General Grant Tree

General Grant Tree is a giant sequoia in Grant Grove, reached by a paved loop through other mature trees. Measured by trunk volume, it ranks second among the world's trees. The trunk rises 268.1 feet and measures 107.5 feet around at ground level. It is one of Kings Canyon's headline stops, and the short walk gives you more than one giant tree to look at.

The loop is about a third of a mile. Give yourself around half an hour, and longer if you want time at each stop. The route passes the Fallen Monarch, a hollow tree visitors can walk through, plus the old Gamlin Cabin and Centennial Stump. Near the Grant Tree, steps lead to the closest approach; you can bypass them and keep following the loop.

The trunk is so wide that a tight close-up loses its scale. Back up far enough to include the path or nearby trees in a photo, and you get a better sense of its size.

The Christmas tradition began after Sanger's Chamber of Commerce organized the first ceremony here on Christmas Day in 1925. President Calvin Coolidge designated the tree the Nation's Christmas Tree the following year. The annual ceremony still takes place on the second Sunday in December.

In 1956, President Eisenhower declared it a National Shrine dedicated to members of the Armed Forces who served and died to keep the country free. That makes this more than a famous tree with a holiday nickname; the grove carries a long public memorial tradition too.

The General Grant Tree is not among the oldest giant sequoias. Its sunny, well-watered growing spot helped it gain size quickly. A dark scar marks its lower trunk. Fire can scar mature sequoias, but it also helps the next generation: heat opens their cones, and burned ground gives the seeds exposed mineral soil to take root in. Giant sequoias can live for roughly 3,400 years, though the age of this individual tree hasn't been established here.