Southern Portion - Western Divide Ranger District

The Sequoia National Forest and Giant Sequoia National Monument are named for the giant sequoia, the world's largest tree. The landscape is as spectacular as its 33 groves of giant sequoia. Majestic granite monoliths, glacier-torn canyons, running whitewater, and lush meadows await your discovery at the southern end of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range.

If the land could speak, it would tell a history of Native American villages, settlers' cabins, mining towns, cattle ranches, gold prospering, lumber camps, redwood logging, early day resorts, mineral springs and much more. The rich and varied landscape of the monument holds a diverse array of scientific and historic resources. Magnificent groves of towering giant sequoias, are nested within a great belt of coniferous forest, jeweled with mountain meadows. The spectrum of ecosystems is home to a diverse array of plants and animals, many endemic to the soutern Sierra Nevada. The monument embraces limestone caverns and paleontological resources, documenting tens of thousands of years of ecosystem change.

Southern Portion: There are 20 giant sequoia groves located on the on the Western Divide Ranger District, east of Porterville or Springville, California.

Featured here are three outstanding destinations to visit in the giant sequoia groves; the popular Trail of 100 Giants Interpretive Trail in the Long Meadow Grove, where President William Clinton announced the Presidential Proclamation creating the Giant Sequoia National Monument, the Freeman Grove , the eastern most grove, where President George Bush announced a Presidential Proclamation, and the Belknap Grove complex which has many hiking trails and a campground which is accessible nearly year round.

Select a location on the map below to learn more...

Points of Interest:

The Needles
The Needles are a series of massive granite rock formations rising from the North Fork of the Kern River near its junction with the Little Kern.

Needles Fire Lookout
The fire lookout atop the Needles, at an elevation of 8,245 feet, offers majestic views of the Golden Trout Wilderness and Kern River Canyon. A 2.5-mile long, moderately difficult hike leads to the lookout, which includes a steep, long staircase leading into the tower itself. Visitors may reach the lookout station via road and trail access near Quaking Aspen Campground on the Western Divide Ranger District.

Dome Rock
This massive granite monolith along the Western Divide Highway forms a natural vista point overlooking the Kern River Canyon.

Kern River
This tumbling mountain stream originates in the high Sierra near Mount Whitney. Camping, picnicking, fishing, rafting, and kayaking bring thousands to its banks each year. Waters of the Kern, along with other rivers in the area, can be treacherous, as changing water levels, hidden rocks, and swift currents make the rivers unsafe for swimming. Enjoy yourself, but take special care along rivers.