Sequoia National Forest is home to the largest sequoia trees in the world. The forest sits on the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range in northern California, directly joined with and south of Kings Canyon National Forest. Four park ranger divisions of the Forest Service—a division of the U.S. Department of Agriculture—maintain and oversee the forest.
The eye-opening landscape of the forest contains more than 30 groves of majestic Sequoia trees rising above glacier-forged canyons, raging whitewater, green meadows and large granite boulders. Elevation ranges from 1,000 feet in the foothills to high-country peaks at 12,000 feet.
High elevations affect rainfall and temperatures in the Sequoia National Forest. Rainy season extends from October through April. In the higher elevations, precipitation arrives as snow. Temperatures during winter fall below freezing and summer temperatures rise above 100 degrees Fahrenheit.
Thunderstorms may occur at anytime during summer. If visiting the forest, carry rain apparel and layers of clothing to add or take off according to weather fluctuations.
Visitors to the forest will find a variety of recreational activities. Trails accommodate hiking, backpacking, mountain biking and horseback riding. The forest features campgrounds reservoirs and whitewater rivers in which visitors may fish, ski, boat, kayak and raft. Winter activities include snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing.
Inside the Sequoia National Forest are 1,500 miles of well-kept roads, 1,000 miles of desolate roads and 850 miles of forest trails. The Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, which extends 2,600 miles between Canada and Mexico, includes a 78-mile stretch through the Sequoia National Forest.
As of 2010, 69 Native American historical sites and 265 archaeological sites were preserved and protected in the Sequoia National Forest.
In 1847, Stephen Endlicher, a German botanist, named the redwood trees Sequoia Sempervirens in honor of Cherokee Chief Sequoya, known for creating the 86-character Cherokee language alphabet. In 1854, Joseph Decaisne, a French botanist, adopted the name and applied it to the trees that are related to the redwoods.
