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Top 10 Amazing Facts about the Sequoia National Park

Located in California, Sequoia National Park is the second-oldest national park in the United States. It was established on September 25, 1890, by President Benjamin Harrison, 18 years after Yellowstone Park had been established. Sequoia is the first national park created to safeguard living organisms.

It was established to protect the sequoia trees from logging. Of the top ten oldest species, three are in Sequoia National Park. They are the giant sequoias (Sequoiadendron giganteum) which are about 3,266 years old, western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis), and foxtail pine (Pinus balfouriana) which are about 2,675 years and 2,123 years respectively.

Adjacent to Sequoia on the northern boundary is Kings Canyon National Park. Kings Canyon was established on March 4, 1940, fifty years after Sequoia had been established. These two parks have been jointly administered since the Second World War. Each year more than 1.5 million people visit these parks.

Apart from camping and hiking, you can also explore the caves located beneath Sequoia National Park. There are more than 200 caves at Sequoia but public tours are only permitted on the 3-mile-long Crystal Cave. The other areas require special permissions as they are said to be for scientific research. Over the years, subterranean streams have polished the Crystal Cave’s stalactites, marble, and stalagmites surfaces.

Below are 10 remarkable facts about Sequoia National Park

1. Sequoia National Park was the first park established to safeguard a living organism

Trees in a section of Sequoia National Park in California. Photo by Dave Herring on

Sequoia National Park was formed in 1890 to protect the giant sequoias from logging. The moderately mild winters and controlled fires have made this mid-Sierra zone in California the perfect environment for sequoias to grow.

Sequoia trees grow at an elevation of between 5,000 and 8,000 feet.

2. Kings Canyon is considered America’s third national park

Kings Canyon National Park in California. Photo by Niagara66/

General Grant National Park was established a week after Sequoia National Park had been created. The objective of General Grant National Park was to protect the sequoias in the General Grant Grove.

Five decades after Sequoia’s establishment President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Congress created Kings Canyon which integrated General Grant National Park. Due to this incorporation, Kings Canyon is considered the third national park in the US.

3. Fires and proper forestry management contribute to the survival of the parks

General Sherman Tree in Sequoia National Park. Photo by Jim Bahn/

Fires play a significant role in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks ecosystem. Low-intensity fires enable the Sequoia cones to open up.

Their seeds which are the size of cornflakes, drop into the ash and germinate. Cones can keep the seeds inside for even two decades. Apart from the fires, heat from sunlight also opens up the cones.  

4. The tallest mountain in the lower 48 states is in Sequoia National Park

Lone Pine Peak and Mount Whitney in the Sierra Nevada range, California. Photo by Ron Clausen/

Mount Whitney is the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states. It lies on the eastern border of Sequoia National Park and Inyo National Forest stands tall at 14,494 feet.

Mount Whitney was named after a geologist known as Josiah Dwight Whitney. The mountain’s western side slopes into Sequoia National Park. Its summit is the John Muir trail’s southern terminus.

5. Sequoias are some of the oldest tree species in the world

Sequoia National Park in California. Photo by James Lee on

Sequoias are some of the largest trees in the world and they can live for more than 3,000 years. The chemical in their back known as tannin helps prevent destruction by fire, insects, and rot.

On average, a sequoia tree can grow to about 250 feet tall which is equivalent to the height of a 26-story building. The largest tree in the world is said to be the General Sherman Tree. It stretches to a height of about 275 feet and a diameter of 36 feet.

6. Sequoia National Park is home to two endangered animal species

Big-eared Townsend bat (Corynorhinus townsendii). Photo by nps.gov/

Sequoia National Park has conservation programs that protect the endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep and the endangered mountain yellow-legged frog. To conserve the bighorn sheep, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife moved 14 bighorn sheep in 2014.

The sheep were moved from Inyo National Forest to Sequoia National Park. As a result, the bighorn sheep herds are thriving. There are 11 herds of bighorn sheep in the park.

Although the amphibians were originally numerous, the population decreased by more than 90 percent. To draw tourists to higher altitudes, the frogs were moved to lakes in the elevated areas.

This led to competition between the frogs and trout causing an imbalance hence the population decline. The conservation program has helped increase the amphibian numbers.

Additionally, 20 invertebrate species were discovered in the caves. The discovered species include the rare Corynorhinus townsendii intermedius bat species also known as Townsend’s big-eared bat.

7. The parks’ ecosystem is thriving with diverse plant and animal species

Black bear in the Kings Canyon National park. Photo by Alexander Migl /

Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks have over the years expanded to 1,353 square miles. Having grown over more than a century, 95 percent of this area is wilderness terrain and is managed as such.

The different elevation stretching from 1,300 feet at the foothills to 14,494 feet supports a diverse ecosystem. In this ecosystem, there are more than 1,200 plant species and more than 315 different animal species.

Some of the plant species include the ponderosa pine, the whitebark pines, and the sugar pine. Animal species include the western and mountain bluebirds, black bears, and peregrine falcons.

8. The parks offer hiking trails that are more than 800 miles long

Collage of the John Muir Trail. Photo by Hike395/

The parks offer a hiking trail that allows you to enjoy the views, especially during the dry sunny months of July to September. One of the trails to explore is the 221-mile John Muir Trail.

This trail stretches from Yosemite Valley through Mount Whitney and Kings Canyon and into Sequoia National park.

9. For the adventurous people, the parks offer more than just trees

Crystal Cave in Sequoia National Park. Photo by Victor Gane/

Apart from the trees at Sequoia National Park, you can also enjoy other fulfilling activities. A hike across the trails or exploration of the Crystal Cave are additional activities to engage in.

The cave formations are a little delicate and a guided tour is the best way to explore them.

10. The parks offer a number of mountain peaks

The Great Western Divide from the summit of Mount Kaweah in Sequoia National Park. Photo by Ephraim Ragasa/

Mountaineering is one of the common activities in the Sequoia and Kings Canyon parks. Among the mountaineering community, Norman Clyde is a legend. Clyde was the first to reach more than 130 peaks, most of which are in the Sierra Nevada region.