Grizzly Giant
The Grizzly Giant is a giant sequoia in Yosemite National Park's Mariposa Grove. It has been measured many times; in 1990 Wendell Flint calculated its volume at 34,005 cubic feet (962.9 m3), making it the 26th-largest living giant sequoia.
The Grizzly Giant is the oldest sequoia in the Mariposa Grove,[1] the largest giant sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park, with several hundred mature specimens. At one time, the Grizzly Giant was considered the oldest and largest tree in the world,[2] aged between 2,000 and 3,000 years. In 2019, refined scientific dating methods resulted in a new age estimate for the Grizzly Giant: 2,995 years old (plus or minus 250 years).
On July 16, 2022, the Washburn Fire threatened Grizzly Giant and other trees in Mariposa Grove. The National Park Service used sprinklers to protect the famous tree.[3]
Dimensions
Height above base | 63.7 m | 209.0 ft |
---|---|---|
Circumference at ground | 29.5 m | 96.5 ft |
Diameter 1.5 m above base | 7.8 m | 25.5 ft |
Estimated bole volume | 963 m³ | 34,000 ft³ |
References
- Minteer, Ben A.; Pyne, Stephen J. (2013). "Restoring the Narrative of American Environmentalism". Restoration Ecology. 21 (1): 6–11. doi:10.1111/j.1526-100X.2012.00909.x. ISSN 1526-100X. S2CID 82998273.
- Hutchinson, Elizabeth (2004). "They Might Be Giants: Carleton Watkins, Galen Clark, and the Big Tree". October. 109: 47–63. doi:10.1162/0162287041886476. ISSN 0162-2870. JSTOR 3397659. S2CID 57565084.
- Albeck-Ripka, Livia (July 12, 2022). "How to Save an Ancient, Giant Tree From a Wildfire". The New York Times. Retrieved 16 July 2022.
- Geology of U.S. Parklands: Fifth Edition, Eugene P. Kiver and David V. Harris (John Wiley & Sons; New York; 1999; page 227) ISBN 0-471-33218-6
External links
- Yosemite and the Mariposa Grove: A Preliminary Report, 1865
- An article about the grove from the National Geographic Society
- Record from the 38th Congress including the 1864 Act granting the grove to California
- Record from the 59th Congress returning the grove to federal control