General Sherman [Suggest Edits]

Description

General Sherman is the world's largest living tree. That's pretty cool, right? The tree is 275 ft. tall and 36.5 ft. wide at it's base; at 2,100 years old to boot, it's neither the tallest or widest tree, but it's estimated volume makes it likely the biggest thing that is alive right now. It's so massive the top of the tree is already dead even though the rest will live for centuries to come. A fence protects the tree from vandals and well-meaning tourists, and there's a photo staging area big enough for large groups. Good luck trying to capture the scale of such a thing though.

Recently, the former parking lot was demolished and restored to natural conditions, providing an enhanced setting for the tree and returning 2.5 acres to forest. An accessible parking area, trail and shuttle drop off were retained adjacent to the Generals Highway. The area can be accessed easily via a short but steep 0.3 mile trail from the main lot or only a 100 yard trek from the closer handicapped lot.

From here, you can also access the Congress Trail which links to several other trails.

Short Walk: There are two parking lots. One is located on Hwy 198 right as you approach the tree from the south and is handicapped parking only; General Sherman is only about a football field away from this lot. The second lot is 0.25 miles north off of Wolverine Road. Take the second right on Wolverine; the path here is short but steep (270ft). Hike down a huge, paved walkway. There is a giant boulder at the trailhead for photo opportunities.

Family Friendly: A short hike on paved trails to a cool thing with lots of infographics around and connections to other easy trails.

Gem Type: Family Attraction