Mariposa Big Tree Grove

The Mariposa Big Tree Grove is a section of Yosemite National Park filled with the Giant Sequoia trees the northwestern part of the country is known for. Two of the trees are among the 25 largest Giant Sequoia trees in the entire world. The grove was discovered by non-natives in 1857. Prior to that, only those native to the area living among the trees knew they existed. It was Galen Clark and Milton Mann who named the grove for Mariposa County. One of the most famous trees in the grove, Grizzly Giant, is thought to be between 1900 and 2400 years old. This is the oldest tree in the grove, but not the largest. At more than 210-feet, with a diameter of 30-feet, it is the 25th largest in the world. It's lowest branch measures six feet. Another of the notable trees in the collection is the Wawona Tree, cut through with a tunnel large enough to drive carriages and automobiles through. It collapsed during a storm in 1969 because the opening had weakened its base. In 1864, President Lincoln signed an Act of Congress ceding the grove to the state of California. It later was returned to federal control when Yosemite was established as a National Park. The grove is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Other notable trees in the grove include The Bachelor and Three Graces, The Fallen Monarch, the Washington Tree, the Faithful Couple, the Columbia Tree, and the Galen Clark Tree.