INTRODUCTION For your safety and for the protection of the MANZANITA TRAIL Within the relatively small Grant Grove area is a park's features, we ask that you observe a small PARK RIDGE number of common-sense rules: richness of nature and scenery best found by Distance: Round trip 3.3 mi les hiking the area's numerous trails. Although these 1. Please stay on trails - taking shortcuts can Time: Round trip 2 hours trails do not afford access to the extensive be dangerous to you and damaging to the wilderness backcountry of Sequoia and Kings trail. Climb: 800 feet Canyon National Parks, they will enable you to 2. Children should not be allowed to hike Type of Walk: Moderate find solitude and natural, seemingly remote without responsible supervision. Trail Characteristics: First portion in forest, steep settings within a few minutes walk from your 3. Dogs, and all other pets, are prohibited on in places. Remainder easy uphill grade. vehicle. Streams, rocks, flowers, great trees, and, all park trails. for alert observers, birds and other animals will 4. Park trails are closed to all wheeled The trail begins at the far end of the visitor provide many hours of pleasant and healthful vehicles, including bicycles and trail bikes. center parking area, adjacent to the lodge w enjoyment for casual walkers. More ambitious 5. Smoking is not permitted while traveling on buildings. Behind the tent cabins, the trail hikers will find ample trail mileage requiring park trails. If you must smoke, stop and do it connects with and follows a dirt road for .2 mile, many days to explore. Only the major trails are safely. then leaves the right side of the road and heads described here. There are additional trails, many 6. uphill. Stay right at the next two junctions. A few of which interconnect, making it possible to vary hundred yards past the junction with Round several of the suggested routes. 7. Carry out all litter - film wrappers, plastic Meadow Trail, the trail traverses Manzanita Hill. bags, pull-tabs, everything! Manzanita, a shrub easily identified by its Elevations range from below 5400 feet to over 8. And most importantly, all park features - smooth, red bark and roundish, thick leaves, 7500 feet. Hiking boots are the preferred flowers, trees, rocks, wildlife - must be left bears a small apple-like berry, hence the ~ footwear. However, sturdy tennis shoes are undisturbed. Let the next visitor find the park Spanish name which means little apple. satisfactory on most trails. A small first aid kit, in as good a condition as you did! sunburn lotion, and insect repellent may be At the top of Park Ridge you may return by c~ Additional interesti ng experiences can be yours a: useful. Although there are small streams In the taking the Azalea Trail, which meets a tributary of area, they must not be depended upon for pure once you have explored the trails described in Sequoia Creek a short way downhill. The creek drinking water, so carry your own. the leaflet. Check with a ranger at the visitor provides a moist habitat for countless azalea '" 0 a.. center for other possibilities, such as Redwood bushes covered in late June and early July with Trails shown in color on the map correspond Canyon or the Converse Basin. a myraid of fragrant, cream-colored flowers. with the descriptions here. Occasionally, you will see colored, metal triangles along the trails. Continue down the main trail along the creek """' ""m These symbols mark winter ski routes and are until it joins the connector trail to the South located nigh m 'tile (l'ti~» '>.. be visible Boundary near the so 'r1~ r.••1e.r ..:e '111ac• f·, I- ~a:. above the deep winter snow. Wil sonia. Cross the Wilsonia road and follow .m the trail back to the visitor center. Map designed and prepared by Caldwell & Associates As long as you stay on trails, hiking by yourself can be both safe and enjoyable. If, however, you SEQUOIA NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION U c m would like to learn more about Grant Grove and in cooperation with the Z its resources, the National Park Service invites NATIONAL PARK SERVICE c ..... you to join one of the frequent ranger-guided c ' 1985 15M 11 0'> walks in the area. Presented daily during the peak summer months, and on weekends <( "'o-P. throughout the entire year, ranger-conducted ,.,,. Jl't\. - • - activities are the best way to discover what Grant .... ""''I , Grove is all about. Consult the park newspaper, THE SEQUOIA BARK, for schedules. CJ2~ ~ PARK RIDGE TRAIL DEAD GIANT LOOP TRAIL SUNSET TRAIL GENERAL GRANT TREE TRAIL NORTH GROVE LOOP BIG STUMP TRAIL PANORAMIC POINT AND FIRE TOWER DEAD GIANT AND SEQUOIA LAKE OVERLOOK VIOLA FALLS, ELLA FALLS, SEQUOIA LAKE Distance: Round trip .5 mile Distance: Round trip 1.5 miles Distance: Round trip 1 mile Distance: Round trip 4.7 miles Distance: Round trip 2.2 miles Distance: Round trip 6 miles Time: Round trip V2 hour Time: 1.5 hours Time: Round trip 1 hour Time: Round trip 3 hours Time: Round trip 1.5 hours Time: Round trip 3-4 hours (Viola Falls 3 miles) Climb: 30 feet Climb: 400 feet (return) Climb: 200 feet (return) Climb: 200 feet Climb: 400 feet (return trip) Climb: 1400 feet (return trip) Type of Walk: Easy, Accessible to the Type of Walk: Easy Type of Walk: Easy Type of Walk: Easy Type of Walk: Easy Type of Walk: Fairly Strenuous handicapped Trail Characteristics: Along an old road Trail Characteristics: Mixed conifer forest Trail Characteristics: Along Park Ridge, scenic Trail Characteristics: 1.6 miles on old road, Trail Characteristics: Forest, rocks, streams, vistas, fire lookout .6 mile loop foot trail; Forest, lake view and waterfalls This short, self-guided loop trail starts from the This pleasant loop trail starts at the extreme end This interesting trail traverses an area that was canyon vista Grant Tree parking area one mile from the visitor of the lower Grant Tree parking area and follows totally cut over for timber, chiefly the Giant This trail starts at the Panoramic Point parking This is a pleasant trail through a sometimes open center. Signs along the trail describe many of the an old one-way road through a beautifu l grove of Sequoia, in the late 1880's. The area was added area and goes south along the ridge. Panoramic The trail starts at the extreme end