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| Mariposa Grove tips and photos posted by real travelers and Yosemite National Park locals.
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Well, admittedly, my visit to Yosemite was focused on the most visited section of the park, the Valley floor. However, on our second day in the park we made the roughly 35-45 minute drive down toward the Wawona Hotel and the Mariposa Grove. The size of these trees does not translate on film and even in person, it's hard to comprehend the girth of the these giants.
First, a clarification. The giant sequoias that you see here are also know at Sierra redwoods, so the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Giant Sierras are not to be confused with the coastal redwoods of California and can only be found here in the Sierra Nevada mountains.
There are actually three separate groves of giant sequoias in Yosemite. Besides Mariposa, there are also the Merced and Tuolumne groves, but Mariposa is by far the most visited. Leave a Comment
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Just west of the south entrance of Yosemite is Mariposa Grove. There's a two mile road, which may be closed, depending on the traffic, that leads to the Grove. There are more than 200 Sequioas in the area. The Grizzly Giant, one of the most popular, is over 2,000 years old and is one of the oldest living things on earth. Its slightly younger and less popular than the somewhat famous General Sherman tree located in Sequoia National Park, but its still very impressive.
There are several short trails that wind their way around the area. The trail leads past several of these fallen giants, including the Fallen Monarch and the Wawona Tunnel tree, which was gutted in the 1800s to create a drive through road for horse drawn wagons.
This is one of the most well known portions of Yosemite, probably second in appeal only to Yosemite Valley. Its a fun area to explore and a great place to stop off, especially if you've been driving from the south for a long time. But there are other striking and more unique sites up the road as you head towards Yosemite Valley and Tuolomne. Leave a Comment
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Within Mariposa Grove, you will find Fallen Monarch, a giant Sequoia. At the entrance to the Grove, you'll see a large signboard with an old photo of the Monarch. It is an amazing sight, showing an entire Cavalry on their horses, not only beside, but on top of the Monarch. The tree is absolutely huge and must have been quite a sight when it was standing. Leave a Comment
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Sequoias are the biggest and one of the oldest species of trees. Sequoias can be thousands of years old.
Apart from Sequoia National Park, these trees can also be found in Yosemite NP. Mariposa Grove in the south of Yosemite NP is an area where Sequoias can be found.
Mariposa Grove is especially interesting for those people who want to see Sequoias but just couldn't squeeze in Sequoia National Park in their trip. Leave a Comment
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As I recall we paid $16- per person for the tram that tours through what once was a road taken by tourist cars. I recall the family taking that strip of asphalt many times, with the biggest thrill being a drive through the tunnel tree. The tunnel tree though fell over many years ago, and recent conservation efforts forbid any traffic other than the trams. In any case, the tram has a recorded guide system that explains many things about the Sequoia Gigantia trees and the history of the Grove. These are transmitted by a radio system and headphones, so that tourists speaking languages other than English can appreciate the information. As I recall, Spanish, Japanese, German, French, and other languages were available. For 50 cents, once can also buy a printed copy of a pamplet which is available in several languages. If one has plenty of time, wants to save money, avoid the tram, etc., then hiking through the grove on designated trails is permitted. The trees are typically surrounded by fencing so that the root base is protected from the trampling of tourist feet. Souvenirs are available at the Cabin near the top of the ridge, and at the main entrance shop. Unfortunately, the shops are not carefully stocked with multi-lingual reading material. For example, at the time of our visit, I saw a huge stack of German version souvenir guides, but a Spanish one was not available. However, one can buy a seedling of the great tree, which will in fact grow. I have a two foot tall Sequoia Gigantia in my backyard, which grew from a seedling in only two years. Leave a Comment Directions: Take the South Entrance and follow the signs, or from the main West Entrance take the highway leading south to Wawona, Glacier Point, and Mariposa Grove. From the West Entrance, plan on driving an additional hour or so on a winding road.Website: http://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm
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The Mariposa Grove is a great place to see the Giant Sequoias. There is a parking area and then a tram that takes you up on a tour. You'll learn about the names, why these trees are so fascinating and stop at the visitor center. You have the option of walking as well.I mapped these trees for a summer and learned so much about them. Most interesting, to me, are the twins and groups of trees that end up growing together. Also, the shallow root system and the tiny cones (please don't take any) The trees also reproduce by being burned, the cones open that way...so it's common to see a lot of the trees with burn scars. This doesn't hurt them, just opens a tunnel in some cases through the bark. These giant trees have were cut down originally because people thought since they were massive, they must be good lumber. Not true--I think some people even tried to make pencils out of them. Anyway, the history of the groves and the trees is very fascinating and you can get the chance to learn all of that on the ride and in the visitor center. It's also interesting to find out why they only grow in these particular areas...they aren't spread out all over the Park. Leave a Comment
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There are only a few places that giant sequoias grow. If you are near Yosemite, you should definitely take a drive to Mariposa Grove. It is about a 30 minute drive from the valley floor of Yosemite, and contains approx 500 giant sequoias. Easy walking trails, and shade provided by the trees make this an enjoyable few hours. I know this photo can't possibly give you the feeling of the enormous size of these trees, so here are some of the vitals for the Grizzly Giant (biggest sequoia here).
Age: 2,700years
Height: 209 feet
Diameter of First Large Limb: 6.0' Leave a Comment
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Giant Sequoias are probably my favorite trees; they are large, towering, and very beautiful. While Mariposa Grove is not quite as large and it's trees not quite as beautiful as those of Giant Forest in Sequoia National Park to the south, Yosemite's largest grove of sequoias is very much worth visiting. The grove is split into an upper and a lower section and covers a total of 250 acres; the upper section is more interesting than the tourist-packed lower grove. One-hour guided tram tours of the grove are offered, but you should skip these (and save $16) and opt for walking. Trails connect the lower grove parking area (elevation 5,600) to the the famous lower grove trees as well as the Upper Grove, the fallen Wawona Tunnel Tree (elevation 6,600) and Wawona Point (elevation 6,800 feet). At the grove parking lot, you can buy an excellent pamphlet about the grove, written by the late Jon Kinney, a ranger at Yosemite National Park. The pamphlet offers a lot of background information on the trees. Crowds tend to congregate in the lower grove, so hiking the moderate uphill trail from the lower grove to the upper grove, about 4 miles round trip, will bring you solitude. For views and even less tourists, hike the 5 miles round trip to Wawona Point. Leave a Comment
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From the Mariposa Grove parking lot, walk along the paved and easy trail about 0.2 miles to Fallen Monarch, a giant, toppled tree. Because sequoia wood has a lot of tannin, it rots slowly, as in the case of this tree. It's been about the same since a famous photo was taken of it with a line of US cavalry standing on it in 1899. Leave a Comment
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Massive Grizzly Giant is one of the biggest trees in the park. This 2,700 year-old monarch has giant limbs sticking out from all sides, the largest being 7 feet in diameter and larger than most other trees in the forest. However, despite it's size, the Grizzly Giant doesn't have the power of Sequoia National Park's General Sherman Tree. Also be warned, the tram stops here and deposits a wave of passengers who inundate the area. Leave a Comment
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