (N36º49’ W118º57’) is in the area. The Kings River National Recreation Trail traverses the area.

Sequoia National Forest

Sequoia National Forest, California, is 1.1 million acres including 328,000 acres of the Giant Sequoia National Monument and the Domeland, Golden Trout Jennie Lake, Kiavah, Monarch, and South Sierra Wilderness Areas. The southernmost portions of the Sierra Nevada forests ecoregion is in the forest, which also is in the chaparral ecoregions to the south and west. Kiavah Wilderness is in the Mojave Desert ecoregion. The Kern Plateau is a high-elevation area, while the Upper Kern River above Lake Isabella and the Lower Kern below Lake Isabella are whitewater recreational rivers. National Recreation Trails include Cannell Meadows, Jackass Creek, and Summit. Bald Mountain Botanical Area (N36º1’ W118º15’) is protected for a rare Horkelia species, along with five pines and two fir species. Baker Point Botanical Area (N35º51’ W118º30’) is 780 acres overlooking the Kern River canyon. This granite bedrock peak supports rare plants. Ernest C. Twisselmann Botanical Area (N35º55’ W118º20’) is 860 acres on Sirretta Peak which supports foxtail,  limber, white, Jeffrey, and lodgepole pine at southern limits of the Sierra Nevada.Packsaddle Cave Geological Area (N35º56’ W118º28’) is a limestone cave in the Kern River watershed north of Kernville.

The North Fork Kern Wild and Scenic River flows through the forest in Golden Trout Wilderness and outside the wilderness from Forks of the Kern (N36º8’ W118º26’) to the Tulare-Kern County line (N35º48’ W118º27’). The Kern River in the forest is eligible for the national wild and scenic river system downstream from Isabella Lake for 13 miles between Borel Powerhouse (N35º35’ W118º32’) and Democrat Hot Springs (N35º32’ W118º40’). This section is the only section downstream from the reservoir that maintains flow; the rest is diverted for hydropower uses.