of the Grant and varied forest of pines, firs, and oaks. The trail features seen. or you may choose to rent the giant sequoia, sugar pine, white fir, and to Kings Canyon National Park in 1965. Because Point, a quarter mile hike from the parking area, Tree parking area and proceeds downhill along begins across the main highway from the visitor cassette recorder at the visitor center and listen dogwood. Stay to the right at the first junction decay occurs slowly in the giant sequoia, most of provides an excellent view of the valleys and an old road for about a mile through a forest of center; use the crosswalk. Take the trail going to to a 30-minute discussion about the area and and follow the unpaved road downhill. Notice the evidence left behind by the loggers, i.e., these great trees. high mountain peaks to the east of Grant Grove. sequoia, fir and pine. The road is closed to the left below the highway, skirting Sunset when you get to the wet meadow that there are stumps, sawdust piles, etc., has been preserved. Interpretive displays name the many mountains vehicles except for fire control purposes. Stay to Campground. The Sunset Trail branches off to many more sequoias here than on the drier A brochure at the trail head, near the Big Stump and valleys, giving an overall perspective of the left on the road and continue past two trail the right about a quarter mile or so past the hillsides. These huge trees require a great deal Picnic area, will help you understand the story. Kings Canyon National Park. Visible in the junctions until you pass a meadow on your right. entrance to Sunset Campground, and then winds of water daily, and here along the meadow they And don't forget the Sawed Tree. The trail begins foreground is Hurne Lake in Sequoia National Just beyond the meadow, a trail to the right leads downhill. In about one and a quarter miles the grow very rapidly. near the Mark Twain Stump, crosses the road, Forest. Just beyond the low ridge behind the a short distance to the Dead Giant. trail intersects with the trail from Swale and climbs a small hill to the tree. The trail lake lies Kings Canyon. Formed by the South Workcenter on the right and the South Boundary The old, nearly obscured road at the bottom of continues along the eastern side of the road Fork of the Kings River and modified by glaciers, The Dead Giant is an unusually large sequoia Trail on your left. Follow the South Boundary the hill is an old fire road that continues to back to the parking area. the upper canyon has been compared to which shows signs of man-caused death. Trai l for a quarter mile to Viola Falls. Millwood, the site of a bustling 1890s mill town. Yosemite Valley. Looking closely, you will find axe marks girdling The huge sequoias were logged in several the tree, severing the cambium layer. With the The fa lls are impressive in spring and early locations, taken to the mill, and then the lumber Continuing along the trail, one may look west living layer cut, nutrients could no longer move summer when there is an abundance of water floated down a flume to Sanger in the valley down into the San Joaquin Valley, and on a clear up the tree and the giant died. from the snowmelt. Even more fascinating are below. The large dead giant sequoia at the road day see the Coast Range 100 miles away. At the the sculptu red rock pools the stream flows junction shows signs of a fi re many years ago. junction of the road and trail, follow the road to Follow the trail beyond the Dead Giant to the through. Cowparsnips, leopard lillies, and Few of these trees succumbed to fire, being very the left for about 50 yards. The trail then ridge and proceed to your left to Sequoia Lake numerous other wildflowers bloom here among • resistant to heat. continues along the ridge until it meets the road Overlook. From this point, there is a good view of the moist streambanks. Also notice the several .1 mile from the fire lookout. The tower is Sequoia Lake and the surrounding area. The giant sequoias across the creek. From the old Millwood road junction, continue operated a" 11'rfg titre fire season, normally May lake, now the location of several YMCA camps, left uphill to !he paved road wbich will take you through October. Please obtain permission from was initially constructed around 1890 as a Ella Falls is about a mile farther down the trail to the parking area. Or you might choose to turn the person on duty before ascending the tower. millpond to supply water for a flume to carry toward Sequoia Lake. A short distance beyond right at the paved road, and go downhill one lu mber to Sanger in the San Joaquin Valley Ella Falls is the park boundary and several quarter mile to the Dead Giant Loop Trail. To return, retrace your path along the trail or below. Notice the black oaks which inhabit the summer camps operated by the YMCA at follow the dirt fire road back to your car. lower slope. Acorns from these trees were a Sequoia Lake. When you reach the paved road, valuable food source for the local Indians and a short walk to the right will bring you to the old now provide mast for deer, bears, and many park entrance road opposite Camp Redwood. smaller animals. You may return up the trail you just came down, or you could follow the old road up to the To follow around the loop, walk a short distance General Grant Tree parking area. From there back up the ridge and take the return trail to return to the visitor center along the trail that your right. To the left from this ridge, you can see begins near the drinking fountain. lower Kings Canyon. The ridge in the middle distance shows the effects of the McGee Fire of 1955. The fire burned over 13,000 acres of forest and threatened the Grant Grove area. Follow the trail back to the road, turn left and retrace your steps to the parking lot. : ! To Hume Lake, Ceda r Grove Grant Grove Kings Canyon National Park
Trail descriptions (over) / ) Manzanita Trail
---- Park Ridge Trail l\to0> KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK ... , ?'1y <; ---- Dead Giant Loop Trail ' Oul\t, .... '(),,, , ---- Sunset Trail '<'5>;.. Panoramic ~,. _, p 01nt· 1 ---- General Grant Tree Trail Ao
Mark Twain Stump'l> , ,,. --- \ mBig Stump Entrance KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARK ,, / / ... ;