WOW - Now that is a BIG tree!

General Sherman, not the human, is a giant sequoia (Sequoiadendron) tree located at an elevation of 6,919 ft in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park, in the state of California. By "volume", it is the largest known living single-stem tree on Earth, that's right, on Earth! The say volume because its diameter is so large you could drive a car through it. Its diameter is 38 feet with a height of 275 feet. When you stand next to it, it's hard to believe it's the largest because there are so many huge trees all around it. The tallest tree is actually in the Redwood National Park which we are heading to in a few weeks (June 2024). The tallest tree on Earth is also in the US and reaches 380 over,100 feet taller than General Sherman! The tallest tree, Hyperion, was discovered fairly recently on August 25, 2006. Both trees are sequoia trees and are estimated to be over 800 years old. OK enough history. It was a cloudy cold rainy day, and it is a hike to get to General Sherman, 1.5 miles and a drop of over 250 feet in elevation. The path is paved and provides a lot of steps and benches to sit and rest, which many took advantage of so if the park is busy, you may just have to stand to catch your breath on the way back. If the view of these massive trees doesn't take your breath away the thin air at that altitude will, so take your time viewing the tree. If you are handicap and can find a parking spot at the bottom, where only vehicles with the proper handicap plates can park, the walk is short and very easy, we are told. Check out the photos below from our trip recently to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon which also has some huge sequoia trees and awesome landscape views which sits between Sequoia and Yosemite National Parks.

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